Further complicating the issue is a federal law, passed in September, that's aimed at fighting religious discrimination. But there is another legal principle at work here. I don't think they're particularly adept at that. I'm not sure they can run the federal bureaucracy very well, much less a city. Although Wood hasn't been versed in the new federal law yet, he's no stranger to disputes between churches and local governments.
Churches now can encompass large institutions, including schools and recreation facilities.
In 1997 and 1998, the Roswell United Methodist Church persuaded Roswell's Historic Preservation Commission to let it demolish three old homes in a historic district to make way for a youth center. By nearly all accounts, that dilemma was settled amicably, even if it did set Roswell Methodist's plans back more than a year. Lowenthal says his church was prepared to go to court had the city not allowed the youth center. Instead, public support helped sway the committee. Sometimes, a church's case can be helped by celebrity backing.