Muslim/Islamic Faith - One Of Peace?

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

And this is from a religion of peace and respecting ALL people? This only goes to show the disdain of Islamic men towards women.
There are two forms of lying to non-believers that are permitted under certain circumstances, taqiyya and kitman.  These circumstances are typically those that advance the cause Islam - in some cases by gaining the trust of non-believers in order to draw out their vulnerability and defeat them.

Taqiyya - Saying something that isn't true.

Kitman - Lying by omission.  An example would be when Muslim apologists quote only a fragment of verse 5:32 (that if anyone kills "it shall be as if he had killed all mankind") while neglecting to mention that the rest of the verse (and the next) mandate murder in undefined cases of "corruption" and "mischief."

Though not called Taqiyya by name, Muhammad clearly used deception when he signed a 10-year treaty with the Meccans that allowed him access to their city while he secretly prepared his own forces for a takeover.  The unsuspecting residents were conquered in easy fashion after he broke the treaty two years later, and some of the people in the city who had trusted him at his word were executed.

Another example of lying is when Muhammad used deception to trick his personal enemies into letting down their guard and exposing themselves to slaughter by pretending to seek peace.  This happened in the case of Ka'b bin al-Ashraf (as previously noted) and again later against Usayr ibn Zarim, a surviving leader of the Banu Nadir tribe, which had been evicted from their home in Medina by the Muslims.

At the time, Usayr ibn Zarim was attempting to gather an armed force against the Muslims from among a tribe allied with the Quraish (against which Muhammad had already declared war).  Muhammad's "emissaries" went to ibn Zarim and persuaded him to leave his safe haven on the pretext of meeting with the prophet of Islam in Medina to discuss peace.  Once vulnerable, the leader and his thirty companions were massacred by the Muslims with ease, belying the probability that they were mostly unarmed, having been given a guarantee of safe passage (Ibn Ishaq 981).

Such was the reputation of Muslims for lying and then killing that even those who "accepted Islam" did not feel entirely safe.  The fate of the Jadhima is tragic evidence for this.  When Muslim "missionaries" approached their tribe one of the members insisted that they would be slaughtered even though they had already "converted" to Islam to avoid just such a demise.  However, the others were convinced that they could trust the Muslim leader's promise that they would not be harmed if they simply offered no resistance.  (After convincing the skeptic to lay down his arms, the unarmed men of the tribe were quickly tied up and beheaded - Ibn Ishaq 834 & 837).

Today's Muslims often try to justify Muhammad's murder of poets and others who criticized him at Medina by saying that they broke a treaty by their actions.  Yet, these same apologists place little value on treaties broken by Muslims.  From Muhammad to Saddam Hussein, promises made to non-Muslim are distinctly non-binding in the Muslim mindset.

Leaders in the Arab world routinely say one thing to English-speaking audiences and then something entirely different to their own people in Arabic.  Yassir Arafat was famous for telling Western newspapers about his desire for peace with Israel, then turning right around and whipping Palestinians into a hateful and violent frenzy against Jews.

The 9/11 hijackers practiced deception by going into bars and drinking alcohol, thus throwing off potential suspicion that they were fundamentalists plotting jihad.  This effort worked so well, in fact, that even weeks after 9/11, John Walsh, the host of a popular American television show, said that their bar trips were evidence of 'hypocrisy.'

The transmission from Flight 93 records the hijackers telling their doomed passengers that there is "a bomb on board" but that everyone will "be safe" as long as "their demands are met."  Obviously none of these things were true, but these men, who were so intensely devoted to Islam that they were willing to "slay and be slain for the cause of Allah" (as the Qur'an puts it) saw nothing wrong with employing Taqiyya in order to facilitate their mission of mass murder.

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) insists that it "has not now or ever been involved with the Muslim Brotherhood, or supported any covert, illegal, or terrorist activity or organization."  In fact, it was created by the Muslim Brotherhood and has bankrolled Hamas.  At least nine founders or board members of ISNA have been accused by prosecutors of supporting terrorism.

Prior to engineering several deadly terror plots, such as the Fort Hood massacre and the attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner, American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki was regularly sought out by NPR, PBS and even government leaders to expound on the peaceful nature of Islam.

The Quran says in several places that Allah is the best at deceiving people.  An interesting side note is verse 7:99, which says that the only people who feel secure from Allah are actually those who will perish in Hell.  Taken literally, this would mean that those Muslims who arrogantly assume that they will enter heaven are in for a rude surprise (such are the hazards of worshipping an all-powerful deceiver).

The near absence of Qur'anic verse and reliable Hadith that encourage truthfulness is somewhat surprising, given that many Muslims are convinced that their religion teaches honesty.  In fact, it is because of this ingrained belief that many Muslims are quite honest.  When lying is addressed in the Qur'an, it is nearly always in reference to the "lies against Allah" - referring to the Jews and Christians who rejected Muhammad's claim to being a prophet.

Finally, the circumstances by which Muhammad allowed a believer to lie to a non-spouse are limited to those that either advance the cause of Islam or enable a Muslim to avoid harm to his well-being (and presumably that of other Muslims as well).

It is well to keep this in mind when dealing with those of the Muslim faith. Especially when they are fundalmentalists. Those who don't follow Sharia law or strictly adhere to the Quran tend to be as honest and peaceful as anyone else. But it's hard to find them as remember, they can lie to the infidels as to their true belief to save themselves and become the wolf in sheep clothing among the sheep herds on behalf of Allah & to further the Islamic faith!
Read the articles below for examples of Muslim belief that infidels should be killed.

ARTICLES/RESOURCES:
Guide To Understanding Islam

Muslim Shouting “Allahu Akbar” Does Something INSANE at Miami Synagogue

Viral Video Shows What it Takes to Stop ISIS Terrorists Yelling “Allahu Akbar”

ATTENTION Mainers...ACTION NEEDED: 4th Amendment Protection Act

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE 10TH AMENDMENT CENTER - ACTION NEEDED

There is an important bill that has been introduced in the Maine state legislature. It is LD531, the Maine 4th Amendment Protection Act. If enacted, would ban “material support or resources” from the state to any federal agency collecting electronic data without meeting one of three conditions:

1) That person’s informed consent;
2) A warrant based upon probable cause that particularly describes the person, place or thing to be searched or seized; or
3) Acting in accordance with a legally recognized exception to the warrant requirements.

These additional protections would go a long way toward protecting the privacy rights of Maine citizens. We really could use a grassroots push to help get this measure off the ground.

Please send the following action alert to everyone in your circle, and urge them to take the measures outlined in it: http://tracking.tenthamendmentcenter.com/issues-by-state/4th-amendment-protection-maine/

• We must prohibit state and local agencies within their jurisdiction from providing any material support to the NSA.
•  That is perfectly legal to do under the Constitution. The states do not have to assist the federal government on any regulatory program, including NSA spying.
•  The NSA was revealed in 2013 to be spying on all Americans without proper warrants, an obvious and flagrant violation of the 4th Amendment of the Constitution.
•  Washington D.C. refuses to act to reform these habitual abuses. That means it is a necessity for Maine legislators to take decisive action.
•  Remember to urge your legislators to honor their oath to the Constitution, do what is right, and pass this measure that lawfully protects our sacred freedoms against federal overreach.

This is a good article that details exactly what the NSA is doing to violate our privacy rights: http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/nov/01/snowden-nsa-files-surveillance-revelations-decoded

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail or call me any time.

Thanks,
Shane Trejo
Tenth Amendment Center
http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com

shane.trejo@tenthamendmentcenter.com

ATTENTION Mainers....Call to oppose lowering compulsory school attendance age from 7 to 5!

Scott A. Woodruff, Senior Counsel, Home School Legal Defense Association, March 4, 2015:

Your calls and emails are needed immediately to stop LD 311, which would expand state control over children and families in Maine. Current law requires school attendance beginning at age 7. LD 311 would give every local school board the power to lower this to age 5.

If this bill passes, homeschooling parents will have to comply with Maine compulsory school attendance law a full two years earlier than now as soon as their local school board okays it. Two more years of your child's life would be under a government mandate. A parent's freedom to decide concerning their 5- and 6-year-old will be lost.

This bill would also result in an inevitable tax increase because incoming students would increase. More expenses means more taxes, sooner or later.

Action Requested

A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 12. They need to hear from you before then!

Call 1-800-423-6900 to leave a message for a senator, or 1-800-423-2900 to leave a message for your representative.

Please contact Senator Langley and Representative Kornfield (they serve as committee chairs) if your own senator or representative is not listed below.

Your message can be as simple as: "Please vote 'no' on LD 311. It would give school boards the power to lower the age of compulsory school attendance from 7 to 5. Parents, not the government, know when it's best for their young child to start formal education. Taxes will go up for everyone to pay for it."

Contact Information

Members of the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs:

Senator Brian Langley, Senate Chair
207-667-0625
email: Brian.Langley@legislature.maine.gov

Senator Peter Edgecomb
207-496-3188
email: Peter.Edgecomb@legislature.maine.gov

Senator Rebecca Millett
207-415-3903
email: Rebecca.Millett@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Victoria Kornfield, House Chair
email: Victoria.Kornfield@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Matthea Daughtry
email Mattie.Daughtry@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Richard Farnsworth
207-874-6399
email: Richard.Farnsworth@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Brian Hubbell
Brian.Hubbell@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Joyce Maker
207-454-2327
email: Joyce.Maker@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Michael McClellan
207-655-4438
email: Michael.McClellan@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Teresa Pierce
email Teresa.Pierce@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Matthew Pouliot
email Matthew.Pouliot@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Paul Stearns
email Paul.Stearns@legislature.maine.gov

Representative Ryan Tipping-Spitz
email Tipping-Spitz@legislature.maine.gov

Background

Requiring children to attend school at age 5 is a very bad idea for the following reasons:

1. LD 311 forces children into school too soon. For an excellent summary of what the empirical research shows about putting 5-year olds into a school-type setting, read here.

There are no long-term replicable studies proving that mandating attendance at age 5 rather than 7 is better for the educational development of the child. Much research indicates that early childhood education does not improve the child's potential for being a better student in the future, because early gains disappear in a few years. This is especially significant for boys, because their cognitive and verbal skill development generally lags behind that of girls at this age.

2. LD 311 decreases beneficial parental contact with their children. Two extra years of development in contact with the parent before the onset of leaving home to attend school can be critical for a child at this early age. Parents, not school boards, should continue to have the authority to decide what is best for their children.

3. LD 311 would have an adverse financial impact on all Maine families. Right now, parents can send their 5- and 6-year-olds to school if they wish. Many don't This bill will force many of those children to attend, inevitably raising expenses and leading to a tax increase now or for the next generation.

4. This would definitely apply to homeschool families.  HSLDA and Homeschoolers of Maine are united in opposing LD 311. Thank you for standing with us for freedom!

Are Pharmaceutical Companies Paying Your Doctors?

Glaxo-Smith Kline's historic $3 billion settlement for off-label marketing revealed more than fraud. Its $275,000 payment to TV celebrity Dr. Drew Pinsky (pictured, left, HLNtv.com) to promote Wellbutrin highlighted the questionable relationship between doctors and drug companies. See this NY Times article.

Doctors Are Paid To Sell You Poison

When Maine Leads The Nation

Child pornography is, unfortunately, quite an active past time for MANY governmental leaders and officials. So much so, that our illustrious governor, Paul LePage, felt the need to issue an executive order on February 20, 2015, prohibiting Maine state employees from accessing pornographic or sexually explicit material on both state computers or devices even when they were off-duty on personal time.

This executive order is the first of its kind in the USA. It is a very sad state of affairs when a governor of a state has to pass an order to his state workers directing them that they can't use state property to watch (and thus participating in) the abuse of children! Not only are our state employees corrupt, but they are also so sick minded, that an official order must be given to protect our children from the very people who are supposed to be protecting them in the first place!

And the reason for Governor LePage's executive order shows further the corruption in the offices of Maine's state officials. He has been waging a public battle with Maine’s AG, Janet Mills (D). Our state is the only state in the country where the attorney general is neither elected by the general population nor appointed by the governor. Here, the AG is elected, solely, by the state representatives. This is a huge problem in that it enables and protects massive state-level corruption among state legislatures who are protected against prosecution for their crimes under “prosecutorial discretion” by the AG they elected to office.

The structure is essentially a legalized protection racket for Maine politicians. It is a structure that has been working very well for Maine Democrats who have controlled Maine politics, more or less, for the past three or four decades.

It is highly likely Governor LePage issued this executive order, in part, out of frustration for prosecutorial discretion and misconduct in Maine, which is extensive. (Read here and read Unmasker4Maine, for more information of this).

By all accounts there is both a national child porn crisis and, within that, a crisis of American federal and state employees engaged in child porn. In what appears to be epidemic numbers men are down-loading child porn often on their work computers at The Pentagon, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), The Department of Justice (DOJ) (of which York County's newly elected sheriff, William King, has worked for 26 years, hails from!), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), The Department of Transportation (DOT), The Transportation Security Agency (TSA), The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) not to mention state-level police departments from our state of Maine to California.

So, my point? The saying...as Maine goes, so does the nation...is a double edged sword in respectability in this case. Because even though this executive order is good in providing SOME safety measures for our children and a good example for others to follow and Governor LePage is to be commended for doing something to address this evil corruption, the very fact that it is needed to be written in the first place speaks volumes of how twisted and corrupt allot of our state employees/officials really are! 

RESOURCES:

State Dept Dan Rosen’s Arrest: Cheat Sheet for Journos

Investigating The Trade in Child Rape & Torture aka Child Pornography

Police Arrested for Trading in Child Rape & Torture

LePage issues order prohibiting state workers from viewing porn

Our Constitution, Obama's Inconvenience

"This is a president who acts without any sense of executive restraint. The Constitution is an inconvenience to him." Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton discusses President Obama and the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty. The Obama administration signed the treaty in 2014 and it awaits ratification from the Senate. But as Bolton notes, Obama could make an end-run around Congress and use an executive order to get it signed. "The real agenda has always been domestic gun control in America."

Your food, health and medicine, have all been bought!

You're about to see how Wall Street has literally "BOUGHT" your and your family's health.

The food, vaccine, drug, insurance and health industry are a multi-BILLION dollar enterprise... focused more on profits than human lives. The BOUGHT documentary takes viewers deep "inside the guts" of this despicable conspiracy...

Featuring exclusive interviews with the world's most acclaimed experts in research, medicine, holistic care and natural health... Bought exposes the hidden (and deadly) story behind it all.

Go to the link below to enter your email address and watch the FULL video (over an hour & a half)!

http://boughtmovie.net/free-viewing/

Who Died And Made WHO And The UN The World Food Police/God?

UN Unveils Plan For American Advertisement Guidelines

By Blake Neff Published: February 23, 2015

Fat kids are serious business. So serious, in fact, that the United Nations is urging countries to let its bureaucrats micromanage what foods are allowed to advertise on TV.

The European branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), the health arm of the U.N., is trying to stop childhood obesity by urging countries to adopt an international blueprint that would ban almost all food advertisements targeted at children and place substantial regulatory influence in the hands of the UN.

Advocates of advertising restrictions argue that children learn to identify brands early in childhood, and that those who see lots of junk food advertising ultimately eat more of it and wind up becoming obese in higher numbers.

The WHO’s international bureaucrats believe that abolishing food marketing towards children is a helpful step to rolling back obesity, and last week’s announcement complained that individual governments are not acting fast enough to please them.

“Despite progress in some countries, government action to restrict such marketing remains less than optimal,” the group’s announcement said. That is simply unacceptable, and WHO officials hope that by taking care of all the actual work in deciding what foods to ban, national governments will more easily follow their lead.

With that in mind, last week, WHO’s Regional Office for Europe released a “nutrient profile model” that it recommends as the model for how countries go about deciding what foods should be locked out of advertising to children. Such a model is currently only used in a handful of countries, including Norway, the U.K. and Denmark, but WHO is hoping that with its nudging more countries will imitate these policies.

The exhaustive model breaks foods into 17 different groups, ranging from processed fruits and vegetables to cheese. Each category is evaluated on its nutritional content per 100g of food. Foods that exceed thresholds for sugar, fat, salt or calories would be barred from any marketing that would increase the food’s appeal to children. For example, a cheese would fall under the ban if it contains at least 20g of fat or 1.3g of salt per 100g.

If adopted, the model would totally prohibit all advertisements for chocolate, candy, cake, sugary soda, ice cream and fruit juice. The only foods subject to no restrictions whatsoever are meats fresh fruits, poultry and vegetables.

While that level of suppression may strike some as a heavy dose of statism, especially when pushed by a transnational organization, WHO argues that it’s long overdue.

“Given the current epidemic of childhood obesity across Europe, there is no justification for marketing products that have little nutritional value and contribute to unhealthy diets,” WHO official Dr. Gauden Galea said in the organization’s statement. “The tool that we are offering to countries to adapt and use would protect children from the harmful effects of marketing of foods high in energy, saturated fats, trans fatty acids, free sugars and salt.”

Follow Blake on Twitter

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Socialism/Fascism Has Been The Liberal Platform For A LONG Time!

10 Of The Most Idiotic Quotes From Liberal Hero Franklin D. Roosevelt

1. “There seems to be no question that [Mussolini] is really interested in what we are doing and I am much interested and deeply impressed by what he has accomplished and by his evidenced honest purpose of restoring Italy.”

This comment was made by Roosevelt in early 1933. It is hard to tell if he was simply being ignorant of Mussolini’s track record or if he really did approve of his oppressive policies.

Benito Mussolini, Fascist leader of Italy from 1922 to 1943, is considered one of the most brutal leaders in recent world history. During his time as Prime Minister, he reduced the influence of the judiciary, stifled free press and arrested political opponents before eventually declaring himself dictator of Italy.

Mussolini then banned opposition parties, expelled over 100 members of parliament, enacted the death penalty for political crimes, increased the amount of secret police activities and abolished local elections. During World War II, Mussolini partnered with Adolf Hitler of Germany and Hideki Tojo of Japan to form the Axis Powers.

2. “I just have a hunch that Stalin is not that kind of man. Harry [Hopkins] says he’s not and that he doesn’t want anything except security for his own country, and I think that if I give him everything I possibly can and ask nothing from him in return, noblesse oblige, he won’t try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace.”

Roosevelt also apparently underestimated, and was somewhat sympathetic toward Joseph Stalin. This quote, made in response to proposed containment against the Soviet Union in 1943, shows that Roosevelt thought quite highly of Stalin’s motives and was nearly oblivious to his wicked intentions.

Yet another brutal dictator, Stalin’s aggressive actions in Europe following World War II would lead to the Soviet Union becoming the US’s biggest rival for the next 40 years. In addition to the 20 million Soviet troops and civilians who died during World War II, it is estimated that another 20 million people died as a direct result of Stalin during his time as ruler.

#3. “In my Inaugural I laid down the simple proposition that nobody is going to starve in this country. It seems to me to be equally plain that no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country.”

This quote from 1933 reveals just how little Roosevelt thought of private businesses and what they deemed to be necessary to survive. Despite economic realities, Roosevelt thought that every business should supply a “living wage,” and perhaps even more striking, that any businesses that do not (or cannot) supply such a wage have no right to exist. This populist exclamation shows complete economic illiteracy and neglects the many entry-level jobs which are never meant to serve such a purpose as granting a living. In fact, some jobs return to employers such a small amount that it would require that they go “into the red” in order to pay a living wage.

#4. “Great accumulations of wealth cannot be justified on the basis of personal and family security. In the last analysis such accumulations amount to the perpetuation of great and undesirable concentration of control in a relatively few individuals over the employment and welfare of many, many others.”

Once again, Roosevelt strikes a very socialist tone with his remarks. In this address to Congress in 1935, he decries the rich and wonders for what reason they need so much money, when it could instead be used by government for much more “benevolent” purposes. In the same address, Roosevelt would suggest that in addition to the estate tax, there should be inheritance, succession and legacy taxes, as well as gift taxes to avoid evasion. This kind of class warfare is familiar, as it is regularly spouted by modern-day liberals.

#5. “The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism – ownership of government by an individual, by a group.”

In this message to Congress in 1938, Roosevelt fear-mongers about a day when “private power” becomes stronger than government. Oddly enough, isn’t this the way which the Founders crafted the Republic? Isn’t government supposed to be beholden to private individuals, rather than the other way around?

Perhaps the most amazing part about this quote is its irony. Fascism is defined by dictionary.com as “a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.” This definition is eerily similar to the kind of government that was in place during FDR’s presidency.

#6. “Taxes, after all, are the dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society.”

Paraphrasing from Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in a 1936 address in Massachusetts, Roosevelt spouts one of the most common fallacies in modern liberal thought: that there is “greatness” and “patriotism” in taxation. This belief that we must pay burdensome taxes in order to maintain any sort of modern civilization is old and tired. The American Revolution was fought due to the strong attitudes against the burdens of taxation. To legitimize taxes as some sort of minor inconvenience and trivial infringement upon liberty, which is what is truly necessary to maintain order, is downright intellectually dishonest.

#7. “Not only our future economic soundness, but the very soundness of our democratic institutions depends on the determination of our government to give employment to idle men.”

In this Fireside Chat from 1938, Roosevelt uses yet another liberal economic fallacy in rather dramatic fashion. Public works projects are some of the most popular government investments among the general public. However, their usefulness as a step toward economic improvement is a tenuous argument at best; the government must take more from taxpayers so that they may pay new public workers, whose jobs will provide only temporary employment. Public works were a central part of the New Deal, a program whose lack of success is well-documented. Furthermore, it is fair to say that “future economic soundness” and “our democratic institutions” depend on thousands of factors more important than inefficient government programs like public works; most notably overall liberty.

#8. “You issue an executive order here for your group of blacks, and the Poles are going to call for one, and you’re going to have this group and that group calling for one, and there’ll be no end to it. Now I’m willing to see to it that these jobs are opened up and I think that we can do that, but I can’t issue any executive order.”

As much as FDR cared for public works, such enthusiasm apparently didn’t translate when it came to disfavored groups. Roosevelt had long taken action to discourage protests by black Americans against discrimination, including Jim Crow laws in the South. He sent spies into the movement and wire-tapped their offices. When leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters A. Philip Randolph had his request for an end to discriminatory government policies rejected by Roosevelt, he threatened to stage a March on Washington. Wanting to prevent such action, Roosevelt was willing to negotiate. Randolph asked for an executive order guaranteeing black Americans jobs, to which Roosevelt responded with the insensitive quote above.

#9. “The only concession I might make to him (King Saud) is to give him the 6 million Jews we have in the United States.”

Roosevelt made this anti-Semitic statement during the February 1945 Yalta Conference with Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Roosevelt was scheduled to meet with Arabian despot King Ibn Saud after the Conference, leading Stalin to ask Roosevelt what concessions he might make to Ibn Saud regarding the Middle East. This quote shows both Roosevelt’s ignorance and his complete disregard for the seriousness of the Holocaust (which was, after all, still occurring at the time).

#10. “I don’t care so much about the Italians, they are a lot of opera singers, but the Germans are different. They may be dangerous.”

There is so much racism and absurdity contained in this one quote. While it may at first appear as a playful joke, the context makes this quote ever more dark and sadistic. Made in response to a plan to intern Germans and Italians living in the US (as was done with Japanese Americans), Roosevelt generalizes and stereotypes millions, without any apparent regard for the implications of what he is saying.

Still Think America Is Not A Socialistic Regime Nightmare? THEN READ THIS About Florida!

Florida city spies on churches, demands licenses

by JAY BAGGETT

Pastor Mike Olive, Common Ground Church

A Florida city’s code-enforcement division, which was subject in 2013 to a scathing audit for falsifying inspections, employing unqualified inspectors and failing to clean up nuisance properties, has now decided to go after churches.

City-code enforcement officer, Gerard A. Coscia – wearing a hoodie – was sent to the Common Ground Church on Feb. 9 to clandestinely film the worship service, reported the Examiner.The City of Lake Worth, in Palm Beach County, has taken the position all churches are required to obtain a “business license” to conduct worship services. It is using city employees to covertly attend services and acquire evidence, including video, “for future court presentation.”

The following Sunday, Coscia returned to the church, which meets in the Coffee Grounds Coffee Bar, handed his business card to pastor Mike Olive and told him, “This Sunday is your last Sunday.”

Olive said he had never received a notice from the city for any violation of any local law, and only learned a non-compliance affidavit had been issued when a church employee checked the city website.

“I inspected the property and found the following violations: Business-rental property found without a current City of Lake Worth business license, specifically to operate as a church, or a house of worship,” Coscia wrote in his case narrative.

“I walked back to the Coffee Bar and was able to visualize … what appeared to be a ministry in progress,” including: “Someone speaking from a podium.” “A [sic] overhead TV or projection with scripture verse on it.” “Rows of people sitting in chairs on both sides like a gathering setting.” “People holding what appeared to be bibles or religious books as one had a cross on it.” The report stated that a video was captured on the “city phone” to be used “for future court presentation.”

But Common Grounds Coffee Bar does have a business license, Olive told the Lake Worth Tribune. He should know – he owns the business. And the site is not a church – it’s a coffee shop that leases space to a church every Sunday morning in the same manner other city restaurants and businesses rent their back rooms to neighborhood groups for their meetings. The Common Grounds site has also hosted open-mic nights and leased space for English classes for immigrants and to Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous for meetings.

Olive also noted that while the church and business share similar names, they are not identical: Common Ground vs. Common Grounds.

“Our message has been amazingly stable, and it’s: Love God, love people,” he said. Many of the 120-130 who attend weekly are in recovery from substance abuse.

Olive said he had heard that City Commissioner Andy Amoroso, who owns a newsstand and gay-pornography shop in Lake Worth, was telling people Olive and his church were “anti-gay,” a charge Olive denied and attempted to address personally with Amoroso.

Olive said Amoroso told him, “You better not have a church there. That better not be a church,” referring to the coffee bar.

It was after that exchange the code-compliance officer was sent to observe the service – based on an “anonymous complaint,” according to William Waters, who oversees the Code-Compliance Department.

“All I know is they’re a coffee shop that’s holding church services, and they cannot hold church services,” Amoroso told the Tribune.

City officials have circled the wagons on the issue.

The city has threatened Common Ground’s landlord with daily fines up to $500 and foreclosure if the “violation” is not corrected by the landlord making the church get a “business license” to meet for worship.

Mark Woods, the manager of the city’s Code-Compliance Department, insists all houses of worship in the city must have a special business license.

“A duck is a duck,” City Manager Michael Bornstein told the Tribune. “If someone is holding religious services as a church, it’s a church.” He said the city was forced to take action “to protect the community.”

“So, all they have to do is go through the conditional land-use process to make sure the impacts have been assessed … if they’re a small church, it shouldn’t be a big deal.”

But it’s already proving to be a big deal for other churches.

“It’s brand new,” pastor Joan Abell of the First Presbyterian Church told the Tribune. “We’ve been there 99 years, and we’ve never had to have a license.”

A church official, told there would be no fee for the business license if the church produced paperwork showing it has been approved as a tax-exempt organization by the IRS, hit a brick wall when trying to comply. The city employee refused to accept the church’s documentation.

In a follow-up meeting with Commissioner Amoroso about the new license requirement, a church member was told, “Oh, it’s for your own good.”

Pastor Olive isn’t buying it, and he’s prepared to fight it in court with the help of Liberty Counsel, based in Orlando.

“It’s unconstitutional,” said Olive. “They can’t deny us a right to practice our religion in the city.”

“The city’s actions are completely baseless,” said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel.

“Lake Worth’s city ordinances specifically exempt churches and charitable organizations from needing a business license; state and federal law require local land use decisions to give equal treatment to secular and sacred assemblies; and the Free Exercise clause forbids government from prohibiting religious meetings. The coffee shop in which Common Ground Church meets has a business license, just as did the previous secular owner who hosted bands and similar gatherings.

“Government employees are public servants and prohibited by the Constitution from inhibiting religious freedom. That is a far cry from sneaking around and into a church and acting like KGB agents,” said Staver.