The news of an Arizona pastor jailed and fined more than $12,000 for hosting a Bible study group in his home rightfully outraged a great number of freedom-loving Americans. Granted, some facts emerged later in the case that seem to paint the pastor as less than upfront on some peripheral issues, but the fact remains that his first brush with the law emerged from his desire to increase the faith of his friends and neighbors.
It would be bad enough if this had been just an isolated incident, but prosecution (and persecution) of practicing Christians continues, as chronicled in the recent charges against one Florida couple.
The couple invites up to 10 people into their home on Friday evenings for prayer and Bible study, which local government decided warrants a $250 fine per day for code violations. The targeted hosts framed the hypocrisy perfectly, saying nothing is done when just as many individuals converge on a residential location to view a football game.
Technically, oppressive officials claim, the practice of reading God’s word and invoking Him in prayer makes the home in which it takes place a “house of worship.”
Do we have free speech in America? When churches face the possibility of IRS retribution for politically incorrect sermons, and private citizens are afraid to mention the name of Jesus in their own homes, my contention is that today’s liberal elite views the First Amendment as little more than irrelevant words written by out-of-touch white people.
To be fair, many on the left view everything our founders did as irrelevant, but freedom of speech (and with it, freedom of religion) is the cornerstone of our republic – a right without which liberty becomes an impossibility.
Thank God for informed citizens, even in the liberal hotbed of California. After local officials in that state caught significant flak for fining a couple who hosted a Bible study identified by the city as “a regular gathering of more than three people,” they reversed course and adopted state legislation allowing such small meetings to continue without expensive permits and inconvenient regulation.
For every victory such as this, though, how many dictatorial officials are spying into the living rooms of believers across this nation? The truth is that there should be no need for citizens to fight for their right to pray and fellowship with other Christians. That right should never be threatened in the first place!
Just out of curiosity, I wonder how much manpower is being directed toward every home three or more practicing Muslims happen to occupy at the same time. It’s disturbing we only hear of Christians being subjected to such blatant and overreaching religious intolerance.
B. Christopher Agee founded The Informed Conservative in 2011. Like his Facebook page for engaging, relevant conservative content daily.
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Vote the suckers out of office!
Every Fall the “religion” of FOOTBALL takes over TV, our lives, & everything imaginable
It Sadens me to think that the Country that was founded on Christian Principles, would allow Hords of Muslims to Block City Streets in NY and who knows where else to whorship ALLAH the Moon god, and yet they continue to Threaten, Bully, Push around, Lock up and Kill Real Christians, who are just following the Principles this country was founded on. May the REAL God who is even ABOVE allah, have Mercy on the Leaders and Police of this country when he returns to Clean House.
While Voting them out of Office may seem like a good idea, you Have to know that they are ALL Hand Picked by the FED Bankers before the election so that regardless of who you vote for, you still get the same Game Plan. Do your Homework. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 gave the FED Bankers FULL CONTROL of this country after the US Gov went Bankrupt the first time in the 1940′s. That is when the Constitution, was SET ASIDE, and the US Code and Uniform Commercial Code was installed to Govern this country by COLOR OF LAW through Regulations. Saying that to say this, if ANY President, Congressman, Senator or Suprime Court Judge should stray from the Game Plan and seek to Alert the Public that we NO LONGER HAVE A Constitution, they would be FIRED/ REPLACED. The Constitution DOES NOT ALLOW FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT of NAY CONGRESSMAN or SENATOR. They would have to go back home and Work a Real Job like the Rest of us. So if the Federal Reserve Act was REPEALED, ALL OF THEM WOULD LOOSE THEIR FULL TIME JOBS. Now are you gertting the BIG PICTURE?????
You are exactly correct and I applaud you for your research into why our nation has gone down hill ever since 1913.
These people may try to stop Christians from meeting, but God says.
Matthew 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
In the final scheme of things. God’s people, Christians will have the last laugh.
What did you except from the party that booed God?Or hosted 20,000 Pro Shari muslims during the D.s convention,gee how did our media miss that one?
Yes, its liberal’s….and a Muslim in our Oval Office. Yet Mexifornia allow’s such? Ya just can’t make this stuff up….
Where in Arizona was this pastor arrested and fined? And, was it the State of Arizona that ‘they reversed course and adopted state legislation allowing such small meetings to continue without expensive permits and inconvenient regulation.’?
The pastor was in the Phoenix area and the quote about which you inquired refers to California.
It’s true there is a lot of persecution against Christians happening nowadays, but the example you use of the “pastor” in Phoenix is not a valid one. I live just blocks from this man and his family, and would like to share the facts with you. He was not jailed for having a Bible study in his home. He built a building in his back yard with over 60 code violations which he refused to correct. He was given months to make the needed corrections, but decided instead to cry religious persecution. He has a history of criminal activity, and now it turns out, that he and another relative are being investigated for fraud related to applying for and receiving thousands of dollars in government aid. The man’s a crook posing as a pastor.
Thanks for the clarification, though you’ll notice I included a link and reference to the extraneous issues in the second sentence. The Arizona case was merely an introduction to the article, I hope a thorough reading of the post will clarify the subject of my outrage was the Florida couple being fined.