Got Your Permit To Study the Bible?

[Teresa]

  This is potentially some pretty scary stuff.  I know we  are (Hopefully)
light-years away from anything resembling San Diego County thinking, but
twenty years ago, this wouldn't have been an issue there either.  Time
flies when you're watching society deteriorate before your very eyes.
      Yes, this is the Chuck Norris you used to watch on Walker, Texas
Ranger.  He writes a weekly column for Townhall.com.

      Got Your Permit To Study the Bible?
      Chuck Norris
      Tuesday, June 02, 2009

      Recently a California pastor and his wife were required by San Diego
County officials to obtain a permit to hold a Bible study in their
home.

      "What?! Is this a joke?" I wondered as I heard the news for the
first time. It was no joke. Rather, it's a First Amendment nightmare
and possibly a foreshadowing of what's to come.

      Are you prepared for a future in which you hear, "Got your permit to
study the Bible?"
      On April 10 (Good Friday), a county code enforcement officer visited
the home of David and Mary Jones after receiving a complaint about
their Christian gatherings. The Jones' attorney, Dean Broyles,
president of The Western Center for Law & Policy, conveyed in
disbelief, "The county asked (Mrs. Jones), 'Do you have a regular
meeting in your home?' She said, 'Yes.' 'Do you say "amen"?' 'Yes.'
'Do you pray?' 'Yes.' 'Do you say "praise the Lord"?' 'Yes.'"

      The officer then warned the family to "cease and desist" the
"religious gathering" or they would face weekly fines. A few days
later, the county delivered a citation claiming that the Joneses
were guilty of "unlawful use of land" and mandating them to "stop
religious assembly or apply for a major use permit."

      At first, I thought, "They must have a large congregation meeting in
their home to warrant this type of citation and prompt this type of
commotion, right?" Actually, according to their lawyer, the Joneses
have been hosting weekly Bible studies in their home for about five
years, with an average attendance of only about 15 people.
      Broyles appropriately responded, "If the county thinks they can shut
down groups of 10 or 15 Christians meeting in a home, what about
people who meet regularly at home for poker night? What about people
who meet for Tupperware parties? What about people who are meeting
to watch baseball games on a regular basis and support the
Chargers?"

      Well, this past weekend, barraged by hundreds of complaints after
WorldNetDaily broke the news to the international community, San
Diego County officials informed the world that they'd backed down
from requiring the Joneses to obtain a permit. Despite their
retraction (based solely upon public pressure, I might add),
however, I am appalled at how far the county's enforcement and
encroachment crossed the constitutional line and became a flagrant
disregard for Americans' right to exercise their religious faiths.
And I'm concerned that we will see far more of these overreaching
governmental actions in years to come.
      As Mary Jones shared with Fox News: "The implications are great
because it's not only us that's involved. There are thousands and
thousands of Bible studies that are held all across the country.
What we're interested in is setting a precedent here -- before it
goes any further -- and that we have it settled for the future."

      I'm not expecting county officials to be constitutional lawyers, but
they should be aware of these basic precepts of America's makeup.
For example, prior to the San Diego officials' recanting their
position regarding the Joneses' Bible study, Chandra Waller, the
general manager of the county's Land Use and Environment Group,
declared, "The Bible studies are one that's probably in a very gray
area."

      "Very gray area"? Is there anything "very gray" about the First
Amendment?

      I agree again with Broyles, who explained further to Fox News: "The
government may not prohibit the free exercise of religion. I believe
that our Founding Fathers would roll over in their grave if they saw
that here in the year 2009, a pastor and his wife are being told
that they cannot hold a simple Bible study in their own home."
      Part of the genius of America's Founding Fathers was to provide and
secure a foundation for our freedom of religious belief. The First
Amendment simply reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for
a redress of grievances."

      Could it be any clearer that government may not prohibit "the free
exercise thereof"?

      Now more than ever, we need to be like the Joneses! Fight for the
First Amendment and your freedom to exercise your religion.


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[Jo McDonald]

HUH  ?? explain that, since every thing else was stated otherwise.

[Dee Gee]

See the thread " Unconstitutional California" in politics.

[sixdogsmom]

I agree Diane, a lot of these things get mileage, but the outcome never seems to come to light. I have heard two different preachers from my regular one in the past two weeks, and yup, sure enough this incident was brought up as an example of the deterioration of our country. Our judicial system was designed with a system of checks and balances so that we could avoid opression, something that our forefathers were familiar with. Sometimes the pendulum seems to swing too far one way, but then our great country is able to right itself before it becomes totally unhinged.

[flo]

Are you all familiar with Juneteenth? It's coming up on June 19 and there will be black parties and church doings and picnics and all sorts of things going on. Wilmington always has a big do. I'll make a bet that somehow, someone will try to create some news worthy situation and make a complaint about it.

I'm wondering if there will be any white parties? wouldn't that be descrimination?    just kidding, of course.