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Town Bans Home Bible Studies
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Mission San Juan Capistrano
Chuck and Stephanie Fromm have been fined by the city of San Juan Capistrano, California, for conducting Bible studies in their home.
Stephanie holds one study during the week which is attended by about 20 people, and Chuck holds one on Sundays with about 50 people. The couple live on a 4.7 acre property, where they claim there is plenty of room for parking. They do not play music. “It’s meditative,” said Mrs. Fromm.
They have already paid two fines, but are now initiating a legal action to challenge the city’s code enforcement department. The city would not comment.
The case is reminiscent of our report on the Christian house church movement’s struggles in China, where such challenges have now escalated to arrests.
San Juan Capistrano was also in the news recently as the location where a public schoolteacher was sued for attacking the Christian religion while teaching a class on European history to high school students, as DailyCristo reported here. The court decided in the teacher’s favor.
It is perhaps an irony that San Juan Capistrano is named for a Franciscan mission, which still functions as the oldest church in California.
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Comment on "Town Bans Home Bible Studies"
I am not sure the basis why the city of San Juan Capistrano concluded that the Bible studies constitute a church service. They allude to the effects that the large number of visitors to the home have upon the environment, but based on the city’s own quote, that the amount of visitors approximates 50 per meeting, the claim seems absurd. The order that environmental studies be conducted is shameful and indicative of a city government that seems grossly out-of-touch with the fact that city’s must be accountable and certainly, more careful on how they spend tax-payer money. I think the city should be audited to determine how they’ve been spending monies allotted to them over the last five years.
From what I read the local law seems unjust. I would like to know more about the nature of the complaint against them by one of their neighbors.