Remeber all that fluff about serving the community and the benifits Christ Church will bring to Rockaway Township. How about starting off with a lawsuit at taxpayers expense. Yes it's all about the money isn't it Mr. Ireland. Welcome to the community, NOT.
10/19/06 - Posted from the Daily Record newsroom Attorney: Christ Church harmed by extended review process Won't say if he recommends dropping case against Rockaway Twp.
BY ROB JENNINGS DAILY RECORD
ROCKAWAY TWP. --An attorney advising Christ Church on its federal lawsuit against the township said that the planning board's approval on Monday night, while welcomed, did not necessarily undo the harm done to his client.
Derek L. Gaubatz, director of litigation for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in Washington D.C., declined to say whether he would recommend that Christ Church drop its lawsuit.
"Justice delayed is justice denied. Nonetheless, we are pleased they have finally seen fit to follow the law," Gaubatz said.
The planning board approved Christ Church's proposal for a 2,512-seat sanctuary, private K-5 school and other facilities in a 7-0 vote Monday. It was the 32nd hearing on Christ Church's building plan. Hearings had been under way since Dec. 15, 2003.
In April 2005, Christ Church filed a federal lawsuit against the mayor, council, planning board and environmental commission, alleging a concerted effort to stall and undermine its controversial building plan.
Township officials denied the accusations.
Following Monday's hearing, church pastor David Ireland said the protracted hearing process had been expensive and that he hadn't decided whether to continue with the lawsuit.
Gaubatz said on Wednesday that he would discuss the matter with Ireland.
"Dr. Ireland has said he is still considering the matter. We will be talking with him and providing our advice," he said.
Township attorney Edward Buzak did not return a phone call.
Gaubatz declined to say what he might recommend to Christ Church.
Planning board chairman Mort Dicker said on Tuesday that the long process had been beyond the board's control and that Christ Church failed at times to provide necessary information.
Dicker said Christ Church made frequent changes to its building plan and that members of the public had a right to ask questions at hearings.
The nonprofit Becket Fund represents houses of worship in zoning disputes.
It typically cites the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, a 6-year-old federal law giving religious institutions great leeway in zoning cases.
I am looking for a Christian scholar to enlighten me. Is this normal Christian behaviour? Is this what Christians do as a normal course of their faith? Or is it limited to non-denemonational evegelical christian cults who invent their own dogma? Is this the kind of thing that Jesus Christ used to do? I really do not know, being that I was raised a Jew and not learned in the precepts of Christianity and the New Testament. If this is normal, it certainly appears to be quite strange to an outsider like myself.
I am serious. I really want to know. Since it was not a part of my upbringing, I need someone to explain these things to me. What the hell do I know? I have never even read the New Testament, so I do not know what Jesus Christ taught. For all that I know, ireland is a model custodian of the Christian faith. So, please, someone - - - help me out here.
C'mon Rat you know this has nothing to do with Christianity, or any other religion for that matter, and everything to do with greed, ego and power. These evangelical preachers are no different than drug dealers, maybe worse. Not only do they profit from followers weaknesses, as do drug dealers, but they tap into these poor individuals spiritual beliefs and somehow brainwash them into thinking they have to pay the middleman – “religious leader” - to get to their creator. Just turn on the TV and listen to any one of these false prophets. They are nothing more than motivational speakers with a Jesus spin. Their message is all about making you feel good. They tote Bibles as a prop, pull a phrase out at random and spend an hour dramatically spinning it into an energetic and positive message, given on a third grade level. This makes followers feel energized and happy. Then out come the checkbooks. But who am I to judge, if it makes people feel fulfilled and brings happiness in their lives, that’s great..... I would just warn them to keep their eyes open to what’s really going on and watch their wallets.
