Christ Church in Rockaway Township, New Jersey, has finally won the right to build an expansive sanctuary and school building. City officials rejected the project on the grounds that it violated a zoning ordinance, prompting the church to file suit citing the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (Yes, the same law that protects the building of a controversial Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan). Yesterday, the state's Supreme Court declined to hear the case, leaving in place a lower court's ruling that the church is indeed exempt from the law and should not have been denied their building proposal.
[Church Pastor David] Ireland, reacting to the late legal development, said he was "surprised that Rockaway has spent the citizens' money to fight the legal battle that they had no solid legal footing on," adding, "We have won every particular point that Rockaway has raised."
…
The top court decision was the latest in a contentious saga that began in 2003 when the mega-church announced plans to build a 2,512-seat sanctuary, private K-5 school and other facilities.
This law is not biased toward a particular faith. It doesn't offer minority faiths extra protections beyond what it provides the majority religion, but supports Christians and Muslims alike in requiring local officials to have a compelling interest before they can deny church building or expansion plans. Detractors, take note.
