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DOJ Sues Nebraska Village for Denying Church Permission to Expand Facilities
The Epoch Times ^ | February 20, 2020 Updated: February 20, 2020 | Janita Kan

Posted on 02/20/2020 6:05:36 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

The Justice Department (DOJ) has sued a Nebraska village alleging that it had violated a federal law protecting religious institutions when it denied a local church from expanding their facilities in the locale.

The department on Thursday filed the lawsuit against the Village of Walthill, which has a population of about 750 people, saying that it violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act when it denied the Light of the World Gospel Ministries from building a worship facility for “church services, bible studies, youth and children ministries, and cafeteria ministries.”

According to the complaint (pdf), Light of the World Gospel Ministries had purchased several old and deteriorating buildings across the street from the church’s current meeting place in a downtown area in the village. The church was hoping to construct a new church and other facilities in order to expand its space for its growing membership.

The village government initially approved the church’s building permit but later revoked it after four individuals testified at a board meeting. The four members alleged that the church had “proselytized in ways they believed to be offensive or that members of [the church] held unfavorable religious views of Native Americans or of Native American religious beliefs.”

The village also denied applications for multiple permits from the church to demolish and clean up the dangerous structure on the church’s property, the church says.

In 2017, the village told the church that it needed a special use permit to construct a new church on its property in a commercial area in downtown Walthill. The church then applied for a special use permit but its application was denied. According to the complaint, the village board did not give them a reason for the rejection.

(Excerpt) Read more at theepochtimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
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1 posted on 02/20/2020 6:05:36 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Huh! I wonder if Eric Holder’s DOJ would seek to enforce the law and Constitution in these circumstances.


2 posted on 02/20/2020 6:19:42 PM PST by oldplayer
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

THIS is a legitimate function of the federal government.


3 posted on 02/20/2020 6:28:42 PM PST by rottndog ('Live Free Or Die' Ain't just words on a bumber sticker...or a tagline.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Oh that takes priority over 6he attempted overthrow of the government. Go get ‘em FBI.


4 posted on 02/20/2020 6:31:48 PM PST by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“The four members alleged that the church had “proselytized in ways they believed to be offensive or that members of [the church] held unfavorable religious views of Native Americans or of Native American religious beliefs.””

Four people caused this mess.


5 posted on 02/20/2020 6:40:50 PM PST by Rebelbase
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To: Bonemaker
The DOJ has over 113,000 employees. I’m sure they’re all working on different issues.
6 posted on 02/20/2020 6:48:29 PM PST by liberalh8ter (The only difference between flash mob 'urban yutes' and U.S. politicians is the hoodies.)
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To: oldplayer

Eric Holder only enforced the laws that benefited him, Bill, Hillary and the Democrat Party. Otherwise it was screw America.

AG Janet Reno did the same in the 90’s. I worked on an Organized Crime Task Force whose indictments she quashed at the behest of the mob-moneyed Clintons. “The American Spectator: April 1997, “Let’s Be Friends - A Mob-Controlled Union Delivers the Goods for Bill”. Read it and weep for America.


7 posted on 02/20/2020 10:04:01 PM PST by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

Bkmk Nebraska


8 posted on 02/20/2020 10:07:26 PM PST by ptsal ( Bust the NVIA)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum; ConservativeMind; ealgeone; Mark17; fishtank; boatbums; Luircin; mitch5501; ...
four individuals...alleged that the church had “proselytized in ways they believed to be offensive or that members of [the church] held unfavorable religious views of Native Americans or of Native American religious beliefs.”

Finding four individuals that find evangelism and the Bible to be offensive and believers to hold unfavorable religious views is about as hard as finding 4 liberals.

9 posted on 02/21/2020 3:10:20 AM PST by daniel1212 ( Trust the risen Lord Jesus to save you as a damned and destitute sinner + be baptized + follow Him)
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To: Bonemaker
Oh that takes priority over 6he attempted overthrow of the government. Go get ‘em FBI.

False either/or dilemma, and without Christianity and the Reformation then there would be no United States as a constitutional republic.

10 posted on 02/21/2020 3:13:22 AM PST by daniel1212 ( Trust the risen Lord Jesus to save you as a damned and destitute sinner + be baptized + follow Him)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
The department on Thursday filed the lawsuit against the Village of Walthill, which has a population of about 750 people, saying that it violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act when it denied the Light of the World Gospel Ministries from building a worship facility for “church services, bible studies, youth and children ministries, and cafeteria ministries.”

According to the complaint (pdf), Light of the World Gospel Ministries had purchased several old and deteriorating buildings across the street from the church’s current meeting place in a downtown area in the village. The church was hoping to construct a new church and other facilities in order to expand its space for its growing membership.

The village government initially approved the church’s building permit but later revoked it after four individuals testified at a board meeting. The four members alleged that the church had “proselytized in ways they believed to be offensive or that members of [the church] held unfavorable religious views of Native Americans or of Native American religious beliefs.”

I just wait for the Muslims to notice this and run with it!

The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Thursday filed the lawsuit against the United States of America, which has a population of about 350,000,000 people, saying that it violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act when it denied the American-Muslims from building a worship facility for “religious services, QURAN studies, youth and children ministries, and cafeteria ministries.”

According to the complaint (pdf), Many Muslim communitys across America have purchased MANY properties, hoping to construct new MOSQUEs and other facilities in order to expand its space for its growing membership.

The Federal government initially approved the  building permits but later revoked it after some individuals testified at a board meeting. They alleged that the MOSQUE had “proselytized in ways they believed to be offensive or that members of [the Mosque] held unfavorable religious views of Christian Americans or of Christian American religious beliefs.”

11 posted on 02/21/2020 4:25:34 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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