Michael Salman wants to build a church in his backyard. His neighbors aren't buying it

Speaking of fat and lazy!I thoguht Jesus said thee who casts the first stone.Yet another example of bible twisiting to fit your own needs. Shameful!How dare he call others a fat pig becuase they don't agree with his craziness ideas.

Just another shining example of a person who claims to be religious yet obviously hasn't understood a word of what they're spewing out their god-hole. Mr Salman will be first in the line to hell per his own supposed beliefs but in the meantime the people in this neighborhood apparently need to send their city leaders to political hell: out of office.

All that conflict over religion... crazy.

This is not a conflict about religion. This is a conflict about the rights of a person being able to do what he has a right to do. About a people who are persecuting a person who is excersiceing his religous rights. The same rights that our forefathers fought for. The same things that the pilgrims came here to for. The God given inalienable rights. The greatest men of God were men who had a bad past, Moses was considered a murderer, David a murderer and adulterer, Jacob a liar and deciever, Peter a betrayer, Paul a murderer. Yet we exalt these men. Why not others who are trying to make this a better world? We need more people who will step up to the plate. I pray Harvest Christian Fellowship will be a city, state, and world changer.

In the process of changing the world, you are also changing yourself.

The smoother and less contentious the process, the better.

Erik d,
Not true. The greatest the trial the greatest the victory. We are here because a group of people wanted to change the world in which they lived in. We call our forefathers heroes and not rebels. They had a lot of turmoil and thier distresses were extreme. They were not the popular. They were not the majority. A diamond is one of the most precious stones because of the pressures it endured.

It will be sad when Salman finally realizes that there is no god, no heaven, and no hell.
There is no data to support the existance of god, and jesus never married, so there aren't relatives to support claims of miracles, etc.
The cross is symbol of torture and death. Hardly inspirational!

Well,Mr. Salman is totally right. He have the right to build up a church in his own property and if you guys were wise enough you would realize that if he is building a strip bar (which u call it a business )no one would say anything and all the neighbours would shut their mouths up, but since this is a place where you worship GOD they are trying to stop him as they tried to stop jesus before to spread christianity.Anyway its not just a matter of relegious, its a matter of rights too, so as everybody have the right to make a party and celebrate in their homes, he totally have the right to celebrate in his own property too, but the difference is celebration in a party at home get you drunk at the most, but his celebration as praising Jesus will get him heaven and help others to know what is the real heaven. wake up people before its too late ...

Tyler:

At one point in history there was no "data" to show that the Earth was round.

Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

I find this article to be very inspirational. I find that the community becoming intollerable of all change. This is what it seems to be like first hand. I bet there are probably 2-3 people heading this head hunting. I assure you if it were up to the majority of the people in Arizona and they took a vote on whether or not you had the right to do what they want on their property they will vote yes. I live in a homeowmers association and will never do that again. How many flags and when you can put your flag and where you can put your flag is just to controlling. I believe a person has the right to do what he wants in his home.

Here's the thing. There is more than property values at issue here. This guy is creating a massive hazard for the neighborhood. What the article doesn't clarify is that tiny two lane road is actually almost a 1 and a half lane road in front of this house with a dirt soft shoulder on one side that falls off into a ditch. His drive way exits at the choke point of 31st Avenue directly across the street from a park where lots of kids play, joggers run and people walk their horses. Over Christmas he put this atrociously gaudy nativity like scene made out of pipes, and had flood lamps all over it. I myself witnessed many near head-on collisions as people would get distracted by this blight and drift almost hitting on-coming traffic. I shudder to think of what's going to happen if he actually increases traffic here.

I'm just waiting for either a fatal accident between two cars or a car and a pedestrian. It's not a question of if it will happen. It's a case of when it will happen.

If he was a true Christian he would respect others. But he is not. He is a con artist looking for a way to sue the government for a payday. He even brags about it in this very article.

There is a very special place in hell for people like this.

Mr. Salman, the right for you to swing your fist ends at my nose.

It sounds like you have swung your metaphorical fist, and it is debatable if you have hit your neighbors' metaphorical noses.

I do believe in religious freedom, but feel you are pushing the envelope. The government officially ignores religions, due to the seperation of church and state. This is the reason the churches are tax exempt. (which I disagree with... after all, your own god said "Render unto Ceasar, that which is Caesar's.") Yes, churches may be allowed in residential neighborhoods, but one must use common sense. [which unfortunately, is not that common anymore.]
I don't know exactly where you live, but it sounds like it is on a small street, where having all your church members parking would be blocking your neighbors.

Follow the Golden Rule, Don't do unto others what you would not have done unto you.

Would you like to have a true Southern Baptist church right next to your house? The type that has loud meetings several times a week? (Or, let's make it a Seventh Day Adventist sect, one of the ones that has their meetings on Saturdays...)
Or changing religions totally, how would you feel about a Muslim mosque on the other side of your property? Remember, they are doing EXACTLY what you want to do, build right up to 6 feet from your property line. Remember, their main worship day is on Fridays. So they come in and take up all the street parking on Fridays, the Seventh Day Adventists take it all on Saturday (and are a lot louder) then you do it on Sunday's.
How about some Rastafarian's on the lot behind you?

And as a taxpaying citizen, I am VERY insulted that you seem to be pushing limits in an effort to get a ton of money from the government! You want to government to let you do what you want, and you want US (via taxes) to pay for it!? EXCUSE ME? I do NOT want my tax money going to building your church! If your congregation can't currently afford to build it, why not rent a storefront? There are a lot of storefront churches around. Or, you could actually SAVE for it! (but no, American's have to have everything right NOW!!! Instant Gratification!)

Say you do get your church build exactly how you want it on your property, even without government handout. What are you going to do when you want to move?

Pagan and proud,
Vik-Thor

I just read the article. first of all I am not religious and I am not political so I don't care for Mr. Salman or his beliefs. One thing I do know is that despite the fact I don't care for him does not mean he does not have the right to build. The only relief he is going to get is to go to federal court and sue the crap out of the city. The city should respect the religious rights of the people. As for the neighbors they are probably a bunch of liberal democratic pro government junkies who want governement to interfere with everything. I wish this comes back and bites them on the ass. Build your heart out much blood was shed for your rights. Use them and we will defend them.