Michigan Votes Forum

 Reasonable.  I hope it estends to funeral services for our men and women who have died for our nation.  However, part of me wonders why the disturbing the peace could not have been applied.

As a pastor, I'm not sure this legislative reaction is warranted under the language of Christ's Sermon on the Mount--especially Matthew 5:10.

Senator Warren, under her constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the passage of Senate 

Bill No. 19 and moved that the statement she made during the discussion of the bill be printed as her reasons for voting 

“no.”

The motion prevailed.

Senator Warren’s statement is as follows:

I rise to oppose the legislation. As a person of faith and a minister’s daughter, I believe in the fundamental freedom of 

religion and find efforts to infringe on one’s ability to worship abhorrent. Given that the Michigan Penal Code already 

appropriately punishes such behavior, however, I think this is an unnecessary violation of our vital right to free speech 

and must oppose this bill at this time

What a waste of time and another intrusion on our liberty.  I don't advocate people disrupting religious services but it seems churches are private property and trespassers could be escorted off by police.

intresting that of the 2 NOT voting for this one is a pastor the others father is 

 I have to say I agree with Senator Warren on this one.  We already have private property laws that would allow church officials/members to deal with disturbances on church property.  It would be no different from me taking steps to prevent/stop such disturbances from happening on my private property.

Furthermore, the bill as written may actually cause problems with enforcing private property rights outlined in other laws currently on the books:

AND SHALL NOT WILLFULLY AND PHYSICALLY OBSTRUCT ANY

10 INDIVIDUAL'S ENTRY INTO THE BUILDING WITH INTENT TO DENY THAT

INDIVIDUAL ACCESS TO THE ASSEMBLY...

I suspect the point of this language is to prevent unlawful discrimmination by denying access based on gender, race, etc.  However, it also infringes on the rights of church members/officials to protect those in their assembly by forcing the church to allow those who might create a disurbance into the church.  Under private property laws, the church has the right to deny access to anyone who they believe may bring harm into their assembly.