City cracks down on illegal houses of worship (Jewish, religion)

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

City cracks down on illegal houses of worship

Friday, February 4, 2005

By ERIK ORTIZ
HERALD NEWS

Complete article

PASSAIC - Houses of worship are bountiful in this city, where signs light up God's message into the late hours. But it's the unassuming houses that have caught the eye of city officials.

After an illegal synagogue was forced to close last month, Mayor Samuel Rivera said Thursday that the city will move quickly to shut down any residence or building that operates outside the law and puts a person's welfare at risk.

The illegal synagogue, used by members of the city's Jewish Orthodox community, was on Crescent Avenue. It had been hosting "a large number of people" for months, the mayor said.

Although used as a house of worship, it never received the appropriate zoning approval, officials discovered. A structure is defined as a house of worship when it is "specifically designed, arranged and erected for the sole purpose of religious worship," according to city code.

What should be noted is that the government does has rights and powers to regulate religious expression.

[Master Vigil]

I guess this brings up the question of "what constitutes legal?" Is it the ordained minister? Or what, what makes a place legal?

[desi]

So, the government is going USSR on religion. And the former USSR is getting lax in that area. Interesting phenomenon.

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by Master Vigil

I guess this brings up the question of "what constitutes legal?" Is it the ordained minister? Or what, what makes a place legal?

In this case, as the article points out, zoning laws

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by desi

So, the government is going USSR on religion. And the former USSR is getting lax in that area. Interesting phenomenon.

The Constitution has, for many years, power over religion when it involves safety or policing power. I believe there was a case before the civil war. It has also extended to the power to deny tax exemptions as in the case against Bob Jones University on the basis of racial inequality

A little more depth in civics might serve you well.

[TranceAm]

Originally Posted by pah

The Constitution has, for many years, power over religion when it involves safety or policing power. I believe there was a case before the civil war. It has also extended to the power to deny tax exemptions as in the case against Bob Jones University on the basis of racial inequality

A little more depth in civics might serve you well.

Aint that strange.
If the government has laws that make legal or illegal what you can or can't do in the bedroom, it also has laws that state what and how, and with how many people together you can worship something in your livingroom... It aint that hard to imagine people worshipping a new form of government for the US with a closed for outsiders group of people in a non-public house of worship...

[Scuba Pete]

Originally Posted by First Amendment

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

By denying them a place to worship, by whatever means, they have prohibited the "free exercise thereof".

[huajiro]

Watch drugs become legal and Religion illegal.....people will come up bumming money to get to Church.

[Lycan]

IMHO -

I don't think this is really a religious issue, any other business would be held to the same standards (zoning laws) as this one. You can't turn your house into a restraunt or any other business either. I don't think it is a matter of the government restricting their worship, but rather the following of standard laws.

[angellous_evangellous]

This is a zoning issue rather than a religious one. The mayor interfered for their own good (in case of fire, etc.). The city would have moved against them if it were a gathering of any kind. I am sure the Jews are welcome to meet anywhere that is able to accomodate their size.