It sounds ludicrous, but the legality of holding religious meetings in your home has made it all the way to the US Supreme Court. At issue is whether homeowners need to obtain a permit to host a prayer meeting or Bible study at their house. The specific case, Grand v. City of University Heights, involves an Orthodox Jewish man in Ohio who wanted to hold at his home a prayer “minyan,” which requires at least ten men to be present. Here’s his story in a nutshell:
University Heights homeowner Daniel Grand has been in a tug-of-war over his right to hold a minyan at his home on the Sabbath. Grand had many reasons for this, including the Orthodox Jewish mandate to avoid driving on the holy day. A neighbor reported this activity to local politicians, which resulted in a “cease and desist letter” because Grand was “violating zoning laws.” Since the Ohio man’s home was not zoned as a place of worship, he was informed that if he continued to hold the prayer meetings, he could be subject to building code violations.
Read Full Article: https://www.libertynation.com/home-based-prayer-and-bible-study-meetings-under-fire/
