Steve_Gehlbach's Blog

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

Localities should not be able to undermine that first amendment right by "prohibiting the free exercise thereof" via a moritorium.

If they buy the land they should be able to build. IF the land is all that great, then a business would pay them enough that they would WANT to move out a little. Let the market settle the issue. People, who pay taxes, go to those churches.

Churches are attended by tax payers. You know, the people who pay the taxes? School taxes, property taxes, sales taxes etc., So, if you want to eliminate their churches, then they will move OUT of your city and the funds they currently pay will cease. How does that sound?
Of course you can always pander to the thugs and the Godless and fill your city up with everything else under the sun.

too many churches in the city- its gotten so bad here in Oviedo there a baptist church attended buy blacks and a baptist church attended by whites-im sure god loves that !

the big baptist church in old town Oviedo is erecting a monstrous parking garage that is so out of sync with the surrounding area A huge concrete block !
I have no idea how it got planning permission except to thnink that either some backhanders were handed out or they approved to get a foot in the door come judgement day...........

Under President Clinton, one of his executive orders made it possible for churches to locate wherever property was available. Both Residential and Commercial. Any such law will be challenged in court. That is one thing Clinton did that was good for the country.

The local churches still remain the first line of defense when hard economic times hit. The anti-church movement does not care about that though.

Churches are attended by taxpayers. Pastors and staff pay income taxes (some pastors can opt out of social security). But churches also pay fees and special assessments to local and county governments for things such as road repair, drainage fees and utility improvements. They contribute to community. They open their doors to be voting precinct stations. Sure, there are few that may be crooked, that is to be expected. But there are far more crooked business owners and legislators than there are churches.

You cannot stop a church from coming into your community and renting a storefront. You cannot stop a church from purchasing property. You cannot stop a church from building within the framework of local building codes. The people who propose to be contrary to this are stupid ignorant selfish greedy people who deserve nothing less than a trip to the woodshed.

I agree with most all that sipedo and WVALADYBUG has said, except for both of your last sentences. Sipedo can probably figure out why his/hers is not a Christian statement and WVALADYBUG, we are commanded not to forsake the assembling of ourselves with the brethren, and there is a good reason for that. In the natural, an enemy's strategy is to divide, isolate and conquer. So it is with our spiritual enemy. Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of them. Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit said, But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of you: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

No, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

So, to say to ourselves (and trust me, I too said the same thing many years ago, but God corrected me.)that we are the ONE TRUE Church, all by ourselves, is not only deception of the enemy, it is direct rebellion and disobedience to God's instruction and command for us as members of the Body of Christ.

In His love,
OntheRight

But I still stand by what I said, the people that want to stop it are selfish and greedy.

WV, I agree with a lot of what you said, but I also agree with what Right said about meeting together. 3 chords of twine are not easily broken.

PS...amen to your statement to WV. On the other, those that want to try to snuff out the light, aka the "godless", love darkness rather than light, their feet run to do every kind of evil and cannot stand to be in the light because their deeds are evil. The Word of God says that they are lovers of death.

In fact John 3:18-19 specifically says, "He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

God bless

churches are cool