Why this story showed up in Yahoo Sports heaven only knows. A California city is trying to block a Christian group from feeding homeless people. Now, the DOJ is weighing in.
Some people want to identify religion as a right-wing thing. But in this case the Democratic Biden administration has pointed out that feeding the homeless is a protected religious exercise under the law.
Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat." But for a Christian group serving homeless people in Southern California, the lesson behind that axiom is at the center of a legal battle brewing between the federal government and a city of 310,000 people.
Micah's Way serves homeless and low-income people in the city of Santa Ana, California, southeast of Los Angeles, by helping them with getting IDs, mail, and – occasionally – a hot cup of coffee and a muffin.
But the city is threatening fines, saying Micah's Way is violating zoning rules by handing out food and drink in a professional district.
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Justice Department: Feeding homeless people can be 'religious exercise'
Micah's Way sued under a federal law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. RLUIPA protects individuals, religious groups and churches from "discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws," according to the DOJ. The law prohibits cities from creating zoning laws that "substantially burden the religious exercise of churches or other religious assemblies."
Santa Ana's actions against Micah's Way do just that, Connor said.
"You can't weaponize your zoning code to drive out service providers who are just trying to exercise their religious beliefs in a very reasonable manner by providing services to those poor and homeless people who are in need of those services," he said.
ping to @Kenny as a story I think you'd be interested in.
Some people want to identify religion as a right-wing thing. But in this case the Democratic Biden administration has pointed out that feeding the homeless is a protected religious exercise under the law.
Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat." But for a Christian group serving homeless people in Southern California, the lesson behind that axiom is at the center of a legal battle brewing between the federal government and a city of 310,000 people.
Micah's Way serves homeless and low-income people in the city of Santa Ana, California, southeast of Los Angeles, by helping them with getting IDs, mail, and – occasionally – a hot cup of coffee and a muffin.
But the city is threatening fines, saying Micah's Way is violating zoning rules by handing out food and drink in a professional district.
...
Justice Department: Feeding homeless people can be 'religious exercise'
Micah's Way sued under a federal law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. RLUIPA protects individuals, religious groups and churches from "discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws," according to the DOJ. The law prohibits cities from creating zoning laws that "substantially burden the religious exercise of churches or other religious assemblies."
Santa Ana's actions against Micah's Way do just that, Connor said.
"You can't weaponize your zoning code to drive out service providers who are just trying to exercise their religious beliefs in a very reasonable manner by providing services to those poor and homeless people who are in need of those services," he said.
ping to @Kenny as a story I think you'd be interested in.
