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Why do people think that their religious activities make them exempt from obtaining proper zoning and permitting? If this man is going to have 40 people in a building constructed just for this purpose, you'd think that he would want to attend to their physical safety as well as their souls.
"‘They’re cracking down on religious activities and religious use,’ Michael Salman told Fox News Radio. ‘They’re attacking what I as a Christian do in the privacy of my home.’"
"However, Miss Hill, the chief assistant city prosecutor, said Salman has ‘mischaracterized the facts’ of the permit. She said that he was given a permit to convert a garage into a game room, not a church or anything else for that matter. On June 11, 2009, Salman was charged with having no emergency exit signs over the doors, no handicaps parking spaces or handicap ramps."
So, he can't ever use any room in his house for any other purpose other than what it's intended use is?
If it is against laws or building codes then no. The same kind of laws make it illegal for someone to raise pigs 3 feet from your property line or do other things that have a devastating effect on property values in the neighborhood. I think perhaps the people on here that don't have a problem with this aren't home owners.
It is a sad day in America when our freedom of assembly and freedom to practice religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment - and paid for by blood - are being denied and those who assemble and worship are being charged with "crimes" and possibly being thrown in jail.
Remember - this is what happens when you elect godless, intolerant, anti-Constitution Democrats - they will try to tear our foundations down brick by brick.
Let's pray for this man and his family - vote for religious freedom and protection of the Constitution in Novemember - and hope that if nothing else - this case goes to the Supreme Court now that he is found "guilty".
We are becoming like North Korea a little more everyday.
Did the guy need to lie about the purpose of his "new room?" Why doesn't he just get it up to code, get the required permit, and continue his "services?" He has the same freedoms as any other American who must follow the law.
I may be wrong but wouldn't the entire point of building this church be "growing" it? Talking about 30 members or 70 members is so silly if it eventually becomes 300 members. Does that make a difference to anyone? What about the basketball courts and day care and how would those expand? Music? Daily devotionals? Whatever the hell else goes on at churches 24/7? No problem still?
Silly of me to ask I know, since the "It's my property I'll do what I want" type never think it matters. Thankfully I don't have to worry about this happening in my neighborhood.
All you anti-assembly people had better not host any Monday Night Football games at your home this fall.
The blatant attack on Christian gathering and Bible study in this case couldn't be more obvious - the man and his family are being attacked because of their faith. Any secular regular meeting would not be met with such force.
Did you hear what the prosecutor called him - a rebel? Yep - exercise your constitutional liberty and you become a rebel - and thus an enemy of the state.
This is what America has degenerated into - we are now practically no different than a banana republic.
Why do "Christians" believe they are above the law. This guy can comply with the zoning codes and then continue his meetings where they learn "What Would Jesus Do?"
Quote:
A January 4, 2010, ruling made it clear that the Salmans are not prohibited from running a church or hosting worship services on their property, but if they do so, they must be in compliance with fire and zoning codes
I'll take that as a 'no'. The hole in your theory of private property is the same as in that other thread, just totally inverted. Incredibly strange. Oh well, logic isn't for everyone.
Let me guess - you are one of those people who think that conservatives unquestionally support law enforcement, support the death penalty, and think marijuana use/possession is deserving of criminal prosecution?
I pretty much don't much care for law enforcement(to put it mildly), oppose the death penalty, and support the legalization of marijuana - yet I am a conservative(imagine that).
Funny how people try to paint me as the "American Taliban" on this forum - I even support Muslims right to freely worship - yet I am still maligned.
It must be those pesky views on abortion, homosexuality, and evolution.
You are wrong on the private property issue - I am consistent - one scenario is based on people showing up to a vacant property without the neighbor's prior knowledge of their belonging there - and the other involves criticism of known occupant's behavior - as I said before - you have no point. You are comparing apples to oranges.
Imagine that one of the evenings he is having his bible study when all of a sudden a fire breaks out. People get scared when there's a fire and panic can easily take over. The first thing they do is run to get out. But they find there's only one door to escape from the fire or smoke and everyone who is close enough to that one door it is cramming through. He didn't install a second fire proof door with a lighted "exit" sign above it so the people further away from the one and only door available can't get out any other way.
Now try being in a wheelchair with no one to help push you down the stairs if your lucky enough to get out the one single door he has.
Every second counts when your life depends on getting out, remember that.
No emergency egress lighting to see where to go
No fire proof outside emergency doors
No lighted "exit" signs
No handicap ramps
No sprinklers since it's for public use.
I bet he didn't even consider installing even a small fire extinguisher or install GFI (Ground Fault Intercept) outlets. I don't think he deserves jail time but he does have to bring it up to code for the safety of his congregation.
I think running an illegal church where you continue to increase your numbers and have meetings 3 times a week hurts the your neighbors property value. The traffic volume is huge and should be somewhere other than a residential neighborhood. If you were trying to sell the house next door, how do you think this would look to potential buyers?
What does an adjoining property have to do with the value of a home that you are selling.
If you can't sell your house because someone is holding a bible study nearby - you have bigger problems then what someone else is doing on their property.
Sheez - we are becoming more socialist everyday - now your activity on your property can be restrained because self absorbed, anal retentive people are worried about their property values.
Imagine that one of the evenings he is having his bible study when all of a sudden a fire breaks out. People get scared when there's a fire and panic can easily take over. The first thing they do is run to get out. But they find there's only one door to escape from the fire or smoke and everyone who is close enough to that one door it is cramming through. He didn't install a second fire proof door with a lighted "exit" sign above it so the people further away from the one and only door available can't get out any other way.
Now try being in a wheelchair with no one to help push you down the stairs if your lucky enough to get out the one single door he has.
Every second counts when your life depends on getting out, remember that.
No emergency egress lighting to see where to go
No fire proof outside emergency doors
No lighted "exit" signs
No handicap ramps
No sprinklers since it's for public use.
I bet he didn't even consider installing even a small fire extinguisher or install GFI (Ground Fault Intercept) outlets. I don't think he deserves jail time but he does have to bring it up to code for the safety of his congregation.
Complying with building regulations makes sense for reasons of fire evacuation if your are operating a church - for example.
This man was not doing that - he was holding a Bible study. on his own property.
Now you may not be able to distinguish a Bible study from a full blown church operation - but most people can - and those are the people who understand that this issue is either based on squashing religious and free assembly liberty - or a cash grab by the city of Phoenix.
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