A London Church was effectively ”˜silenced’ by a Court after a decision by Magistrates to uphold a noise abatement notice, not to play excessive sound, after just one Muslim neighbour complained about noise levels of worship in a church which was next door to the house he purchased.
Singing songs of praise on a Sunday is normal Church activity. Using amplification is a normal part of Church life and it was argued at the Court hearing that the normal use of a Church building entails worship and cannot constitute noise nuisance.
Immanuel House of Worship Church has been meeting at 89 Vallentin Road in Walthamstow since it bought the premises in 2006. The Church was built in 1894 and was formerly used by the United Reformed Church, when the Church owned all the land on which the current properties are now built.
[blockquote]Using amplification is a normal part of Church life[/blockquote]
That is quite recent, I’m sure. I don’t recall “amplification” of the celebrant/preacher in my decades in TEC until sometime in the mid-90s. Nor do I recall “amplification” of music ever. I’m sure it happens in some places, but it isn’t yet “a normal part of Church life”.
On the other hand, a good pipe organ and a vigorous congregation can raise quite a few decibels to the Lord without “amplification”.
What if a non-Muslim in Britain complains about the very common Muslim practice “the call to prayer” being broadcast outside of a mosque using an electronic PA system?
#2, AnglicanFirst,
My first instinctive reaction too. This is highly ironic, to say the least.
Reading the article makes it fairly clear that the Muslim neighbor just doesn’t like a Christian church next door, period. Imagine him coming and standing outside the door and demanding to talk to the pastor while he’s preaching!!! The guy knew he was buying a house next to a church. The church took reasonable precautions to lessen the noise level that could be heard outside.
Sounds like pure harrassment to me. What’s disappointing is that the judge went along with the ploy.
David Handy+
If I were a judge before which a complaint such as this were to be acted upon, I’d toss it into the nearest wastebasket. In Britain, however……………
The Church was there first, tell the Muslim to put cotton in his ears.