U.S. Court Rules against Mezuzah on Condo Doorposts

Arutz 7 ^ | 7-15-08 | Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

[rawhide]

If this lawsuit had something to do with muslems hanging stuff outside of their doors, I wonder how the judges would have ruled?

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Obama country!!!!

[Navy Patriot]

Only foot-baths are required everywhere at public expense.

[notdownwidems]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

What part of or prohibiting the free exercise thereof do these pinheads not understand?

[stop_fascism]

Every part, obviously.

However, doesn’t the hallway, and the exterior of the door belong to the Condo Association rather than the Condo owners?

[goldstategop]

Caveat emptor - read the condo association by laws before you buy. If they include prohibitions on religious displays, you're not going to enjoy owning your unit.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[goldstategop]

Everything inside your unit is yours. Obviously you're not not allowed to personalize the common area. If that's what you want, you're better off getting a single family home.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[mavfin]

Obviously you're not not allowed to personalize the common area.

Exactly. This wasn't about religion, it was about personalizing shared public areas (hallway in this case), without regard to any particular religion.

[I still care]

I’m not Jewish and my thought is some rabbi or someone will tell me I am wrong. But it seems to me that your home is your doorway, in other words, YOUR doorway to your condo.

When I had a Jewish tenant once, she put a mezuzah on the inside of her doorpost. No problem.

I’ll tell you where I was angry with the law. I lived in walking distance of a Jewish temple, and I wanted to put that in my ad for the apartment. I was told by Newsday I couldn’t do that, because that was “discriminatory”.

[Polybius]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

What part of or prohibiting the free exercise thereof do these pinheads not understand?

The Constitution protects you from the Gubmint .... not from private Condominium Associations.

For a case in point: Ping Admin Moderator, say somthing that he reeeeally does not like and then claim First Amendment Free Speech rights.

[Hildy]

If this was any other organization than a condo association, I’d be shocked..but nothing a HOA does suprises me. I’m sure there are many other Jews in that building...Where are they?

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

I doubt that this kind of ruling would apply to a certain death cult from the middle east.

[doc1019]

LOL! Lesson learned the hard way. ;-)

[CurlyDave]

What part of or prohibiting the free exercise thereof do these pinheads not understand?

If my religion includes sacrificing goats in the front yard and then cooking them, am I allowed to exercise it?

[ladyjane]

However, doesn’t the hallway, and the exterior of the door belong to the Condo Association rather than the Condo owners

Condo association = condo owners

[goldstategop]

Exactly. Groups and private individuals can decide whom they want to hear and whom they want to associate with. The First Amendment only keeps government from imposing restrictions on free speech. People are still free to decide what beliefs to reject and what beliefs to accept.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[notdownwidems]

If my religion includes sacrificing goats in the front yard and then cooking them, am I allowed to exercise it?

Well if the first amendment means anything at all, then yes!

[Fractal Trader]

Can someone explain to me how this became a federal case about free speech? The Condo Bylaws are agreed to by private individuals. How can one claim a First Amendment case when the government is not a party to the dispute?

[WoofDog123]

“t if the bylaws of the building prohibit signs and objects on outside doors”

I would imagine there may be personal animosity between the parties (the types of residents who run housing associations don’t do it to help others, generally, but from a power-related need), but hard to get beyond the above statement, if it is true here.