The Mosque in the News

Over the weekend, there was an article in the Tennessean about the Chancellor's ruling in the Murfreesboro Mosque case. Larry Crain, a Nashville attorney who specializes in religious issues, commented that the ruling could have a significant impact nationwide if allowed to stand. While I'm not as certain about that (it does certainly mean that parties before local county commissions need to check on when and where the required notices are published, and possibly augment those by buying additional ads), Larry is certainly correct when he says that if the County Planning Commission reverses itself at any future hearing, there are some serious constitutional concerns. “This raises some significant constitutional issues about whether or not technicalities like characteristics of a publication can override access of a religious group to building a facility.”