Jul 30 2008
County to church–you can serve beer but not teach the Bible
For 22 years, they’ve been singing hymns at a stone-sided building off East County’s Old Highway 80, not country and western songs. They’ve been drinking grape juice for communion, not wine and beer. County officials say that has to stop.
A county attorney told the Guatay Christian Fellowship it’s OK to sell beer and wine and host live events at the building in a trailer park, but it doesn’t have a permit to allow religious services.
Read more here.
[From me]
So let me get this straight. A bar can sell alcohol to potential drunks who might go out and abuse people or drive drunk and kill someone. But a church can’t meet to help people. Makes a lot of sense.
What do you think?
10 responses so far
Yet another example of California Craziness. I do love living in the South!
Darryl Bridges’s last blog post..On the Road . . . Again
Giving new meaning to the phrase “California is the home to fruits and nuts.”
Bill(cycleguy)’s last blog post..Big Church/Little Church
Things are so whacked on the Left Coast.
I found this comment in the original story comment line:
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By JonnyVegas on 07/28/2008 at 8:30 p.m.
The pastor of the church should just go back to his doublewide and fry something!
And a bar would satisfy more residents of the trailer park than a church would.
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This is a sad commentary on the church in general. It goes back to that post you had a few weeks ago about if your church closed, would your community miss it?
Rick Boyne’s last blog post..Livin’ Like the Rockefellers
Sounds like they need to get the proper permit. It’s the church’s obligation to make sure they are following the rules when they sign the lease. Once they get permitted, problem solved.
The article says the county only found that the church didn’t have the right permits while investigating the trailer park, which is also out of compliance. Apparantly the trailer park was filthy to the point of being a nuisance and a health hazard, the article said that the park generated 60 dumpsters full of trash after receiving notices compard to 6 dumpsters in a typical month.
This isn’t a california thing. Any suburb in the south would have the same “not in my backyard” attitude.
I’m a little torn over this one, to be honest. The church is in violation of the permitting law, so are the many residents. Now, whether or not the church/leadership knew they were in violation or whether or not the residents did, I’m not sure.
I’ve always believed that a church should obey the laws of the land, whether it is getting the correct permits or paying staff a fair wage. By doing so, the church is a good witness to all who investigate. However, in this case, it seems like an outdated permitting process, which came to light when “someone” complained about the park itself. Now, the city will have to save face someway, I’m sure.
In the end, cooler heads (and negative publicity) will probably win out. If not, those little communion cups do look a lot like shot glasses, or at least the ones I’ve seen on TV!
M. Steve Heartsill’s last blog post..The Naked Truth
Here is the proper permit:
Constitution of the United States
Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Scott’s last blog post..Adam was dead to begin with?Adam was as dead as a door-nail
I stand corrected if I am wrong on this whole thing. I just thought it was the county saying, “You can’t do this to the church.” If they are not in compliance with the law they need to be. then we will see.
Bill(cycleguy)’s last blog post..Creative Advertising
One more thing: what is the church really wanting to do here? Entertain or win them to Jesus?
Bill(cycleguy)’s last blog post..Creative Advertising
Kevin, I cannot find your email address. Could you kindly contact A3 and let him know that I am in enforced incommunicado due to our laptop having a bad case of the sulks. I’m pretty sure that I saw mail from A3 just before the wretched thing threw its hissy fit, but haven’t been able to write for several days. Much appreciated if you could do that!
Francoise & Kevin,
Got the message - sorry you’re having trouble, Fran.
Kevin - this blog is turning out to be a nice meet-up board for atheists!
(just kidding) :))