[Apologetics] CITIES SEIZE CHURCHES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

[Art Kelly]

CITIES SEIZE CHURCHES 
FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

On June 23, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in
Kelo v. New London that local governments can seize
private property for commercial use as long as there
is a “common good,” such as generating more tax
revenue, more jobs, or even aesthetic pleasure.

That means that every home and every church is in
serious jeopardy.

The minority opinion was written by then-Justice
Sandra Day O’Connor, who severely criticized the
majority opinion, pointing out that it eliminates “any
distinction between private and public use of
property.”

She wrote that, in expanding the definition of “public
use,” the Court majority provided that “any church
might be replaced with a retail store.”

That’s exactly what has happened.  

According to the Institute for Justice in Arlington,
Virginia, there are currently eight eminent domain
cases involving churches throughout the nation.

Some examples include:

Government officials in Sand Springs, Oklahoma have
informed Rev. Roosevelt Gildon, Pastor of the
Centennial Baptist Church, that, under the power of
eminent domain, they will be seizing his church in
order to build a shopping center.

In Long Beach, California, the city Redevelopment
Agency Board has used eminent domain to take the
Filipino Baptist Fellowship in order to make way for
condominiums.

“We are a church.  We are helpless. We have no place
to go,” said Pastor Roem Agustin.

More churches may soon find themselves in the same
situation.

Jared Leland, Legal Counsel for the Becket Fund for
Religious Liberty, pointed out that, since religious
institutions are non-commercial and tax exempt, they
are “the first to be targeted by the bulldozers
because of their alleged lack of economic contribution
to the community.”

Responding to these outrages, the U.S. House of
Representatives, in a rare display of bipartisanship,
passed 376-38 the Private Property Rights Protection
Act, HR 4128, by Representatives Jim Sensensbrenner
(R-WI), John Conyers (D-MI), and 96 cosponsors.

This bill prohibits any state or local government from
using eminent domain for economic development if that
government receives federal economic development
funds. 

A floor amendment by Representative Phil Gingrey
(R-GA), to prohibit a state or local government from
using eminent domain over the property of a church,
religious organization, or other nonprofit group
because of its tax-exempt status, was adopted by voice
vote.

HR 4128, having been passed by the House, is now in
the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Regardless of where you live, please contact the
Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Arlen
Specter (R-PA), U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510,
(202) 224-4254, to ask him to schedule HR 4128 in his
committee as soon as possible and do everything in his
power to get it enacted into law.

Rev. Lou Sheldon, Chairman of Christian Seniors
Association said, “I cannot believe that in America,
the government would ever seize a church or a home in
order to use it for private economic development.  It
is imperative that Private Property Rights Protection
Act be enacted to get our nation back on the right
track.”


                           
  ART KELLY, ATM-S
  13524 Brightfield Lane
  Herndon, Virginia 20171-3360
  (703) 904-3763 home
  (703) 396-6956 work
  arthurkelly at yahoo.com
  art.kelly at cox.net
  ArtK135 at Netscape.net
   
   















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