Proof that Christians are being persecuted; or------

[bonzombiekitty]

The city was banning private meetings in his living room and even broke up a good friday gathering. I can understand something like that happening in communist Russia but the USA?

Sure it can happen. If the meetings are being held to the point that the home is functioning as a church, then the home is no longer just a private residence and a whole different set of fire, safety, building, etc. codes come into play.

There may be a murky grey area between what is just a small private meeting and what is actually a church, but the idea that the city wanted to stop him because they felt it was functioning as a church is not really out in left field - especially if neighbors were complaining about valid issues (such as parking).

 

[psionl0]

We don't have enough information about the details and history.

LOL This is becoming a popular cop-out for anybody who's views about a social event are challenged.

 

[psionl0]

- especially if neighbors were complaining about valid issues (such as parking).

If it was about parking the city would violate the offenders. If it was about noise the city could violate Salmon on that too. In fact most councils have laws to deal with just about every public nuisance that can happen.

But if this extends to the living room then you have one guest too many.

 

[ponderingturtle]

LOL This is becoming a popular cop-out for anybody who's views about a social event are challenged.

Good to see you are so confident in your initial reactions that you will bet anything on them. I am not and will consider new evidence and reconsider my position, even though I have not taken one yet.

But I am sure you thoroughly researched these events before forming your opinion, so could you cite your sources? So that the rest of us can verify them.

 

[Ladewig]

There positions wouldn't change much but there is the slight detail that churches ARE permitted in the neighborhood under the zoning regs, while I would doubt that 40 ft statues are.

In constructing the analogy, I tacitly assumed that the zoning rules were so poorly written that there was no specific rule against building a 40 ft statue.

I don't agree with him wanting to build his church in the middle of the neighborhood, but he is within the rules to do so.

Oh, I emphatically agree with you in that he has a right to start building a church. I'd have to see some more information before I was convinced that what he actually built meets all local, state, and federal regulations.

Yes, he did call the city and ask if churches were prohibited and he was very clearly told that they were not prohibited. But anyone who studies the Bible should have thought of the parable of the tower builder. Yes, he called the city, but contacting an attorney before beginning a project such as this one might have been a slightly better plan.

 

[PhantomWolf]

especially if neighbors were complaining about valid issues (such as parking).

Or lowered house values, which it appears to be what started it all, the belief that having a church next door would decrease the house values of the nieghbours.