|
Phoenix: A bishop in Phoenix, Arizona, received
a suspended sentence of 10 days in jail and three years’
probation for violating a Phoenix noise ordinance
because his church rang its bells hourly as a way of
praising God.
The ordinance does not include an exemption for
religious worship, though it does provide an exemption
for ice cream trucks.
Bishop Rick Painter of Cathedral of Christ the King has
retained attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund to
pursue legal options to defend his rights. The bells at
the church normally chime at the top of every hour from
8 am to 8 pm. The bells have been registered to emit
only 67 decibels from the nearest property line. A
whisper is 30 decibels, and a normal conversation is
about 60 to 70 decibels.
|
