Interesting how the county's story has morphed with television coverage. David and Mary Jones have a weekly home Bible study at their house (as do we). He has a lot next door where visitors park. Usually, he says, they get from 15-20 people, but once there was double that number. A neighbor's car was dinged, and Jones paid for the damage himself. Nevertheless, somebody in the neighborhood complained.
A code enforcement officer warned the couple in April for holding a “religious assembly” without a permit.
After all the publicity, the county said that it was a parking issue, that the neighbor filing the complaint said that 40 cars were in the cul-de-sac for the Bible study every week. Jones says it's closer to about six cars.
Dean Broyles, president of the Western Center for Law & Policy, a nonprofit organization in Escondido that supports religious liberty, is representing the Joneses. He said traffic issues were not raised when the code enforcement officer first visited the Joneses in response to the complaint. The warning itself does not mention traffic or parking problems.
“Even though the county is saying it's about traffic and parking, it's a fake issue. It's a fabricated issue,” Broyles said.
According to Broyles, the code enforcement officer asked a series of pointed questions during her visit with the Joneses – questions such as, “Do you sing?” “Do you say 'amen?' ” “Do you say 'praise the Lord?' ”
Chandra Wallar, the county's general manager of land use and environment,says the county is investigating to see if this is what happened, but the code enforcement officer would have had to ask questions to determine the land use. Which makes no sense, if it was merely a parking issue, it should not have mattered whether they said 'amen' or "prise the Lord." The cars would be just as obtrusive whether their drivers were there for Bible study or a strip poker game.
Speculation in the comments as to the real reason the home Bible study was targeted includes backlash from Prop. 8, that the Jones may be annoying neighbors for other reasons (which wouldn't explain the county worker's questions as to religion), or simply overbearing bureaucrats. That would be my guess. Pin It
