Texas Christian Woman Fined Up to $2K for Feeding Homeless in Park; Argues It's Her Religious Freedom
A Christian woman from Texas, who has been feeding the hungry for a decade, is going to court later this month for legal recognition of the practice as part of her religious freedom. Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance has highlighted her case, saying the scope of religious freedom is far bigger than the issues of same-sex marriage and abortion.
Joan Cheever, from San Antonio, claims her actions are protected by the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Washington, D.C.-based IRFA says in an article posted on its website.
A police officer recently wrote Cheever a ticket, with a fine of up to $2,000, for picking up food from Maverick Park, NPR reported. But Cheever argues that the licensed food truck, where she cooks the meals, is too big to drive through the alleyways she often navigates in search of the homeless. The officer maintains that the permit is for the truck, not for pickup, and that even Good Samaritans have to comply with the letter of the law.
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The question in Cheever's case is whether the San Antonio ordinance actually "substantially burdens" Cheever's practice of her faith, IRFA says, calling it a positive example of the practice of religion that RFRA was designed to protect.
The group notes that religious freedom in the United States has become synonymous in the minds of many with policy stances on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion.
"These are among the issues that are very important to many religions, but they are only part of the story," the article acknowledges. "Service to the needy is a major theme for many religions as well. And thus, only discussing religious freedom with examples related to sexual and reproductive standards does a disservice to the totality and spectrum of faith practices in public life that religious freedom for individuals and organizations seeks to protect."
Issues around religious groups feeding the homeless also illustrate the importance for faith-based nonprofit organizations to advocate for public policy that upholds their ability to practice their faith in public life, IRFA suggests. Faith-based groups should also "embody internal best practices centered on advancing their faithful mission" and "cultivate a positive public perception that connects the excellent services their organizations provide to their religious identity."
IRFA says it works to advance public policies and public attitudes that respect the character and service of faith-based organizations. "IRFA accepts as its foundational guide the teachings of the Christian Bible as understood in the historical and classical teachings of the Christian Church."
