Orange County Shits on 1st Amendment Rights

[miles]

This is absolutely wacko! How can they be able to do this???

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011...h-500-per-meeting-fines-for-home-bible-study/

MISSION VIEJO (CBS) — An Orange County couple has been ordered to stop holding a Bible study in their home on the grounds that the meeting violates a city ordinance as a “church” and not as a private gathering.

Homeowners Chuck and Stephanie Fromm, of San Juan Capistrano, were fined $300 earlier this month for holding what city officials called “a regular gathering of more than three people”.

That type of meeting would require a conditional use permit as defined by the city, according to Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), the couple’s legal representation.

The Fromms also reportedly face subsequent fines of $500 per meeting for any further “religious gatherings” in their home, according to PJI.

“This is also about a city trying to get a family to pay fees – to pay fees and pay money to them – just to be able to have friends over to read the Bible,” attorney Brad Dacus of PJI told CBS2.

 

[Raivh]

I'm not religious, but that's fucked up and all kinds of illogical.

 

[miles]

And how! I'm not religious either but I think the requirements for a church are really extreme. Just more than 3 people?? No foolin'? So, five people would need a permit to discuss religious doctrine in their pad? I could understand if they had fifty people over and there were cars parked all on the street and they were causin' a ruckus, but that's a whole different offense than whether they have a right to study religion in their home at all. This just makes the government seem greedy and intolerant.

 

[tortured soul]

I'm willing to bet that the government had islam in mind when they made this rule. Applying it to law abiding christians is ridiculous but unless all parties are treated equally, there'll be accusations of religious hatred and maligning the majoritively law abiding muslim community.

What you should be asking is, who reported this couple in the first place to the authorities and what were their motives?

 

[Vekseid]

http://www.thecapistranodispatch.com/view/full_story/16489187/article-Capistrano-Couple-Resolves-Case-Over-Bible-Study-Citation

Apparently there were at times as many as fifty people in attendance... The law that they were cited under is ridiculous, but at some point the city should have a right to say "Okay, we need to do a fire inspection here."

 

[miles]

Oh. I guess I better know my onions before starting a topic like this. The news segments I watched made them out to be victims/unfairly targeted. =/

 

[Vekseid]

I wouldn't be surprised if fire/noise regulations were the point of the law and then the lawmakers got stupid.

 

[Nihilistic_Impact]

I could also see the county just being greedy.