Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency have told a Louisiana church that it cannot share the gospel after providing free barbeques to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Representatives of a management group that operates five FEMA trailer communities near the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport told members of the Calvary Baton Rouge Church that preaching was not allowed on the government properties. The officials are also prohibiting the church from using community facilities for Bible studies even though other groups freely use the facilities. Attendance at the gospel messages that follow the barbeques or at the Bible studies is completely voluntary.
That action has prompted a letter from the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) to government officials, demanding an end to the policy. ADF attorney Jeremy Tedesco says actions by the unidentified government officials are unconstitutional.
"It's a clear cut violation of the First Amendment," says the attorney. "Government cannot engage in what's called viewpoint discrimination. When the government says, 'We welcome all speakers except those who want to promote a religious point of view,' they violate the First Amendment rights of those religious speakers," he explains.
According to Tedesco, the church members just want to help others. "The desire of these church members is to provide food free of charge for victims of Hurricane Katrina, but now they are being told to keep quiet about the very faith that motivates them to help their neighbor," he continues. "Churches desiring to help those in need should not be given this kind of second-class treatment."
Tedesco shares why ADF sent the letter demanding that FEMA officials allow preaching and voluntary Bible studies at the trailer communities set up to assist the hurricane victims.
"If we don't pursue these kind of matters, at some point, governments are going to be willing to do it every time they see somebody speaking about religion on public property," he says. "So we've got to hold the line and make sure that the rights of religious individuals are respected."
Tedesco says FEMA officials had until November 17 to respond to the letter.
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