Calif. city bans church from meeting at its own property, says it doesn't fit in downtown

A California evangelical church is being forced to sell its property due to a city ordinance that prohibits houses of worship from occupying the first floor of downtown buildings. A federal court in the San Francisco Bay Area recently sided with the city of Salinas, ruling that churches generate limited interest, do not draw tourists, and therefore detract from the city's goals of vibrancy, said the Pacific Justice Institute, which filed a lawsuit on behalf of New Harvest Christian Fellowship.-- More...