In 2009 Rick Painter, Bishop of the Phoenix, Cathedral of Christ the King was charged with disturbing the peace and given a 10-day suspended jail sentence and three years probation for two counts. His crime – he caused the church’s bells to ring 13 times a day. St. Mark Roman Catholic Parish of Phoenix and First Christian Church of Phoenix joined Christ the King and sued in federal court to over turn the ruling. Last week Judge Susan Bolton ruled that Phoenix could not prevent the church from tolling its bells because the bell ringing is “sound generated in the course of religious expression.” Translation: when the church rings it’s bells it is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Given the severe budget deficit Phoenix now has, I wonder how much time and money the Phoenix sound police has spent to date protecting the public from church bells? Will Phoenix waste more precious resources by appealing the decision?
This issue is currently happening in cincinnati ohio. a church rings it’s bell everyday at 6am. Regardless of whether it is a form of religious expression, it doesn’t supersede my right to quiet entitlement. Ohio’s laws state from 8am thru 10pm you can bang pans if you want but before and after that time you cannot: disturbing the peace. It’s no different than me playing slayer at 6am everyday as my form of religious expression. If they want to express themselves religiously they have a building for that purpose and shouldn’t be allowed to interrupt my peace. This issue will be litigated if the church doesn’t respect my rights
What does religion have to do with people’s right to peace and quiet? Nothing. People are entitled to their peace and quiet. I have the same problem with noisy church bells in Los Angeles.
And, as I have found out people have no rights. The church has them all. Churches get “special treatment” and “special exemptions” for noise. Until there are some protests to get the churches to Respect others right to peace and quiet, or get the government to put in laws and enforce them, the public will continue to have no rights and no right to peace and quiet. Churches can sound proof their buildings or keep their doors closed, not force on blasting bells to their neighbors but many refuse. Churches need to respect their neighbors and give them the peace and quiet they are entitled to. Peace and quiet is the issue.
There is information on a website called http://www.nonoise.org