Family Research Council Applauds DOJ's ''Place to Worship Initiative''

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Jun 13, 2018, 05:27 ET

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Earlier today, the Department of Justice announced the "Place to Worship Initiative," which will "focus on protecting the ability of houses of worship and other religious institutions to build, expand, buy, or rent facilities—as provided by the land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA)."

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

"We applaud the Department of Justice and President Trump for erecting another bulwark of protection around America's First Freedom – religious freedom. This is an administration that is fully committed to defending the freedom of all Americans to believe and live according to those beliefs.

"Over the years, local governments have discriminated against houses of worship through various zoning restrictions, limits on operational hours and even congregation size limits. In 2000, Congress approved RLUIPA by unanimous consent in an effort to protect houses of worship from such unjustified governmental abuse.

"Nearly 18 years later, we continue to see examples of local governments whether through ignorance or hostility are skirting the law. Today the DOJ is putting teeth in the enforcement of a law designed by Congress to prevent government from trampling the free exercise of religion.

"Family Research Council will communicate to more than 25,000 churches that they now have a Department of Justice that stands ready to stand up for their statutory and constitutional religious freedoms," concluded Perkins.

SOURCE Family Research Council