Compassion Collides with City Laws in the Case of Dad's Place
01/27/24 • 44 min
Former evangelical minister Bruce Gerencser joins us to unravel a legal tangle where religious freedom clashes with municipal zoning laws. We dissect the contentious situation surrounding Pastor Chris Avell, a friend of Bruce's, who's currently embroiled in a federal lawsuit against the city of Bryan, Ohio. We dissect the merits of Avell's decision to transform his church into a 24/7 sanctuary for the homeless. With Christian Nationalists making this a national story and the First Liberty Insitute being involved, we see a repeat of a pattern where there is a claim of perscution that is actually just incovience and friendly courts help the religious avoid laws and regulations that apply to everyone else.
We take a deeper look at the ramifications of homelessness in rural communities, particularly how small churches like Dad's Place are caught in the crossfire of wanting to help and being hindered by red tape. We question the consistency and impact of health and safety laws on church start-ups operating in repurposed buildings. By examining the struggle to navigate outdated codes and the lack of political momentum to tackle the homelessness crisis, this conversation aims to shine a light on the poignant narrative of small churches wrestling with their role in social outreach amid legal constraints. We agree with Bruce that Pastor Avell needs to follow the law while the city needs to do better to help the homeless.
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Former evangelical minister Bruce Gerencser joins us to unravel a legal tangle where religious freedom clashes with municipal zoning laws. We dissect the contentious situation surrounding Pastor Chris Avell, a friend of Bruce's, who's currently embroiled in a federal lawsuit against the city of Bryan, Ohio. We dissect the merits of Avell's decision to transform his church into a 24/7 sanctuary for the homeless. With Christian Nationalists making this a national story and the First Liberty Insitute being involved, we see a repeat of a pattern where there is a claim of perscution that is actually just incovience and friendly courts help the religious avoid laws and regulations that apply to everyone else.
We take a deeper look at the ramifications of homelessness in rural communities, particularly how small churches like Dad's Place are caught in the crossfire of wanting to help and being hindered by red tape. We question the consistency and impact of health and safety laws on church start-ups operating in repurposed buildings. By examining the struggle to navigate outdated codes and the lack of political momentum to tackle the homelessness crisis, this conversation aims to shine a light on the poignant narrative of small churches wrestling with their role in social outreach amid legal constraints. We agree with Bruce that Pastor Avell needs to follow the law while the city needs to do better to help the homeless.
Show Notes
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Previous Episode
Countering Bad Faith Religious Freedom Protection
Humanists International just released their 2023 Freedom of Thought Report that documents the efforts to protect or not protect religious freedom in all the countries in the world. The US government created the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom in 1998 to call out countries that violate religious freedom.
One of these efforts is trying to hold the powerful accountable for religious freedom and the other is a bad faith attempt to privilege Christianity using the power of the state.
We examine the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and ask why haven't any atheists been appointed yet several Christian Nationalists have been.
Finally we hear clips of comments made at the Humanists International press conference about the newest report. We hear from Reps. Jaime Raskin and Jared Huffman from the Congressional Freethought Caucus and others about the importance of the report and religious freedom for all.
00:40 Introduction of the 2023 Freedom of Thought Report
05:04 Why The Freedom Of Thought Report Came Into Existence
10:06 Bad Faith Religious Freedom Protection
16:57 No Atheists On The United States Commission On International Religious Freedom
20:00 Selected Clips From The Humanist International Press Conference.
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Jon Stewart Can't Save Us From Doddering Old White Men
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Secular Left - Compassion Collides with City Laws in the Case of Dad's Place
Transcript
00:00 - Doug (Host)
Is it a violation of religious freedom if a city tries to enforce zoning laws against a church that opened its doors as a homeless shelter? Former evangelical pastor Bruce Guernser is here to discuss that issue and his friend who is at the center of a current dispute, pastor Chris Avell, in Bryan, ohio. I'm Doug Berger and this is Secular Left. Well, our guest today is Bruce Guernser. He is a former evangelical minister, lives up in Northwest Ohio, up in the same area as
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