Southern California City Says Home Bible Group Must Get Permit

Only in Kali.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/03/17/southern-california-city-says-home-bible-group-permit/

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- For the second time in six months, the city has ordered a group of Christian worshippers who meet inside homes to get a permit or shut down.

It's the latest incident in which religious groups in Southern California have been targeted by cities for home gatherings, though many of those groups were eventually allowed to meet without obtaining permits.

Rancho Cucamonga is trying to halt Friday night meetings at a home after receiving a complaint in February from a neighbor that 40 to 60 people were gathering weekly in the San Bernardino County location.

Officials said the homeowner needs a conditional use permit by Good Friday, April 2, to operate a church in a residential area.

Pacific Justice Institute, a nonprofit legal defense group that specializes in conservative Christian issues, said the meetings were actually a Bible study group that usually draws about 15 people.

The permit requires public hearings, traffic studies and other costly procedures. Requiring one would be "manifestly absurd and unjust," according to a statement Tuesday from Brad Dacus, president of the Sacramento-based institute.

The city doesn't require permits for similar-sized gatherings, "everything from birthday parties to the weekend beer bash," added Matt McReynolds, an institute attorney.

His organization intends to file an appeal with the city and hopes to avoid going to court, McReynolds said.

Kurt J. Keating, the city's code enforcement supervisor, said the city is trying to restrict church services held in private homes, not home Bible studies.

"There's also some supporting facts that they are advertising themselves as a church over the public domain, such as the Internet," Keating said.
The group is affiliated with Shiloh Tabernacle Church, a local nonprofit run by Puredi Hillary Ministries Inc. According to its Web site, the church stresses "miracles of healing, deliverance from demonic oppression and possession, re-dedications and most importantly, salvations."

Last September, complaints by neighbors about traffic problems prompted the city to order Joe and Diana Johnson to get a church permit or shut down Christian gatherings at their home. The city eventually allowed the meetings to continue without a permit.

Also last year, San Diego County apologized to a pastor and his wife who were cited and told to get a permit for a weekly Bible study session that drew five to 27 people to their Bonita home.

Officials said the citation should never have been issued and a permit was not required.

 

This is not a California issue, its a community issue.

If the church group is impacting the neighborhood, the solution is simple, they need to rent a room from another church or other business with space.

Two or three dollars in the basket ought to be enough to cover rent.

 

Imagine if they tried this with Muslims.

 

I would agree but its Rancho Cucamunga... Its not "small" little town....

i kind of agree... its probably some dumb ass trying to get attention... it wasnt like they were being "disorderly" or anything....

 

There has been a continued attack on Christianity in this country for a while now. This story may not be a good example but the double standard is getting ridiculous.

 

yea and i agree... it sucks.... i think it had something to do with that punk ass obama... i already dont like him and arnold cuz there fucking me over in school...

 

Perhaps you misunderstood my post? It is a community issue. The houses on the street form the community. I was not suggesting Rancho Cucamunga is small (I'm from San Diego).

If it was my street that was impacted, I'd be extremely vocal about solving the problem at hand. I don't care if they are a Saints or the nastiest people that ever lived. Either way, a solution must be found, and renting a room is the obvious solution.

 

Holy smokes. This is a 2 miles from me.

 

I hear ya. I wasn't Bush's biggest fan but at least I was working then.

 

My only issue with this would be if 60 people tried to gather down my block and blocked up all the roads. Other than that have a blast, I assume they were doing their chruch things indoors not bothering a soul.

 

exactly, the neighbor reported it and the media blew it out of proportion. want to meet and talk about jeebus, go to church. dont clog up residential streets and take up all the parking i live in a neighborhood with mostly street parking. add an additional 20 cars and id be f*cked if i got home at the wrong time. id be pissed too.

 

The first amendment protects their right to assemble regardless of available parking spots.

 

yea no worries man... i dont mean to piss or disrespect anyone... yea thats my bad... but u gotta point it something that i think got blown way outta proportion...

 

x2

it also protect the residents right to complain...

 

In my area, an extra 10 cars would fuck up the parking situation. It's already bad enough as-is. Would I be mad that 100 people are gathering in somebody's house? Of course not! Would I be mad because I have to park 3 blocks away? You bet.

 

My point is that either way, somebody loses.

 

honestly thats a valid point...

 

Something to do with Obama? You do realize that he is a Christian right? Don't let your politics pollute your faith. In regards to the larger picture, you can blame Obama for not fixing it, but then you have to blame Bush for breaking it, and afterwards we should all kick are own asses. Lets not fall for the sensationalist media trap on this one, we are all more intelligent than this.

In regards to THIS PARTICULAR case being an attack on Christianity is a little nuts. It sounds like it just got too popular, which I think is great for their group, but bad for the location. It possibly violated fire/traffic/home owner code and at the least was an annoyance for the neighbors on the street. Prayer group, boy scouts, mary kay, whatever it doesn't matter.

If I did have to lay some blame it would be on these brainwashing so called news networks on both the left and the right. I can only hope our children are not lemmings like the rest of us.

 

I'd be hauling cars out of the way. They'd better be praying I go in the house before they come out. Sounds mean but if you block my drive, its trouble. I can see the residents point of view, wish the news crews could a better job reporting actual events.

 

I don't care if they issued a citation to a church group.... as long as they issue one to the next house that has a birthday party, or Thanksgiving dinner, or a cookout..... If parking and fire codes are the issue, it should apply to everything.