• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Homeowner Jailed for Hosting Bible Study

Kreton

Doesn't know
DP Veteran
Joined
Apr 11, 2011
Messages
13,350
Reaction score
6,591
Location
Across the street from the family across the stree
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Independent
So...how many people are we talking about on a regular basis?
 

Bah! Religious freedom is not being infringed, here. Headline ought to have been "Homeowner Jailed For Code Violations". That said, I agree that the pastor was not guilty of such violations unless he made a public invitation to attend bible study at his home in an advertisement, word of mouth, from the pulpit, or in any kind of flyer or bulletin board.

The city has an interest in making sure buildings open to the public have followed code. The line where a building is being used for a church gathering cannot be left to the church to decide. After all, they could just move into the cathedral, and declare it a private home!

Fox News knows all this, and is just playing its audience to get them worked up. Getting people worked up makes money!! Big surprise there.
 
Last edited:
Hmm, I'd say it's okay because it's the local government doing it. If he doesn't like it he can just move!
 
Quick, hide the bibles and break out the cards and poker chips! ;-)
 
Responses so far depress me. Its an attack on property rights as much as religious freedom. The city is basically saying you can't have regular gatherings at your house at all if its religious in nature. Whats next? No drinking because you're not zoned as a bar? No BBQs cause you're not zoned and inspected as a restaurant.

This is simply ridiculous. If this guy was doing a weekly poker game, Dungeons and Dragons, get piss drunk fest, etc, etc...this wouldn't be crime. But because they do a bible study the city dubs it a Church?
 
How many people were parking cars outside his home?
 
Responses so far depress me. Its an attack on property rights as much as religious freedom. The city is basically saying you can't have regular gatherings at your house at all if its religious in nature. Whats next? No drinking because you're not zoned as a bar? No BBQs cause you're not zoned and inspected as a restaurant.

This is simply ridiculous. If this guy was doing a weekly poker game, Dungeons and Dragons, get piss drunk fest, etc, etc...this wouldn't be crime. But because they do a bible study the city dubs it a Church?

I would say its a nuisance.. Probably parking issues.

Read the article.

This guy and his group should rent the VFW hut one night a week.
 
Responses so far depress me. Its an attack on property rights as much as religious freedom. The city is basically saying you can't have regular gatherings at your house at all if its religious in nature. Whats next? No drinking because you're not zoned as a bar? No BBQs cause you're not zoned and inspected as a restaurant.

This is simply ridiculous. If this guy was doing a weekly poker game, Dungeons and Dragons, get piss drunk fest, etc, etc...this wouldn't be crime. But because they do a bible study the city dubs it a Church?

I want to know how many people, that is the key piece of information which is missing.
 
Yeah, well, I got in trouble for keeping 12 cats in my home despite having a license for 12 cats issued by Animal Control. I was instead cited by Code Enforcement, guys with guns.

And you know what? I was wrong (technically). I kissed ass and no charges were filed. This guy wasn't smart enough to give in and got slugged
Salman’s incarceration is the result of a long-running feud between the ordained pastor and the city of Phoenix over weekly Bible studies that Salman and his wife hosted in their home. City officials determined that the weekly gatherings constituted a church – and therefore violated a number of code regulations.

My cats were no more harmful than this sky god study course. However, that's the law - break it and suffer the consequences.
 
I want to know how many people, that is the key piece of information which is missing.

Doesn't really matter. Read one that said around 40. Could see parking being an issue but thats something they could have worked out with him via carpool or what not.
 
Yeah, well, I got in trouble for keeping 12 cats in my home despite having a license for 12 cats issued by Animal Control. I was instead cited by Code Enforcement, guys with guns.

And you know what? I was wrong (technically). I kissed ass and no charges were filed. This guy wasn't smart enough to give in and got slugged


My cats were no more harmful than this sky god study course. However, that's the law - break it and suffer the consequences.

That's an outrage! Every neighborhood needs 1 crazy cat lady.
 
house-party with 45 people= okee dokee.

religious meeting with 20 people= evil & illegal?

hmmm...
 
The thread lost me at "Fox News.."

But I'll come back later just to check to see how it's going.

Who can resist watching a good car wreck? LOL!
 
From the article:

Salman’s incarceration is the result of a long-running feud between the ordained pastor and the city of Phoenix over weekly Bible studies that Salman and his wife hosted in their home. City officials determined that the weekly gatherings constituted a church – and therefore violated a number of code regulations.

Sounds like the city is just finding any loophole it can to **** this guy over, imo.
 
Doesn't really matter. Read one that said around 40. Could see parking being an issue but thats something they could have worked out with him via carpool or what not.

No, it does matter. It's a residential area not zoned to handle traffic flow of business. If it's 10 people, I'd be hopping up and down saying it's a travesty. If they're trying to cram 50 people into a 3 bedroom ranch house in a cul de sac, the city may have a valid point. Don't try to pass over data in an attempt to skew perception to your side. Intelligent choices and actions can only be made when all data is present.
 
From the article:



Sounds like the city is just finding any loophole it can to **** this guy over, imo.

I disagree with you on this one Lokiate. Let's go get a beer.
 
Doesn't really matter. Read one that said around 40. Could see parking being an issue but thats something they could have worked out with him via carpool or what not.

I agree with you on this detail. All that matters is whether it was a reoccurring generally open invitation gathering. If so, then it was a church, not a private gathering among friends. As such it was subject to these code laws.
 
Last edited:
No, it does matter. It's a residential area not zoned to handle traffic flow of business. If it's 10 people, I'd be hopping up and down saying it's a travesty. If they're trying to cram 50 people into a 3 bedroom ranch house in a cul de sac, the city may have a valid point. Don't try to pass over data in an attempt to skew perception to your side. Intelligent choices and actions can only be made when all data is present.

Only data I need is that people were assembling to exercise speaking on their religion. No other data required.
 
Yeah, well, I got in trouble for keeping 12 cats in my home despite having a license for 12 cats issued by Animal Control. I was instead cited by Code Enforcement, guys with guns.
Come now, they're from the government, so they clearly went there to help.
 
Back
Top Bottom