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Published: June 5, 2009
San Diego County Apologizes For Ordering Stop To Home Bible Study
Press Release from Alliance Defense Fund
San Diego County officials agreed Wednesday to rescind a cease-and-desist order issued to a pastor holding a small Bible study in his home. In a letter to the pastor, the county’s chief administrative officer apologized for the incident involving a code enforcement officer who issued the order after reportedly asking the pastor’s wife inappropriately probing questions about the study.
The letter informed Pastor David Jones and his legal counsel Dean Broyles, president of the Western Center for Law & Policy, an Alliance Defense Fund allied organization, that the order was wrongfully issued and that the county would conduct a thorough review of its assembly ordinances and code enforcement officer training.
“Christians should not be punished simply for holding a Bible study in their home, so we are very encouraged by the county’s response and their commitment to immediate corrective action,” said Broyles. “We look forward to working with the county to ensure that the clarification of its ordinances and training of its personnel are implemented promptly and efficiently so that all citizens of San Diego can be assured that their constitutional rights are protected, whether they’re holding Bible studies or hosting Boy Scout meetings.”
“We are confident that, as a result of the county’s statements, Bible studies and prayer meetings held in homes throughout San Diego County will be free from government regulation, as is guaranteed by the First Amendment,” Broyles added.
An average of 15 people attend the Jones’ small weekly Bible study. A code enforcement officer issued an Administrative Citation Warning and Cease and Desist Order after asking the pastor’s wife questions, such as “Do you have a regular meeting in your home?”, “Do you say ‘amen’?”, “Do you pray?”, and “Do you say ‘praise the Lord’?”
“The county has clearly responded in the right way to this incident so far, demonstrating a desire to protect the constitutional rights of this family,” said ADF Senior Counsel Joe Infranco. “We look forward to a positive outcome from its internal policy review.”
1. Letter from County of San Diego Chief Administrator Walter Ekard
2. Letter from County of San Diego Counsel John Sansone
Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 1:38 AM By KansasGirl
Hopefully this is a teaching moment for government.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 8:25 AM By Aaron
The fact that the citation was issued in the first place makes San Diego seem like Beijing or Tehran!!!! We have the right to assemble, the right to worship as we please and freedom of speech, don't we????? This is a complete embarrassment. Send the enforcement officer to China so he can use his shiny little badge to intimidate people.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 8:26 AM By Abeca Christian
What a relief! I was going to have a rosary prayer/bible study group in my home but was afraid to, now I know that my rights are protected and not censored due to me being a Christian! It paid off for this pastor to fight back, he had backbone.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 8:43 AM By Henry Hogan
"Amen." That's all I have to say...
Oh, wait, I have to answer the door -- a San Diego County code enforcement officer is standing on my porch.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 9:47 AM By WOODY GUIDRY
Finally, an answer to the question,"If left to themselves, with no time limit-not even eternity- and an an error -free typewriter with lots of paper, what intelligible writings would a roomful of monkeys write?" Answer-A San Diego County
administrative order.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 9:50 AM By JLS
"Home invasion" comes to mind. "Terrorism" by government. Has the US Dept of Homeland Defense been brought in to deal with these Bible thumpers, who are conspiring to bring about the will of God on earth as it is in Heaven? And what about the new civilian corps promised us by Obama which will be as powerful as the army? I want one of the green shirts they're going to be issued, so I can wear it proudly in support of government tyranny. Maybe next time a code enforcement officer stands at the door, he or she will be wearing the green shirt of the federal corps and dolled up like one of the Brown Shirts so well loved in the thirties in Germany? Remember that the govt may hand out rewards for revealing any suspicious behavior in the neighborhood, such as indications of faith in Jesus Christ ... maybe even free tickets to the next gay street festival.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 10:02 AM By Annie
Why would anyone except attendees have to know that someone is holding a bible study or prayer group in someone's home?
It is good that someone is staving off the complete takeover by the radicals/Communists in our country. If more of these "incidents" happen around the country, perhaps the sleeping majority will awaken to reality and begin to fight for our Constitutional rights again. A change of representatives in Washington and Sacramento is long overdue; 2010 will be here shortly, and everyone o does not really represent the people should be thrown out of office. Maybe our reps need to all go home and get real jobs, like they did many decades ago. Let us take care of ourselves on the local level. Principle of subsidiarity has not been taught, to say nothing of Distributism.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 10:14 AM By Victoria
"Whenever two, or more of you are gathered in HIS Name"? Only if you have the proper parking permits and pay the proper license fees.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 10:22 AM By George
So who was it that filed a complaint against the couple (read the letter from the SD chief adminstrator). Maybe we should all pray for them.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 11:14 AM By Life Lady
This was on the news, on a local station, not affiliated with the bigger networks. KUSI TV 51 has a guy named Mike Turko, and he has a segment where he goes around righting wrongs. When I saw this segment I could not believe it, but then, that station is known for the nice people on it and the friendly faces they have. Turko will go just about anyplace to report something so off the wall you have to see it to believe it. He seemed pretty put out with the county over this, and who can blame him? If we didn't have someone like him willing to look into things like this, who knows how long it would have gone on with the citation in place? Pls pray for Mr. Turko. He has a hard job, but he is very good at it. He could always use a little help.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 5:36 PM By Ann Cinquina
To think that the taxpayer if footing the bill for giving second graders sex education about deviates while (much-needed biblel studies) were almost abolished by the statists. Nazi Germany of the thirties for sure.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 7:09 PM By JLS
They should have invited the mayor and the citing agent for a Bible study.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 7:09 PM By JLS
... and charged them for valet parking.
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Posted Friday, June 05, 2009 10:48 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
Abeca Christian,
I hope and pray that you would not have let your just fears keep you from forming a Rosary Group!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founder & Chairman
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
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Posted Saturday, June 06, 2009 11:16 PM By JLR
I'm glad they have backed down on this, but what kind of mindset caused these questions to be asked in the first place? Whether or not they said "Amen" had NOTHING to do with the number of cars parked, which supposedly was the basis for the complaint.
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Posted Sunday, June 07, 2009 5:03 PM By VinPDX
According to Mr. Obama, we are not a Christian nation... so why would we need to pray? Remember this in 2012.
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Posted Sunday, June 07, 2009 5:21 PM By JLS
JLR, great insight, and way of digging into "what kind of mindset caused" this tyranny. Same pattern is popping in other parts of the nation, and in different ways. It's the Obama regime, and is why many are comparing it to such regimes as the Stalinist or the Hitlerian, Maoist, Pot, Castro etc regimes. After all, tyranny begins one step at a time, and usually when the public is asleep or preoccupied.
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Posted Sunday, June 07, 2009 10:54 PM By Abeca Christian
Kenneth M. Fisher thank you, looks like the Rosary prayer/bible study nights will take place soon in the fall or slightly before then. : )
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Posted Sunday, June 07, 2009 10:56 PM By Abeca Christian
One more thing... it'll be a small group, so parking shouldn't be a problem for my neighbors. Just a few of us. (would be nice if I can have a larger group, but who knows)
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Posted Monday, June 08, 2009 4:26 PM By gmc4jesus
When I was in high school, Christianity and the church had a lot more respect. Over the years, I have watched Christians retreat into closets and cease to stand for Christ in the communities where they live.
Now we are in a world where Christianity is looked on as a questionable, if not dangerous, movement to be feared, suppressed or at least regulated. Christian freedoms are rapidly being taken away by a government and people groups who do not know what Christ did for them and what Christians believe. There is even a vast void in many of our churches about who Jesus Christ is, what He did and what that means to me.
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Posted Monday, June 08, 2009 10:34 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
gmc4Jesus,
Never use a lower case "c" when referring to Our Savior!
We should all give witness whenever we are at a public restaurant by making the Sign of the Cross and saying the prayers before and after meals.
When we traveled with the late Archbishop Khai and were in a public restaurant, we often got lovingly corrected when we forgot the prayers after meals. He would say "where are you going, we haven't said the prayers after meals yet"
God rest his Archbishop's soul. By the way, Maguire, he was one of our Advisors and still is from Heaven.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founder & Chairman
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
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Posted Tuesday, June 09, 2009 9:23 AM By Abeca Christian
gmc4jesus you are right.
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Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2009 6:49 AM By Richard Flores
What happened to the offending officer? Unless he is severely reprimanded for his horribly offensive behavior, nothing will change! My intentions are NOT for revenge, but, as God demands, for him to be contrite! Where is the personal apology? It sounds as if the resolution is a PC smoke screen.
I am SO proud of ALL of the people ans organizations that stood up for our right to worship and praise God! We must always acknowledge and support the warriors of God!
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Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2009 6:46 PM By Charles Socratic
I am impressed by all of the concerned responses to this event. However, as Richard Flores said, "what happened to the offending officer?" I see no sanctions, implied or intended, or advocated, being stated by Walter Ekard - Chief Admin Officer, SD County. Is this officer to be allowed to return to work without penalty? In case Mr. Ekard has not read the US Constitution (obviously, the code officer has not), I suggest he read what his part of the US CONSTITUTION his county has violated, as follows: SD County violated the 1st Amendment (no laws respecting the free exercise of religion, free exercise of speech, or peaceable assembly), the 4th Amendment (right of people to be secure in their own homes, no warrants issued but upon probable cause, etc.), and 6th Amendment (right to a fair and speedy trial, be informed of the accusation, and to confront witnesses against him). Supposedly, whoever made the complaint was concerned about parking. Was it a city streeet? Is there a sign that limits parking? Is his an opposed neighbor? People live in this neighborhood. Why couldn't they be accomodating - for meetings, birthday parties, Amway meetings, boy/girl scout meetings, business meetings, etc. - all conducted in the privacy of ONE'S OWN HOME as fostered and written in the US Constitution. Where is the ALCU when we need them???
Where is Paul Revere to sound the alarm?
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Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2009 10:30 PM By JLS
I think the next Bible study at that home should be a tail gate party in the street. How many of you are familiar with what is known as the "block party"? I remember them, and that they had to be cleared in advance with the police. I do not recall anything about having to shell out clams for the exercise of free assembly on a neigborhood street. What if a home hosted a wedding reception or a funeral party? What about a football team after game meeting or party. Around here on rare occasion a local punk type band has done block concerts. I remember driving through one and hearing a couple of empty beer cans land in the truck bed. What about when the cops are called and come to investigate nerve shattering loud music at 3am or midnight, and this continues for a couple years several times each week with no citation issued? I wonder in this case if there is not some sort of ulterior motive, some sort of misuse of government authority conspired by managers or politicians or gay activists ... yes, who are the accusers? And what laws did they violate in targeting this one home? What about the freedom of information act (FOIA), to find out?
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Posted Sunday, June 14, 2009 5:12 AM By VPS-R
I'm confused. Presumably a neighbor complains to the County about another neighbor who is holding some kind of meeting at his house every week and supposedly the resulting traffic and/or parking congestion is causing problems. I think the County is required to look into complaints such as this, right? I mean, I would hope they would. That's what we pay them to do, right?
So then the County authorities send out an officer to investigate and he/she issues a citation or at least advises the allegedly offending neighbor of the problem. Again, I think that is what the county is supposed to do.
Granted, the officer is rude or stupid or something, but that happens and should be reported to make sure it doesn't happen again. And indeed, the County apologized for the officer's behavior.
So this is what I am confused about: How come a situation like this makes Obama a Nazi? I'm a Catholic so of course I didn't vote for him, but this doesn't make sense. In fact, I would be outraged if the County didn't respond to my complaint about a neighbor making my neighborhood potentially unsafe, possibly impeding emergency units by traffic/parking congestion, wouldn't you? In other words, what the hell does Obama or politics have to do with this?
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Posted Sunday, June 14, 2009 1:00 PM By JLS
VPS-R: The answer to your question will be found by keeping up with the news which affects the Church and also that which affects the public and also individual citizens. Apparently you have some reading to catch up on, and while you're at it throw out your TV and search for actual news instead of the government media propaganda.
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Posted Monday, June 15, 2009 6:15 PM By VPS-R
JLS: Uh, what government propaganda would that be? That Counties should do what they are supposed to do? Actually, a church friend told me about this and this Web site was the first place I checked. Do your actual news sources provide documented evidence, because I'd like to know? What are your actual news sources? My primary news source is Fox. Are you saying Fox is a government media propaganda outlet? It better not be because I've been watching them for twenty-five or more years. Now you got me worried.
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