When Liberals Attack! Study the Bible, Break the Law!

California seems to find new levels of low on a regular basis. This time, they managed to stomp over two major civil liberties in one fell swoop: freedom of religion and right to peaceful assembly.

San Diego County issued a citation against David Jones for conducting a "religious assembly without a permit" because he invited friends over for a monthly Bible study. According to Jones, a county code inspector asked him about the nature of his meeting, including if they said "Amen" and "Praise the Lord." When he answered yes, he received the citation, which was a warning about an impending fine, by mail a few days later. A neighbor had complained to the county about the number of parked cars around Jones' home when the group, which averaged around 15, met.

Jones' lawyer threatened a lawsuit, asking why the county would take such action against a Bible study group, but not any other resident's non-religious assemblies, like parties.

After the story made national news, the county was deluged with complaints from around the nation. The county then sent the Jones family a letter of apology, saying the citation was an error, and the county would no longer issue citations against in-home religious assemblies like Bible studies.

The idea of outlawing peaceful religious assemblies in homes continues, however. Despite the obvious legal and Constitutional violations, private religious meetings continue to be targeted. Gilbert, Arizona outlawed home Bible studies of any size in March, 2010 and Rancho Cucamonga in California is attempting to force homeowners to get special use permits for their home Bible studies.

In those cases, local governments are using existing city codes in ways in which they were never intended. By requiring homeowners to secure a "special-use" permit, which often cost thousands of dollars, the city can keep such assemblies from taking place. In other cases, a city or county employee, who cannot be held responsible by the public, can deny the permit for any reason. Any sort of regulation, lawyers insist, violates the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, including free expression of religion and the right to peaceful assembly.

For more information on the "When Liberals Attack" commentary series, visit WhenLiberalsAttack.com.

Source: KGTV San Diego Channel 10 News