Providing Land for Churches

(Mandatory) church zoning? What will be proposed next, requirements to mandate the construction of government buildings by developers? The whole concept is ridiculous and deserves little consideration.

There are far more pressing issues that affect people’s lives in Orange County that should be addressed by churches and local government. For example, affordable housing is still a dream for many families who must pay high rents, live in substandard conditions, or commute to their jobs from Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Local developers, with few exceptions, have not had to provide housing for low-income families in this county--that responsibility has been passed on to the government.

The free exercise of religion does not mean that we must provide land for new churches with spacious meetings rooms, offices, and kitchens. Worship can take place anywhere. Further, it is unreasonable to expect others to subsidize the cost of the church land. Certainly, the developer is not going to absorb the expense of valuable property in Orange County. It will be passed on to home buyers who already pay inflated prices.

Clearly, there are other more immediate land-use concerns. Churches and local government should spend more time and effort on alleviating human suffering and less on trying to build the grandest religious palace to attract the largest congregation.

LINDA EMERSON

Yorba Linda