Lighthouse Mission Fights for Survival Mar 29, 2007 March 27, Philadelphia, PA – Today the Third Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the case of Lighthouse Institute for Evangelism v. City of Long Branch. Since 1994, Lighthouse has been seeking permission from zoning officials to provide social services and conduct worship services from their location at 162 Broadway. However, the City’s plans to redevelop this previously rundown section of the Jersey Shore City have so far excluded the Lighthouse Mission. “If the City were serious about cleaning up the area, they’d be more accommodating to religious groups like Lighthouse that provide valuable services to those in need,” said Anthony Picarello, Vice President and General Counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a public interest law firm that argued on behalf of lighthouse before the Third Circuit. “Instead, they’ve allowed theaters and bars galore while excluding Lighthouse, which would provide real benefits to the entire community.” The Third Circuit panel will rule on the Church’s claims that the city’s zoning ordinances, new and old, violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment as well as the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). “RLUIPA says you must treat churches at least as well as secular assemblies, and that includes theaters and bars,” explained Picarello. “If the government is going to let people come together for drinks, they can’t distinguish between beer and communion wine.” Relevant Cases * _Lighthouse Institute for Evangelism v. City of Long Branch_ (http://www.becketfund.org/index.php/case/61.html)
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