Pastor convicted … over *church bells*
Insanity:
Attorneys representing a Christian church leader convicted as a criminal for allowing his church bells to ring say they are hoping appellate decisions will overturn the conviction of Bishop Rick Painter and also strike down the Phoenix regulation under which he was convicted, and several other churches now are being threatened.
Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley of the Alliance Defense Fund today argued both cases and told WND the prosecution of Painter of Christ the King Liturgical Charismatic Church and the threats against other churches, including St. Mark Roman Catholic Parish and First Christian Church of Phoenix, are unprecedented.
[More on this story after the jump.]
… The situation developed over the bells at Christ the King, which chimed regularly after 8 a.m. and before 8 p.m. as a way of praising God.
They were measured at 67 decibels while a normal conversation ranges about 60 to 70.
However, Painter was convicted under a Phoenix ordinance that restricts noise levels and includes an exemption for louder sounds from ice cream trucks but not for churches. He was given 10 days in jail, suspended, and three years of probation for his offense. He also was ordered to muffle the bells at his church to no more than 60 decibels for specific brief periods of time. (WND)
Talk about selective prosecution/persecution!
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[...] major hours of the day was as common as the sunrise. Now we come to find out that in some places it can get the pastor of that church thrown in jail. It may well be that this will be overturned on further appeal and will simply blow away as the [...]
I am just surprised that something like this happened in a Red State. I mean this is a state that goes red every election and I believed that the people of AZ represented the values and faith voting cycle. So why would folks complain in the first place about the pitch of the bells? In a red state no less.
Were we really naiive enough to believe that these things only happen in “other” countries? There are more and more incidences of religious persecution within the borders of our own country being reported every day. What our gov’t is foolish in ignoring is the truth that our country was founded out of religious persecution of the “Mother land”. We must pray w/out ceasing that the voices of the people become louder than that of gov’t and responsibly utilize the voting process to out those who do not fall w/in our constitutional and basic rights or I fear a time is coming when another “war” will emerge w/in our borders on the same scale as the wars of our past when our citizens took arms to fight for that which we were assured in its founding format. Pray for our country, and our peaceable cohabitation as well as for forgiveness of our transgressions.
Our pastor had to fight similar complaints about our church “bells” (they are actually computerized chimes). I don’t live within earshot, so I don’t remember how often (or what times) they ring exactly. But I know he made the case that they are a call to prayer for all of the faithful in the community.
This is why I contribute generously to the Alliance Defense Fund, one of only a few places (like the Becket Fund) who is doing what the ACLU SHOULD be doing – protecting our rights.
The pastor was convicted of breaking a “loud & disturbing noises” ordinance.
Repetitive noises over 60 decibels is capable of causing moderate hearing damage. He refused to tone them done a bit even after a warning.
Good for the authorities to promote public health!!
Ice Cream Seems more important to these People
Gabe, I don’t see why an article describing the persecution of the Christian church should automatically give rise to you persecuting the Islamic community. Our laws say that there must be freedom of religion, and no laws prohibiting the free exercise thereof. That means no prohibition of church bells, and no prohibition of the Islamic call to prayer (as long as it stays at a normal conversational level). The issue here is not religion v. religion, but religion v. secular society that wishes to stifle the established church. Let’s keep the comments charitable please.
“First they came for pastors ringing church bells…”
Sadly, this seems to be a result of the flood of Muslim immigrants to our cities. The “religion of peace” figures if it can’t blast Islamic prayers from its minarets, then no churches should be allowed to ring bells. They then complain to cities that they have to enforce noise ordinances to apply to Christian churches. This type of PC insanity will become more and more common as more and more Muslims invade our country.
You can’t say, “More on this story after the jump” if you have to click a link to read the rest of the story. That phrase only applies if there is a jump, a gap, in the text due to an advertisement or something similar.
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