Saturday, May 30, 2009

CA Pastor Gets Green Light for Home Bible Study

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — A suburban California couple who has been hosting a weekly Bible study in their home has been given the green light to continue the meetings after earlier being ordered by San Diego County officials to stop the gatherings or seek a costly conditional use permit.

Walt Ekard, the chief administrative officer for the county of San Diego, released a statement May 29 denying published reports that code enforcement officers were trying to squash religious liberties.

“I have received dozens of e-mails and calls from people concerned about reports that the county is attempting to muzzle religious expression by shutting down a neighborhood Bible study,” Ekard’s statement read. “As the chief administrative officer for San Diego County, I want to say in the most direct terms: the county has never tried to stifle religious expression and never will.”

His statement went on to say that his officers went to the home of Pastor David and Mary Jones to solely address a complaint about parking and traffic problems associated the Bible study.

“This is a land use issue; it’s not an issue of religious expression,” the administrator said.

Read it all here.

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