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September 15, 2009
Judge: Homeless Shelter Exempt from Discrimination Laws
Anti-discrimination statutes do not apply to an Idaho homeless shelter run by Christians because it is not a "dwelling," a federal district judge has ruled.
Moreover, the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects the Boise Rescue Mission Ministries' right to hold Christian services and encourage participants in its drug and alcohol recovery program to accept Christianity, U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge ruled last Thursday (Sept. 10).
The 51-year-old non-profit says it runs three shelters that serve more than 28,000 meals and offers 8,000 beds to homeless persons each month. Lodge ruled that the shelters are not dwellings under the Fair Housing Act, but rather places of "temporary sojourn or transient visit."
At the same time, barring the Boise ministry from "teaching, preaching and proselytizing to individuals on its property, whether they be shelter guests, Discipleship program residents, or other individuals ... would substantially burden the Rescue Mission's ability to freely exercise its religion," Lodge wrote.
The Intermountain Fair Housing Council had sued Boise Rescue Mission Ministries on behalf of two individuals who said that guests who skip the shelters' worship services received inferior treatment, and that only Christians are allowed in its drug and alcohol recovery program.
"Most homeless people are desperately low in spirit," said the Rev. Bill Roscoe, executive director of the Boise Rescue Mission Ministries, "so we offer voluntary spiritual guidance to guests who desire to learn about Christianity."
Roscoe said the shelters do not discriminate on the basis of religion.
Comments
The Boise Rescue Mission gave me the chance to get back on my feet after battling drugs and alcohol for over 35 years. I was not a christian when i came and asked for help. They told me it was a Christian program but i knew i needed help. I did not become a Christian until after i saw the play "NO GREATER LOVE" at Nampa Nazareen Church. The mission did not force me to become a Christian, they let me decide own my own what i wanted to be.
Posted By: Robert | October 1, 2009 10:54 AM
sure sounds a whole lot different when the facts of the article are inaccurate.The actual facts are that after 6 months of full and cooperative participation in every Christian event, daily ritual, rule and regulation, this person had not converted to Christianity so the Rescue Mission put a call into her probation officer and asked that she be removed from the facility because she was "not a good fit" for their Substance Abuse Treatment Program. The next day the probation officer showed up without the participants prior knowledge, handcuffed her and took her to jail...persecution?
You would think the person who posted the first comment might have considered the possibility she did everything she was expected therefore a "success" for the Mission. Did it ever occur to her what would have happened if she had not converted? Probably not, it had never happened until now.
Soon the 9TH Circuit Court will make their decision as to whether organized religion(which is protected from discrimination)may indeed discriminate against individuals any time they please; separation of church and state is saturated with laws prohibiting government entanglement with ORGANIZED religion, accept when the government is protecting the church. Alas, there is no law protecting an INDIVIDUAL from discrimination if it is the church who is discriminating.
Seems the church likes the law when it is protecting them but feels they are above it when they must abide by it.
Hmm...
Posted By: nondenomaly | July 24, 2011 1:17 AM