RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Construction of Mosques is a Sign of Coming Domination

During the Ottoman conquest in 1453, Mehmet the Conquerer converted it to a mosque. It was at that time that four large minaret towers were added to the structure, giving its now famous appearance. It continued to serve as a mosque until 1934, when it was converted to a museum.

When Constantinople (Istanbul) was conquered in 1453, a 16th century historian said that “churches which were within the city were emptied of their vile idols and cleansed from the filthy and idolatrous impurities and by the defacement of their images and the erection of Islamic prayer niches and pulpits…many monasteries and chapels became the envy of the gardens of paradise.”

Christians are considered inferior in Islam, and have been since its beginning. When they were not killed, they were given a lower status, and severe regulations were placed upon them.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

The Grace of God is Preventing Another Market Crash

If that is so, why has the economy not already collapsed?

In many respects, it already has – the Great Recession is evidence of that – but the illusion remains because the credit has not dried up yet. It is when the illusion cannot be maintained that it will affect all of us, probably when we can no longer borrow the money we need to maintain it.

There are at least two other reasons why the collapse has not taken place yet. One is because of the strength, honor and reliability of the American people. The other, I believe, is literally by the grace of God. I believe He is giving us time to make things right, yet little by little even our own people are turning the backs on God.

There is time to turn things around, but time is running out. It has to begin with this nation turning back to God, and it has to end by placing the right people in office at the ballot boxes.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Drive in the Country Brings Questions About the Future

How did America become saturated with small towns during the 19th century, only to be given a death blow? If the brave settlers and entrepreneurs of that time had faced the massive regulations and labor costs that we face today, would those towns have ever existed? And if they had never existed, how would the production of goods in the industrial era ever taken place, or could this nation have ever been able to feed itself without the farming communities that now pepper the American landscape?

Even the guru of urbanism, Andres Duany, recently voiced concern, stating, “Our thesis is studying the great American continental expansion of the latter half of the 19th century, when thousands of towns and cities were founded in the absence of financing. We must understand what allowed that and what makes it seem impossible today. Among the constituent elements are a very light hand of government and , often, management genius - as well as normative patterns like the continental survey, the town grid, etc. But the key element is successional urbanism. Start small at the inauguration, and later build well, culminating in the climax condition of the magnificent cities of the 1920's.”

The national debt, regulations of all sorts, and organized labor, all have contributed to the demise of small towns (and even large ones like Detroit). The federal government, and to extents that vary according to each state, state governments, have a stranglehold on American lives and new development in America.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Chicago's Daley Shut Down Meigs Field for Development

Think you need eminent domain to take something? Not in Chicago.

In the middle of the night on March 30, 2003, without prior warning, Chicago Mayor Daley sent bulldozers through fences to destroy the runway of Meigs Field, a small airport adjacent to downtown Chicago.

The bulldozers carved giant Xs on the runway, a symbol recognized by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) that means that “this airport is closed.” The action stranded over a hundred airplanes.

In 1994, Mayor Daley had announced that he intended to convert the airport to a park, saying that it was what the “people” wanted, but when Daley sent the bulldozers in 2003, he claimed it was because the airport posed an immediate “security threat.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Communities Taking the Value of Churches for Granted

A couple of years ago, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty was helping the Elijah Group, a small evangelical church in Leon Valley, Texas (a suburb of San Antonio) regain its right to hold worship services in its church building on Sunday mornings. The city, through zoning codes it has adopted, had prohibited the church from doing so, claiming that “it can treat churches differently because they don't produce tax revenue.”

Because so many cities are going broke, some city governments are looking for any means available to them to enhance revenues, and that has led to the practice of driving out any organization that doesn't generate property taxes. In cases like the aforementioned one, adopting a zoning code that is hostile to churches, or perhaps even one particular church, amounts to harassment under the guise of law.

What is sad is that these cities are literally driving out the best of their citizens, without recognizing the high value that these citizens bring to their communities. And that leads me to my opening comment about churches being lousy at bragging. Perhaps they're bad at it because they are admonished by Scripture to keep their gifts between themselves and God, and not be like the rich of that day who made a show of their giving to gain the favor of other people. But that's not the kind of bragging I'm talking about.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Churches are Under Fire Because of Their Tax-Exempt Status

The reasons I cited for municipalities going broke are not so much reasons as they are symptoms of a much larger problem. Most government, from the smallest village to the federal government, has not been living within its means. They have engaged in gambling, in the sense that they have obligated themselves to debts based on unrealistic expectations of income. But to be fair, they have also been forced into some of those obligations through unfunded mandates that have come from the federal or state level.

Unfortunately, even though they know what the problems are, municipalities are seeking solutions that will produce enough excess income that will allow them to overcome or ignore the reasons that the problems exist in the first place. Ironically, it is a widely unsustainable practice in a worldview that seeks all things sustainable.

One of the ways that cities, especially, are trying to address the problem is to force their cities to densify their populations, pushing up property taxes and concentrating sales taxes within a confined border. This is leading cities to do all they can to force out any entity that does not pay property taxes. Whether it has been their intent or not, it has never been considered good public relations to mistreat churches, at least not until recently.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Honoring God With Your Lips But Not With Your Hearts?

There is nothing wrong with either one, assuming it is done with the right attitude. But what if the people in a worship service don't really know who God is? I'm not talking about unbelievers, but believers? Jesus, in Matthew 15:8-9, quotes a scripture in Isaiah that says, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.”

We have all heard that the church is in decline. At the risk of being as guilty as others, I'll ask the question, are we dumbing down our own kind by not insisting that we learn who God really is? Are we architects, pastors and others trying to accomplish a noble thing without insisting first that believers know who they are worshiping?

In America, the trend is for people to assume that everything must be done for us and that every goal can be achieved through proper planning and execution of the plan. Is that train of thought spilling over into our churches and into the minds of believers? Would we conduct our services and design our buildings differently if we truly understood the real nature of God? Perhaps so.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

The Story of Jesus in Florida is a Must-See Production

When Mike called to let me know that he was coming through Tulsa, I took the day off and drove them to Eureka Springs.

When the play was over, I asked him what he thought of it, and he replied that he would never want to take anything away from their play, but that it was nothing like what The Story of Jesus was. When he left, he gave me a promotional video that condensed the three-hour play down to 18 minutes. When I watched it, I was absolutely stunned. From that moment on, I became very dedicated to do what I could to support the play.

In April of 2007, my wife and I saw the play for the first time, and now make it an annual event. It was a life-changing experience because it portrays Jesus in his sinless humanity, not the stoic icon that we are accustomed to seeing in movies, art, or stained glass.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Academy of Our Lady of Peace Had the Tenacity to Fight

In January of 2012, a city staff planner claimed that pressure was being placed on him to reverse his findings that had been in favor of the school, and to find instead that the project was inconsistent with development planned for the neighborhood.

On October of 2012, a jury trial awarded the school $1,111,622 in damages, ordering the city to relocate two of the three homes and to demolish the third. The award also included an order to the city to limit permit and inspection fees to $100,000, to fast-track reviews and approvals for the school, and to pay the school an additional $500,000 settlement.

This is a case in which most of the city government officials wanted to do what was right, but were influenced by one zealot in city government and neighbors who wanted to limit the rights of others. But it is also another example of a church that had the tenacity to fight and win.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

‘America is Great Because America is Good’ Can Be True

And America is suffering for it – her productivity is down, her economy is in shambles, her industries have left her, and much of the country is covered with drought. Even if it were not a message from God, it is an eerie reminder of an earlier time when the Israelites were in the same predicament.

But America was not always that way, and doesn't have to turn its back on God.

In the 1830s, after seeing churches in America, Alexis deTocqueville said of America, “America is great because America is good. And if America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

Yes, the church is not a building, it's the Christians who occupy it, but the church building is a powerful and symbolic reminder of who we are and what we are to be. The church is worth saving.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Homeowners Associations Tend to Restrict Resident Rights

I read an interesting blog by Kaid Benfield entitled Coercion by Contract: How Homeowners Associations Stifle Expression, Sustainability in which he explained anecdotally how wrong homeowner's associations (HOAs) are. I have never liked the concept of HOAs, so I could, for the most part, agree with his points. (It's definitely worth the read.)

One of Benfield's neighbors was a Russian defector who when asked to be a part of their subdivision's HOA said, “Hey, I didn't leave one communist system just to join another.”

He shared a story about an HOA that cited a homeowner for posting a political sign that was four inches too tall, leading to a lawsuit in which the homeowner prevailed and won a $400,000 settlement that bankrupted the HOA.

Another homeowner was going to be fined for growing vegetables in her backyard, and in other situations there were punishable rules for drying clothes on a clothesline.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

It is Time for All Americans to Speak on Important Issues

I don't like it any more than any other conservative when liberal movie stars tell us things we know are not true, even when they earnestly believe what they are saying. But to suggest that any American should stick to their profession instead of expressing their opinion is just wrong.

This is why it is important for all Americans to speak out on issues that are exclusive of their own profession, and that is why I have been writing on issues here in the Tulsa Beacon that affect churches, even though the issues are not those that architects typically get involved with. The truth is that if certain issues are not addressed and certain authorities are not confronted, someday there will be no more churches left in America. It is important for architects to get involved, not so that there will be a market for them, but because churches and Christianity are important to America.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Problems That Don't Exist and Mediocrity Could Slow the USA

Obama is concerned about losing the immigrant that might cure cancer, and environmentalists want to protect the rainforests because the next cure-all drug is there waiting to be discovered, but both have little regard for the human life being taken through abortion for similar reasons. How many geniuses were there in the 50 million lives that have been slaughtered?

And Californians? If they believe Brown, they're in denial. California is well on its way to complete economic collapse, and Brown's policies will accelerate it. The smart ones are getting out while they can.

Resignation to problems that don't exist and an inevitable outcome of mediocrity are not only unacceptable, but immoral and a tribute to stupidity disguised as reason.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Churches Need to be Relevant Within Their Communities

A very large portion of Americans have become so dependent upon government that see no need for the church, and may even see the church as a kind of competition with the government. They have begun to think differently, to hold ideas that give them security in knowing that they don't need to ask for help. Why ask when the government runs advertisements encouraging people to take the help that they offer, without shame?

The scriptures tell us that our faith is dead without works, and gives the example that we should help the poor, but it also says that those who don’t work should not eat. This calls for an accountability not just from the recipient of help, but also for the giver to be discerning of the help that they give.

Without that discernment, we emotionally and spiritually cripple people, and the result of the lack of discernment from the government is exactly what we have in this country, an entitlement class.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Detroit Foreshadows Wealth Distribution and Socialism

In 2011, despite its economic problems, Detroit voted to borrow $125 million in transportation funds, of which $73 million was to be spent on light rail and the remainder for new buses and other capital improvement projects.

In May of 2011, Steve Lafleur wrote an article for www.newgeography.com entitled “Can the Winnipeg Model Save Detroit?”, in which he wrote that Detroit “lost 25 percent of its population between 2000-2010, and over half its population since 1950. Over 90,000 homes stand empty, and many neighborhoods have been completely abandoned… current Mayor Dave Bing…has pledged to knock down a staggering 10,000 structures during his first term.”

In June of 2011, Rick Harrison, also authoring an article for newgeography.com wrote about the fact that Detroit planners had recognized that the extreme mixed use makeup of Detroit's buildings had been detrimental, and that it would be beneficial to rezone it into “districts confined to one type of use, such as residential, industrial, and the like.” Harrison wrote, “This suggests that the ‘Smart Growth’ goals of mixed uses and mixed incomes may not be so ‘smart’”.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Studies Prove That a Strong Nuclear Family is Necessary

There is no doubt that the American government, at least at the federal level, left its Judeo-Christian roots long ago. Obamacare is a perfect example of how the federal government is intent upon forcing liberal values on all of us, regardless of our devoutly held beliefs, and, if not reversed, this will have an impact on the number of Christians who own businesses, because to keep a business open now means acting against conscience. The Green family that owns Hobby Lobby is one who is now facing huge fines for refusing to participate in abortions.

The federal government is also contributing to the breakup of the family by acting as a surrogate for the role of the father and mother. No one really needs to be married in order to have three meals a day, a home, televisions, cars, air conditioning, the Internet or cellphones. All of that is available free of charge from the government.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Immorality, Not Guns, are Causing America's Problems

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook killings of twenty children and six adults, the nation is anxiously awaiting the Obama Administration's next movement for more gun control. We all know where it will eventually lead – more restrictions now to confiscation and illegalization of guns later.

No one on the left is asking the correct questions about why someone goes on a killing spree – they simply vilify the gun, not what motivates someone to kill.

The obvious reason, at least to me and other conservatives and Christians, is that people choose to commit acts as evil as these. In my opinion, to blame it on the mentally ill is erroneous and unfair to the millions in this country who suffer from mental illness but who still exercise restraint against committing heinous crimes.

It seems to me that what is actually happening in this country is that morals are being rejected on a systemic and administrative level, and that has dulled, or dumbed down, the conscience of individuals who commit these kinds of murderous acts. In other words, when people have no morals, they have nothing to restrain them from doing anything wrong, and do so without any regrets.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Densification Jeopardizes Life in America as We Know It

“This progressive economy works from the well–placed academics, the trust funders and hedge funders, but produces little opportunity for a better life for the vast majority of the middle and working class.”

More simply put, as an urban area becomes more densely developed, the cost of land and housing necessarily skyrockets. The result is that if working class people are going to be able to live where they work (the walkable community), they must make other concessions in life, including living in much smaller quarters and giving up having more than one child, if any at all. This essentially creates a society of poor and rich, but eventually no middle class. Factor in the extraordinarily high tax rates being ushered in by Obama and the progressives, and we will soon replicate Europe, whose declining birth rate has led to a virtual invasion of foreigners bringing their own version of government unlike those of the land they are inhabiting. It's a perfect formula for destroying what is inarguably the most successful and admired country to have ever existed in human history – America.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Today's Problems Are Small Compared To Densification

His article also includes a warning. “Master Plans that rigidly enforce an urban form of yesteryear may become next year's white elephants. Cities bearing these master plans may find themselves with a regulatory burden that is reducing their desirability as places to live and work”.

Again, he is correct, and he is not the only one who is speaking out, which I will address in next week's column. The social ills that we have in our cities today will pale in comparison to those that dense development is bringing upon the American cities of tomorrow. If this is not stopped, we will become like the great cities of third world countries, whose main avenues appear prosperous but whose backstreets are filled with poverty, just an illusion of hope.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Jesus Christ is the Real Reason for the Season at Christmas

“In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make.” (John 1:1-3 NLT)

The Word is who the apostle Paul spoke about in Romans 1:20 (NLT) when he said:

“From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

America's Best Days Could Be Ahead If Churches Step Up

Over the past century, our country has slowly lost its moral compass, and with it the power to collectively reason and resist tyranny disguised as enlightened thought. We are losing our ability to take risk, a key component of entrepreneurship, because of the fear of unknown and expedient rules, and along with that the ability to increase mankind's quality of life, all because those who say what should be so are so dishonest.

This is why the church must reclaim the moral high ground, and why the presence of effective churches is so important. They must bring up a new generation of thinkers who understand why the church is so important to America and the world, even for those who choose not to believe.

If churches take their role in society seriously, if they accept the challenge of protecting their right to exist, then perhaps America's best days are still ahead.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Racing Technology Might Have Unintended Consequences

Furthermore, what happens when the requirements to perform building design shifts from the voluntary realm to the mandatory, when building design becomes codified to a far greater extent than it is already? What impact will that have on the market, and will the higher cost of architectural design and building construction drive both markets down?

The new technology will require an industry-wide modification, forcing manufacturers of nearly every component in a building to provide drag-and-drop data for architects. So far, many manufacturers have been willing to provide facsimile data, but at some point they will have to give up proprietary information in order to furnish the data required for analyses. Won't China and other unregulated countries enjoy having such a free resource?

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

After the Disasterous Nov. 6 Election, We Have to Change

What a kick in the gut it was last Tuesday evening when Ohio was called for Obama and the race for the Presidency was over. I turned to my wife and told her that we had just become a socialist country. Suddenly, America didn't feel special anymore.

I didn't say that to be dramatic. It wasn't hyperbole. We really have become a socialist country, because now there are no real restraints on Obama and the Democrats to keep them from implementing Obamacare and giving the EPA and dozens of other government agencies free rein to create even more regulations, ones that will be written by bureaucrats instead of our legislature. Even Speaker Boehner, who had pledged to repeal Obamacare, is already backpedaling.

I had hoped that Romney would win by a landslide, as some pundits were predicting, but I really believed that he would win by only a point or two. I was sickened by the slim margin that Obama won by, because it tells me that it would have taken only a little more for it to have turned out in Romney's favor. What is even more sickening is that if one demographic group had voted in greater numbers, it could have easily put Romney over the top, and that group is Christians.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Even if Obama Loses the Election, We Have a Mess to Clean Up

At the moment I am writing this article, we are several days away before the election that I believe will either give us an opportunity to correct the path we are have been on for the past four years or we are going to become a fundamentally different country.

So I hope that by the time that you read this article, Mitt Romney is the president–elect.

If he doesn't win, this article can serve to remind us of the dire consequences of electing someone who is intent upon socializing this country and redistribution of wealth from those who have earned it to those who haven't.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

America Would Decline with Four More Years of Obama

It was almost exactly four years ago that I was at a dinner being held at Immanuel Baptist Church on the evening of the elections. We had gathered there to kick off the program to construct its new sanctuary building, when, as I recall, around 8 p.m. it was announced that McCain had conceded the election.

The collective groan in the room was not so much heard as it was felt; none of us knew how bad things would get, but we all knew that our country was in for some serious problems.

Obama was elected in part because of the ignorance of the voters about his records and his beliefs. Less than a month before the election, even John McCain was admonishing crowds for fearing an Obama presidency. It was then that I realized he was not going to fight to win the election – in fact, he was already conceding.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Please Vote for Governor Mitt Romney on November 6th

I have said virtually nothing about Mitt Romney since early this year, as he was not my first, or even second or third choice when the field was more wide open. Though there was never a chance that I would not vote him, I have been listening to him, and am convinced that he knows what this country needs.

At the time I am writing this article, we have barely three weeks before the election and Romney has taken the lead in the polls. I have no doubt that he is going to win this election, but I am very interested in how large a margin he wins by. I hope it is a landslide, not so that we can gloat, but so that I know that the majority of Americans do not accept the idea that America should abandon its traditional tenets of freedom and capitalism for an illogical, foolish, and corrupt path of socialism and Marxism. If we must endure four more years of Obama, that is exactly what will happen.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Time for Pastors and Churches to Voice Their Opinions

I know that a lot of pastors out there won’t like to hear this, but I believe that they must take the lead in defending their congregation’s rights to continue to exist and operate within their own communities. They should actively encourage their members to make their opinions known to city leaders, to attend city meetings, and to run for public offices, especially those that involve planning for their communities. Fortunately, there is help available.

If you are not already aware of Pulpit Freedom Sunday, it is time to learn about it and get involved.

In 1954, the Johnson Amendment led us to believe that pastors could never say anything political from the pulpit under the threat that the church’s tax-exempt status could be taken away. This has effectively muzzled the church, and we are now paying the consequences of that silence.

The truth is that pastors, up until 1954, have had a long history of political speech from the pulpit, dating back to the Revolutionary War. During the war, pastors were rounded up, hunted down, and executed by the British because they motivated people to fight from the pulpit. The freedoms we have today are largely due to the courage and sacrifices of those pastors. (Go to the Wallbuilders website to learn more.)

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Sacramento Plan for Underwater Home Owners Flawed

For several decades, cities have enacted zoning codes that imposed urban growth boundaries and encouraged dense development. This practice led to artificially high property values, leading people to take out loans on properties, mostly homes, that were valued far above their real value. Eventually, the housing bubble burst, and now approximately one in five homeowners are now underwater with their mortgages.

One of the hardest hit areas in the country is California, a state that has enacted stringent regulations that have driven up the sales prices of homes to many times that of the national average. With the downturn of the economy, it is no surprise that property values in many Californian cities have plummeted to the point that it has affected cities ability to keep their own bills paid.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Construction Levels Show That America is in Big Trouble

The uncertainty stems from the coming elections in November, during which this country is going to discover whether it is still a republic, or whether it will become a socialist state. More so, the uncertainty regarding Obamacare lends even more lack of confidence for people to take an economic risk on projects involving construction. No one knows if Obamacare will still exist after January 20 of next year, no one knows what the rules are now, no one knows what the rules will be then, and no one knows how much more rulemaking will be done by this administration without the involvement of the legislature. Who can bet on that kind of future?

All the more reason to believe that this election is one of the most, if not the most, pivotal election in our history. It is time to vote the current administration and its participants in this madness out of office, and to begin rebuilding this nation on its Constitutional principles.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

More Churches are Under Assault by Municipal Government

This week I learned of another case of discrimination against a congregation that wanted to do an addition to their facilities to accommodate a growing Christian school that the church had operated for a number of years.

After seeking approval for their project from the city, the city finally rejected it, claiming that the addition would not lend “continuity” to the neighborhood. This was even after at least one neighbor testified that a Christian school would be a very desirable thing to have in their neighborhood.

It may seem baffling to understand why it has become very common for churches to be rejected when they want to build a new facility or add to one they already have. I'd like to offer some suggestions why it is becoming more common.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Bureaucracies Calculate Ways to Slow Progress in Cities

Even though the Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development and the City Council were in favor of the re–zoning and a petition with 1,400 signatures in favor of the project was produced, the city council member who represented the ward where the project would have been built objected, stating, “this is not about Trader Joe's…This is about a zoning change, period.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Agenda 21 is Difficult to See Even When It's in Plain Sight

What I discovered was that his sewer line ran through my tunnel, about waist high. I double checked my numbers, and I double checked his numbers, but there was no doubt that he had designed his sewer to run smack through the middle of my tunnel. Obviously, that wasn't going to work.

I called the engineer into my office to let him know that he was going to have to find another path for his sanitary sewer. He looked at my drawing, agreed that I had plotted all the information correctly, but adamantly claimed that his sewer line did not run through my tunnel.

In other words, not willing to concede to the truth and admit to his mistake, he tried to tell me that I wasn't seeing what I clearly saw. It was like dealing with a child who, after being caught with his hand in the cookie jar, was trying to tell me that I really didn't see the cookies in his hand.

His tactic didn't work. He redesigned the sewer line.

Sometimes there are things in plain sight that others don't want you to know are real.

Agenda 21 is one of those issues. I recently read a couple of articles written by people who ridiculed those who were Agenda 21 “conspirists”, claiming that it is of little consequence, and that we really are not seeing what we think we are seeing.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

New Hampshire Church Forced to Sell by Local Government

According to the church's attorney, Lisa Biron, “the court said the taxing authority has the right to go room by room and decide if the use of the room is religious enough… This decision sets a precedent that taxing authorities anywhere in New Hampshire can do the same.”

The pastor said, “They taxed me based on their definition of religious use, without even telling me what that is. To this day, no one, even the New Hampshire Supreme Court, has told me their definition of religious use.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Agenda 21 Must Be Exposed For The Danger It Presents

The United Nation's Agenda 21 plan has vastly affected the world since its introduction in 1992. According to the UN's official website, Agenda 21 is “a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally, and locally by organizations of the United Nations Systems, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment.”

Agenda 21 is a very lengthy document, but a look at its table of contents reveals much about its intent.

Chapter 1, the Preamble, describes the deplorable condition of the world, but that through globalism and a “substantial flow of new and additional financial resources to developing countries”, the world's problems can be solved.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

The Impact of Eminent Domain is Causing More Damage

If you have ever read Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth or its sequel World Without End, you have a sense of what it was like to live in a time when your hard work did not necessarily count for anything. Set during medieval times in England, it was not that it was lawless, but that laws were arbitrarily established by nobility, and many times solely for the expedience and wealth of those who held noble rank.

So, for example, if the nobility did not want someone to compete with them in the growth of crops, they could simply declare their competition to be illegal and destroy the crops of their competition.

Why were they able to do so? For two reasons. The first was simple. They could. It was simply assumed and accepted that the nobility were within their power to do so. The second reason was because the average citizen had no laws to fall back upon to defend themselves or their livelihood. There was no such thing as rights back then, especially property rights defined as a person's ability to keep and defend the fruits of their labor.

When the U.S. Constitution established our rights and protections to our properties, civilization began to rapidly advance, benefiting all of mankind.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Tulsa's Planning Code Could Force Out Christian Churches

The comprehensive planning process, which is now leading to a new zoning code, has the potential, over time, little by little, to force Tulsa's churches out of the city. This isn't rocket science; all you have to do is read some of the new codes to understand how it can happen, and look to other cities where it already has. None of these codes say, “get rid of churches”, and I doubt that any of the writers of those codes have that intent, but the problems that churches will face from these codes will be gradual, systemic, and the results of unintended sequences — if we, the people in the churches of this city don't make our presence known.

Isn't that where we as Tulsans are today? Part of a great country because of our faith? Because our prosperity came from God, not from our own works? Or will we shrink back from opposition and get apathetic like the Jews of Haggai's time, and suffer the consequences? Are we going to rely on a comprehensive plan and zoning code that passively excludes churches to make us prosperous? Or are we going to write a code that protects our churches so that God will bless us? Tulsa has always been a city of churches and has been blessed because of it; let's keep it that way.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

More People are Taking Notice of The U.N.'s Agenda 21

Reader's Comment

I have noticed lately that more people are taking notice of the United Nations Agenda 21 program, in part because more cities are including sustainability in their urban planning and even hiring sustainability directors to help implement sustainable development practices.

But others are rejecting Agenda 21 out of hand.

Last May, the Legislature of the State of Alabama passed Senate Bill 477, which was written to prevent the state from taking private property without due process and was intended to protect its citizens from adverse effects of Agenda 21.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Dense Development Can't be Achieved Without Forcing It

It occurred to me that it has been some time since I have articulated the problems that I see with the current trends of urban planning, and what the impact of those trends are having on our society and our freedoms.

Many of my articles have dealt with New Urbanism, but in understanding the problems the more appropriate concept is to consider is compact development.

The goal of compact development is to increase the density of communities. Proponents claim that these kinds of communities are more “walkable” or “liveable” – basically meaning that many or most of the destinations that the average person goes to frequently are within walking distance of their home. To accomplish this, compact developments are designed to include mixed uses, so destinations such as schools, grocery stores, jobs, pharmacies, coffee shops or restaurants are within walking distance of one's home.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Pastor Discusses the Role of the Church in Urban Settings

Last week I made reference to a video of a presentation by the Rev. Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York regarding churches in urban areas. He made a number of points worth considering about how churches in cities can be effective at evangelism and church planting in urban settings.

You can watch his video at http://www.newgeography.com//content/002938–religion–and–city

There is a critical need for churches in cities. Bearing in mind that the church is actually composed of the body of all believers everywhere, and the local church is composed of a body of believers in a particular place, culturally we have made the word “church” mean the building that the church inhabits. So when I say that there is a critical need for churches in cities, what I really mean is that we need more local bodies of believers.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Christians and Urbanists Do Have Some Common Ground

There are several websites that I go to each day to look for articles on issues that interest me. One of those is newgeography.com, which focuses primarily on city planning and demographics issues.

It is rare to see an article on any of the websites that addresses religion, and especially Christianity, but several weeks ago one appeared entitled, “Religion and the City,” by Aaron M. Renn, who typically writes about urban issues.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Municipal Governments are Continuing to Target Churches

In yet another example of discrimination against churches, the New Generation Christian Church in Rockdale County, Georgia, has been denied the use of property for their worship services. The reason? Local zoning codes require churches to own or lease a minimum of three acres of land before they will be given an occupancy permit.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Sandy Springs, Ga., Prospers While Cities Go Bankrupt

Last year, the National League of Cities reported that some municipal governments in the United States were on the brink of bankruptcy, estimating that nationwide the shortfalls could range between $56 and $83 billion.

They also reported that while three years ago there were 31 municipal defaults totaling $348 million, in 2011 there had been 184 defaults totaling $6.4 billion.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Water for 2060 Act is Devastating and Must be Repealed

The impact of this bill, regardless of its writer's intent, will be devastating to this state's economy. Who among us, with even a modicum of common sense, doesn't see the problems this bill will create? This bill says to industry, don't come to our state because we don't have enough water for you, our industries are already fighting with the government about how much water they used in 2012.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Can We Not Build Communities Without Over–Regulation?

I don't read Cosmopolitan, and never have, but when I'm in the supermarket checkout line and see the magazine I think about a story that came out several years ago about how they get the cover photo shot. The girl on the cover always looks perfect, but if you could get her to turn around, her clothing is pulled tightly to her body with dozens of clamps, pins and safety pins. Sometimes perfection just isn't what it seems.

Administrators in Norman, Okla., recently began the process of introducing the idea that form–based codes, Smart Growth, and high–density development are what their city needs. According to an article by researcher Kaye Beach (axiomamuse.wordpress.com), the city is holding meetings to see if they should codify high–density development.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Smart Growth is Definitely Categorized as Being Liberal

An interesting article by James A. Bacon appeared recently on the Bacon's Rebellion website entitled Smart Growth for Conservatives — Smart growth is too important to leave to liberals. “Conservatives must articulate their own vision for creating prosperous, livable and fiscally sustainable communities.”

I found this article interesting because he seemed to be reaching out to conservatives, and at times seemed critical of liberal thought in regards to Smart Growth. However, it appeared to me that even though he could articulate what conservatives believe in regard to planning, he didn't understand why conservatives don't accept the liberal version of Smart Growth.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Obamacare and Churches RLUIPA Outcomes will Affect Churches

This month we should be hearing of the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the individual mandate to purchase insurance under Obamacare.

Last month, a number of Catholic Churches and institutions filed suit against the federal government over the requirement to provide contraception and abortions imposed by Obamacare. In U.S. history, never have rights and religious rights of the American people been under greater assault than they are now, and while most of us are hopeful that it will be overturned and that Obamacare will be completely repealed, there is no assurance that it will.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Abiotic Theory of the Origin of Oil versus Peak Oil Ideas

I find the environmental movement to be something of an enigma. On one hand, I believe that the majority of believers in global warming and smart growth are people who sincerely care about the environment, but on the other hand I’m convinced that the environmental movement has far more to do with money and politics than with the environment. Nothing represents that dichotomy of thought quite as much as the theory of peak oil.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

California's ‘War on Suburbia’ Draws Obama's Approval

Wendell Cox always takes a beating from liberals when he expresses his opinions, and his recent essays regarding the state of California's dogged pursuit to ruin itself is no exception.

Cox is a visiting professor at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers in Paris, and was the author of the book War on the Dream: How Anti–Sprawl Policy Threatens the Quality of Life. Cox wrote two essays, “California Declares War on Suburbia” I and II in April of this year. He pointed out that California is adopting plans that will virtually eliminate the construction of single–family homes in suburban settings by the year 2035.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Smart Code Advocate Finally Agrees to ‘Code Free’ Zones

Some of you may recall that several years ago I was in an ongoing e–mail discourse with the managing editor of the Smart Code, who had taken exception to some of the things that I had written about New Urbanism in one of my columns.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Florida's The Story of Noah Looks for Financial Assistance

After having done The Story of Jesus for so many years, last year Graham and his Board decided that it was time to do a new play in the 2012 season that Graham had written, The Story of Noah. When the decision was made to do so, Graham and the Board had no idea if the audiences that had attended the Story of Jesus would be interested in the new play. As it turned out, tickets for the entire season had sold out before the fourth weekend of the play, which had not happened for a number of years.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

QuikTrip and the Bias Against Auto–Oriented Businesses

This prejudice against auto–oriented businesses is part and parcel of form–based codes that favor pedestrians and discourage the use of cars. This form of planning typically can only work in areas of very high density, and would require an entirely different business model than QuikTrip, McDonald's and Sonic currently have. The Pearl District does not have that kind of density, and is not likely to in the foreseeable future.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Natural Climate Change does More Good than Damage

Aerospace engineer Robert Zubrin has posted an intriguing article on the National Review website entitled, “Carbon Emissions are Good.” It is one of those rare common–sense discourses for what has arguably become one of the most contentious subjects in science and politics today – anthropogenic (man–made) global warming.

Zubrin makes that case that rising CO2 levels actually creates benefits for the planet. He writes, “… it is quite clear that they (humans) are raising atmospheric CO2 levels. As a result, they are having a strong and markedly positive effect on plant growth worldwide. There is no doubt about this. NASA satellite observations taken from orbit since 1958 show that, concurrent with the 19 percent increase in atmospheric CO2 over the past half century, the rate of plant growth in the continental United States has increased by 14 percent.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Christianity is not Leading America into a Steep Decline

The truth is that this entire country is getting poorer, less educated and jobs are getting harder to find every day. Who is at the helm of state in this country? Christians? The decline of this great nation is actually the result of the gradual rejection of God at the direction of secular government and academics.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Friendship with the Late Don Bixler Had Great Meaning

It is with a mixture of sadness and joy that I bring to you the news of the passing of a good friend of mine, Don Bixler. Sadness because Don is no longer with us, but joy because I know that he is with the Lord now.

I decided to veer away from my usual topics to write about my friendship with Don, or The Bix as many of his friends called him, because Don was one of those remarkable people that come along in life and leave an indelible imprint. For his family and many friends, I would like to share what an impact Don made on me.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

170–Year–Old Church Being Victimized by Eminent Domain

When I do a master plan for a church, one of the things that I look for is the likelihood that a church could lose its property to eminent domain. But what happens to a church that has been in the same location for 170 years?

That is the plight of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Kempsville (Virginia Beach), Virginia. The city is taking part of its property for a street realignment, but the taking is leaving the church with little room to grow and circumstances that could eventually bring about its demise.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Cities Continue to Put Up Roadblocks to Church Expansion

Another example of a church's rights being violated has surfaced in Holly Springs, Mississippi, where Opulent Life Church has been denied the right to use a building it leased in a downtown area for their growing congregation.

Holly Springs is a city with a population of 8,000 located about 40 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee. Opulent Life Church is a small African–American congregation of about 20–25 members.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Eminent Domain Controversy Concerns Property Rights

A bill is slowly making its way through the legislature in Washington that could possibly be the beginning of the end of the flawed U.S. Supreme Court decision for the Kelo v. City of New London case in 2005.

The Kelo case involved the taking of private property by the City of New London to give to a private developer that was to develop the property for the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. After years of litigation costing taxpayers a reported $80 million in legal costs, the City of New London prevailed, a number of homes were taken and torn down, only to have Pfizer abandon the project and leave town.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

America Must Have a Conservative, Christian President

Christians and Jews in the United States have seen what is going on over the past three-plus years; the indifference to Christian-Judeo beliefs, the hostility toward those of us who hold fast to them, and more recently an air of moral superiority by the secular left and especially by the Obama administration. Day after day, week after week, since the day he took office, we have seen example after example that demonstrates this disturbing and dangerous trend.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Churches are Under Fire and Don't See the Fight Coming

Last year, an Hispanic congregation made an offer to buy an old restaurant in the city of Burbank, Illinois, hoping to convert it to use as a church. As a result, the city passed a new ordinance that banned churches from commercial areas of their city.

According to an article in Christianity Today, the church's attorney said that “churches do not realize the fight they're in. If you go into a commercial district, they say you are wrecking their tax base. If you go into residential, they say you're disturbing the peace.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

New York School Controversy Targets America's Churches

Last December, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case brought by the Bronx Household of Faith, a congregation that had for years rented and used New York City school facilities for its Sunday services.

The refusal allowed the current decision by the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stand, which gave the City of New York the ability to ban churches from using their facilities. Under the direction of Mayor Bloomberg, who agreed with the decision, the ban took effect on February 12.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Resources are Available for Churches to Battle for Freedom

It seems that a week does not go by that we do not hear of another case of discrimination or abuse of some form or another against churches or Christians. The Obama Administration's attempt to force hospitals and schools owned and operated by churches to provide insurance or funding to pay for abortions, sterilizations and contraceptives is a first of its kind in America, and it is bound to get worse if the church at large does not forcefully resist what is a clear violation of religious rights.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Casino and Atheist Issues May Share a Common Theme

Most of us here in the Tulsa area are aware of the controversial Red Clay Casino that is currently under construction in Broken Arrow, a suburb of Tulsa. The project came as a surprise to Broken Arrow residents who were unaware that the casino was going to be built, igniting a firestorm of protests.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Obama Administration is Trying to Strong-Arm Catholics

Last week, Catholic Churches across America did something that was unthinkable until the present administration took power in the White House. A letter was read to congregants from the Bishop of Marquette stating a refusal to obey the law.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

‘Megacity’ Growth in China Points to an Alarming Trend

We see the growing trend toward density in American cities, but nowhere is the density of a “megacity” more exemplified than in the rapid growth in China.

In an article in the Delhi Guardian, authors Paul Webster and Jason Burke describe a project currently under construction in the southwest China city of Chengdu as a “behemoth.” The authors wrote, “When finished later this year, its developers proudly boast, it will be the world's largest stand-alone building. The New Century Global Centre is a leisure complex that will house two 1,000-room five-star hotels, an ice rink, a luxury Imax cinema, vast shopping malls and a 20,000-capacity indoor swimming pool with 400 meters of “coastline” and a fake beach the size of 10 football pitches(sic) complete with its own seaside village.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Is Teaching the Bible on the Decline in American Churches?

Last Sunday my pastor gave us some disturbing statistics about the growth of churches in America. The study he cited concluded that church growth is very small, only about 2 percent per year on average.

The question is why? Why would the church, which has been a central focus of American life since our founding, suddenly begin losing ground?

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Supreme Court Supports Churches in Employment Case

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week in favor of a church that had fired a ministerial employee, signaling a hopeful change of attitude toward the rights of churches to conduct their own affairs according to their own beliefs.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Churches Assist Their Communities in a Myriad of Ways

After hearing that the Share Christmas event at my church had provided Christmas presents to more than 260 children from low-income families, it struck me that so few people know just what an impact churches have on their communities.

It's a popular notion that all churches send missionaries to Africa, but it's just that – a popular notion. While some churches do in fact send missionaries to Africa, that is a very small part of the giving that churches do.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Religious and Property Rights Top the List in the New Year

This coming year is shaping up to be perhaps one of the most pivotal years in American history. I, like a lot of Americans, have a number of things that I would like to accomplish and to see accomplished in the next twelve months.

There are two extremely important issues – religious rights and property rights – on which everything that we as Americans depend upon in order to keep our freedoms.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Jesus Christ Brought Us the Most important Gift of Heaven

“In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make.”' (John 1:1–3 NLT)

The Word is who the apostle Paul spoke about in Romans 1:20 (NLT) when he said:
“From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Evidence Shows That Man–Made Global Warming is a Hoax

The Brits have figured it out – manmade global warming is a farce – and Climategate has been instrumental in revealing the fact that data has been twisted to say something other than the truth.

The recently released British Social Attitudes report surveyed U.K. consumers and found that they are no longer willing to pay the extra money to go “green” because of their skepticism of man-made climate change. Here are some of the findings of the survey.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Malicious Vandalism is Increasing Against U.S. Churches

It appears that churches are bearing the brunt of a rising tide of hate crimes as the number and severity of vandalism attacks against churches is increasing.

Thefts from churches are common, especially in the last year as copper prices have risen and the economy continues to decline. Audio and video equipment in churches have been the targets of thieves for many years, but in the last few months the crimes against churches have taken a sinister turn.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Discrimination Against Churches Happens in the Bible Belt

Since the City of Tulsa has hired the new director of planning and economic development, Dawn Warrick, I think it is a given that there will be a focus on developing Tulsa's new zoning code. In my last two articles I have voiced concern regarding how churches will be treated and regulated.

It was not that long ago that a city official told me that it was considered bad public relations for the city not to go the extra distance to help churches work through the zoning and permitting process. I have no reason to believe that anything has changed in that regard with certain officials, but the new code will be developed, for the most part, by outside consultants and with the new director, and it is not altogether clear how much INCOG will be involved with the effort.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Tulsa's Comprehensive Plan Will Say Little About Churches

Much emphasis is placed on the concept of community in modern planning. Planners believe that cities can and should be developed so that everyone lives in a kind of microcosm, within a region that is within walking distance of home and work and one that contains “third places” that give people a sense of belonging and camaraderie.

Since its beginning, churches have always been an important part of communities in America. They have been the traditional gathering place in cities and towns for centuries. They served as the “third place” long before the term was invented.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

New Director Will Start to Work on Comprehensive Plan

History was made in Tulsa on November 7 when Dawn Warrick was named Tulsa's first director of planning and economic development. Warrick comes to us after acting as the assistant director of planning in design in Louisville, Ky., and, prior to that, she was an assistant zoning and development director in Fayetteville, Ark.

Since PlaniTulsa was approved by the City Council last year, there has not been a great deal of activity on the implementation of Tulsa's new comprehensive plan into a new zoning code. One of Warrick's most immediate tasks will be to begin work doing just that.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Age of Flower Towers' is a New Age Plan That Won't Work

In all the architectural trade journals I receive, I rarely see architectural designs that I like, but for the most part I appreciate the diverse creativity that comes out of the architectural profession.

This is especially true of architecture that would not have been possible even two decades ago. The advances in CADD (Computer Aided Drafting and Design) has given us the ability to design geometrically complex structures, giving birth to curvilinear shapes and forms never seen before in architecture, and new computer programs have allowed engineers to design the complex structural and mechanical systems needed to make those designs possible.

So it is not often that I take the opportunity to poke fun at architecture, but sometimes architecture needs a good dose of reality.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Anti-Semitic Sentiment by Occupy Wall Street is Troubling

Nearly three quarters of a century ago, on November 7, 1938, an angry young man walked into the German embassy in Paris intent upon killing the German Ambassador. Not finding him, he instead shot and killed Germany's Third Secretary Ernst vom Rath.

Hershel Grynszpan was seeking revenge on the Germans, who during the prior week had evicted his Jewish parents from the city of Hanover, Germany. All of their possessions, including the store Grynszpan’s father had owned since 1911, had been confiscated by the German police, and the family had been forced into a refugee camp across the border in Poland.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

America Needs a New President to Bring Back Prosperity

There is a building boom coming - maybe.

Since the moment the public perceived that Obama might become our next president back in 2008, the economy began to slide downhill. It took a steep dive shortly after he took office, and so did the amount of construction.

It wasn’t just his presidency that caused the fall. For years, regulations and smart growth policies have placed a stranglehold on construction, making the conditions necessary for a crash possible. Obama’s presidency, along with the Obamacare bill and his czars and their regulations, was simply the catalyst.

It is the American culture as builders and entrepreneurs coupled with capitalism that makes it difficult for even a diehard Marxist to snuff out our way of life. It is for that reason that I believe there is a great building boom in our near future, and it is the optimism that the American public is sensing with some of the candidates that are running for president that makes me believe it is true that America could still be seeing its finest days ahead. For it to take place, however, there is a lot that needs to happen.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

‘Mixed-use’ May Not Always Have a Concrete Definition

While all of these thoughts have their merit, and I understand that the article was focusing in on one aspect of sustainability, the term “mixed-use” was not well defined. Mixed use is only one ingredient of the sustainability movement. To add to the confusion, sustainability holds different meanings among different groups. To the environmentalist, it means solving global warming. To preservationists, it means keeping a historical building intact when it needs to be torn down. To a city administrator, it means densification and smart growth, which means more tax revenue. To architects, sustainability has become a structured practice, as demonstrated by the trend toward getting LEED certification for building projects in a holistic way. To planners, it means getting rid of urban sprawl and designing communities around people instead of cars. To the federal government, it means more regulations, and to the United Nations it means regulating everyone on the planet. So who can blame anyone for getting a little confused?

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

The Impact of Churches on Urban Sprawl Sparks Debate

The conclusion that these places of worship, all apparently in presumably agricultural areas, had influenced the demographics of growth was indeed correct. All four examples, including the (Italian) Catholic Church, were examples of strong ethnic associations within the context of a place of worship. Three of the examples were not of mainstream religions found in the United States, and the fourth was apparently unique among Catholic churches. Yet Laidlaw's article will leave the reader believing that all churches must be expected to produce the same effects as Agrawal's examples, perhaps because he attended a conference where the professor spoke about churches and municipal planning.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Oregon Using Farm Rules to Stop Churches from Building

I can't say I have ever heard of Aloha 1A dirt, but given the amount of protection given to it in the ordinance, it must have been some really good dirt.

When the church sought approval for their new church project, the county planning director issued a directive claiming that churches were not allowed in the Exclusive Farm Zone because it was within three miles of an Urban Growth Boundary.

Urban Growth Boundaries are established to contain development within specified areas. To prevent development on the opposite side of the line, they usually are surrounded by another area in which little or no development is allowed. In a real sense, an Urban Growth Boundary is not a line, but a swath that can be many miles wide.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Professional Planners Know Don't Know Much About Churches

Several years ago, an article by Stuart Laidlaw appeared on TheStar.com website entitled Churches kickstart suburban sprawl, study shows. The opening paragraph stated, “Fast-growing churches, frustrated with the slow pace of municipal planning, often find themselves pushed into setting up shop in rural areas on the edge of town, where they end up contributing to suburban sprawl, a Ryerson University study has found.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

A Lack of Respect for God is Sweeping Across Our Nation

As we see the growth in government, we are also seeing a growth in corruption. At this moment, the Solyndra scandal is beginning to get the attention of the FBI and pundits are saying that the corruption may go all the way to the White House. But why should the growth in corruption surprise anyone? Many of our country's leaders no longer respect, fear or even believe in God, at least not the one in the Bible.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Confusion Over ‘Separation of Church and State’ Persists

The problem between “church and state” just seems to be getting worse, and from all indications it’s not going to get any better any time soon. The recent boondoggle created by Mayor Bloomberg’s decision to prohibit any clergy from participating in the 9/11 ceremonies underscores the lack of understanding of what the “separation of church and state” actually means.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Preservation of American Rights Seems ‘Up in the Air’

According to an article in the Desert Sun and linked to Aviation eBrief (an online newsletter produced by the AOPA Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association), a two-and-a-half-year-long lawsuit has finally been dropped against several people and companies who allegedly flew their hot-air balloons too low over a farm in California.

JCM Farming, Inc. filed the lawsuit, according to the article, “never once having to show proof to a judge that its initial, central complaint was true: that the balloonists had flown too low over its property and caused a nuisance.”

Tom Scott, the executive director of California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, the attorney who defended the balloonists, said that “For $300, I can upend your life, whether there’s merit or no merit to my case.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

We Have a Duty to Resist Regulations That are Abusive

Back during our last gubernatorial election, a lobbyist (who happened to be a democrat) told me that no one wanted to support Senator Randy Brogdon because he was “against everything.” Of course, Brogdon was not against everything, he simply looked at regulations from a Constitutional perspective.

However, if that lobbyist had taken an objective look at Brogdon’s position, and could set political prejudices aside, he might have come to a different conclusion. Brogdon believed that government had grown too large and that it used laws and regulations to pick winners and losers, usually at taxpayer expense.

Most people who read my columns might conclude that I am anti-regulation, that I am “against everything” that the government does, because in most cases I see more government regulations as a negative. In fact, I believe that laws and regulations are necessary and can be beneficial to society, just as the Founders did.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Rural America Does Not Need this Kind of Federal ‘Help’

One day we were discussing the fact that Russia was buying grain from the United States because they were unable to produce enough for themselves. Knowing that Russia was a very large and fertile country, I thought it odd that they would have to resort to buying grain from an avowed enemy.

Stan said the reason was simple. He said, (I’m paraphrasing) “In the United States, farmers work until the job is done because they get to keep what they earn. In Russia, a farmer starts driving his tractor at eight in the morning, and quits at five in the afternoon. He doesn’t care if the job gets done or not because he won’t earn any more or less if he only works eight hours a day.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

United States is Headed Down the Path Toward Marxism

America has been gradually moving away from its Constitution and toward a form of socialism for many years, and while most of us realize that things are not as free as they used to be, we may not realize just how closely our policies come to meeting the definition of Marxism.

Of course, few would admit that we are Marxist because we can still vote, we still have (somewhat) free enterprise, and we can still travel without a soldier asking us for our “papers” at a check point. And we certainly don’t think of ourselves as the Communist that Karl Marx (1818-1883) was.

But before you think I’ve lost my senses, listen to what Karl Marx and his close friend Friedrich Engels believed government policies should be. 

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

American Churches are Facing More and More Obstacles

Last year, the National League of Cities said that municipal governments were likely to fall short of funding between $56 billion and $83 billion by the end of this year. Just recently, Reuters reported that the city of Central Falls, Rhode Island, (population 19,000) filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy with an outstanding debt of $21 million.

Cities across the country are facing similar economic problems, albeit not so severe. However, my concern has been for some time that the need for funding has been and will in the future affect how cities will treat the churches within their borders.

I’m not saying that all cities are becoming anti-church, though I have read some accounts that were unquestionably just that. It is beyond question, though, that attitudes toward churches over the last decade or so have taken a turn for the worse, and not just in city government.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Look for Refugees from California’s Environmental Laws

The old saying in business is that if you want your business to be successful, study a successful business and do what they do. But sometimes it is just as profitable to look at those who are failing and don’t do what they do.

The Washington Post recently printed the ten most expensive areas in the country, based on median home prices. It should come as no surprise that nearly all of them were in states where land is heavily regulated.

The highest was Honolulu, which I understand has a lot of regulations, with a median home price of $579,300. But come on, it’s an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Of course, it’s going to be an expensive place.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Repeal Obamacare, Cut Regulations and Reform the Tax Code

The next thing that needs to be done is to repeal Obamacare completely. Kill it and bury it, and even enact legislation that will prohibit anything like it to pass again. Obamacare is a political and economic nightmare. It alone has the ability to destroy our economy as well as our freedoms. We also must go back to the traditional values of the Constitution and abandon the idea that it is a “living” document. In so doing, we must reverse the flawed Supreme Court decision Kelo vs. New London, so that never again will one individual have his or her property stolen from them and given to another using eminent domain under the guise of economic benefit. In addition, we must oppose Sharia law from being implemented anywhere in the United States.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Easing of Credit Created a Crash in the Housing Market

After reviewing data for the years spanning 2000 to 2007 from a number of sources including the Federal Reserve, Demographia, the Census Bureau and Harvard University, Cox observed a wide difference in home price escalation, concluding that the housing bubble affected some areas disproportionately more than others:

“In the 10 markets with the greatest rise in prices compared to income, the cost of a house rose by an average of $275,000, relative to incomes. Among the second 10 markets with the greatest price escalation, house prices rose $135,000. By contrast, in the major markets with the least rise in prices, houses increased only $5,000.”

Cox observed that the areas that were more greatly affected were areas whose markets were “prescriptively” regulated instead of “responsively” regulated.

A prescriptively regulated market is one that promotes “smart growth” policies designed to prevent urban sprawl and use of the car and that promote those such as urban growth boundaries, growth management, home construction moratoria, excessive development fees, and planning.

A responsively regulated market is one with few restrictions or planning, so that the market can respond to market conditions quickly, undeterred by government red tape.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Cities Putting the Heat on Churches Under Smart Growth

A few weeks ago, I received a rather urgent e-mail from a gentleman in Maryland who was asking for advice regarding a letter from his municipality stating that his church building could no longer be used as a church.

The letter stated, in part, that the”… Development Code that was adopted 9-18-06 no longer allows churches in the B-2 Central Commercial District as a principal use. The Development Code states that no building, structure, or premise shall hereafter be used or occupied with a use that is not permitted in the zoning district. Churches that were in operation prior to 9-18-06 are considered non-conforming uses and may continue to operate in the B-2 zoning district. As you are aware, the B-2 zoning district is a desirable zoning for commercial uses for example: banks, business services, day care centers, funeral homes, gourmet food establishments, retail stores, medical services, and office uses to name a few are principally permitted.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

It’s Time to Change the Course of America in November

Back in 2005, I wrote an article about how the government was systematically cleansing certain rural areas through imposition of regulations and judicial orders. In fact, rural areas of America and other countries have been in decline for some time.

Loss of manufacturing to Mexico, China and India has played a large part in the decline. Once a large source of low-cost labor (and few regulations), small towns in rural areas provided the bulk of the manufacturing base, but when the factories pulled up stakes and left for even cheaper labor and fewer regulations overseas, small towns began to suffer severely. Businesses began to close, forcing families to leave in search of jobs. Then more businesses closed, and more people left, until eventually the grocery stores, the banks and even some schools closed. When that happens, a town is essentially finished, leaving mostly elderly populations to deal with aging and crumbling infrastructure.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Construction is Critically Important to the U.S. Economy

Construction is incredibly important to local economies and to the aggregate economy of the nation. As an example, according to an article in the Denver Post, out of the 130,000 jobs that the state of Colorado has lost over the past three years, 60,000 of them were construction jobs. Prior to 2007, one out of every five jobs was construction related.

We have a long way to go to rebuild the construction industry to what it was before the crash. Job losses and business closures have been massive and across the board, including mortgage brokers, architects, engineers, contractors and subcontractors. In Colorado alone, 466 homebuilders closed their doors between 2007 and 2009.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Muslims Destroy Churches or Convert Them to Mosques

During the Ottoman conquest in 1453, Mehmet the Conquerer converted it to a mosque. It was at that time that four large minaret towers were added to the structure, giving its now famous appearance. It continued to serve as a mosque until 1934, when it was converted to a museum.

When Constantinople (Istanbul) was conquered in 1453, a 16th century historian said that “churches which were within the city were emptied of their vile idols and cleansed from the filthy and idolatrous impurities and by the defacement of their images and the erection of Islamic prayer niches and pulpits…many monasteries and chapels became the envy of the gardens of paradise.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

American Christians Should Recognize the Dangers of Islam

Apparently Curtis has never studied what is happening in Iraq where Christians are being driven out by Muslims, or in Egypt where churches are being burned by Muslims, or in England where over a thousand churches have been converted to mosques and Sharia law is effect in many areas, or in the many places in Europe where police won’t go to “no-go” Islamic enclaves because of the danger, or even at the growth of Islam in Dearborn, Michigan.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Christian Churches Facing Persecution all Over the World

In Iraq last October, 52 Christians were massacred by al Qaeda guerillas in response to burnings of the Quran in the United States. Since then, up to 95,000 Christians have fled the country. Around 500,000 had already left due to persecution that has included beheadings, rapes and extortion. It is expected that in just a few years, virtually all of the Christians will have left Iraq.

This is particularly disappointing, since it was a Christian nation that was primarily responsible for freeing the Iraqi people. Obviously, there will be no church construction in Iraq and what few churches that might have been there will likely be converted to mosques, much as has been the fate of many of the churches in Europe.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

The Densification of Cities May Actually Facilitate Obesity

Newgeography.com recently published an excellent article by Phil McDermott entitled Where Do the Children Play, in which he challenged the current thinking that densely developed cities are good for our health. He contested the conclusions of a study by the New Zealand Public Health Advisory that “cited four principles for healthy urban planning based on the density of development: urban regeneration, compact growth, focused decentralization and linear concentration. The aim is less time in cars and more use of active transport.”

McDermott points out poor health in densely developed environments can be a result of “traffic volumes, strangers on the street and lack of outdoor play space” and that in those environments there are disadvantages that include, “insufficient space, internal noise, lack of natural light, lack of privacy, inadequate parking, inadequate indoor play space and the potentially hazardous nature of balconies.” All of those disadvantages, by the way, are for the most part solved by less densely developed urban areas, the suburbs that are being blamed for unhealthy lifestyles.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Architects with Integrity Should Challenge Sustainability

Each year, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) holds its annual convention at a different major city each year and this year it was in New Orleans. Over the past several years, the convention has focused on sustainability issues and this year was no different. The keynote speaker was Thomas Friedman, (who is not an architect) who sounded the warning that architects and others must fundamentally change to prevent an environmental calamity.

Friedman said that a green revolution is in the interest of national security, and appealing to the patriotic said, “Green is the new red, white and blue – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” and “ultimately, we need to make the word ‘green’ disappear. There should be no such thing as a ‘green’ car – it’s just a car, and you can’t buy it otherwise.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

A Relationship with Jesus is the Real Source of Joy in Life

Having inadvertently become a student of urban planning, each day I go to several websites to read articles and to see what planners think about trends and what demographers have discovered with statistics.

Each website has their own agenda, naturally quite opposite from each other, and it is interesting to see how some of the contributing authors have deep-seated views, while others are only interested in proving their points by ridiculing those who oppose their own.

The common theme that runs through all of them is this: if you believe as I believe, and do as I think you should do, the world will be a better place.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

New Urbanism Advocate Doesn’t Understand Core Issues

I find it amusing when I discover there are people out there that are writing about New Urbanism that know so little about it. Such is the case with New Urban Mom, who took me to task about an article I wrote in January of last year concerning a paper written by an Urban Planner Ruth Durack.

First of all, I don’t know who New Urban Mom is; she apparently does not share her name with her readers, so for brevity I’ll simply call her NUM, with no disrespect intended.
NUM posted an article on her website on May 2 entitled, “New Urbanism and the Inflexibility Myth,” and in so doing completely misinterpreted the article I had written and in fact misstated my position on New Urbanism.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Hope Christian Academy Prepares to Open in Skiatook

I have long advocated the idea that churches should be doing more for their communities, especially in the area of education. The future of our country depends upon the current generation of children learning not only the right things, but also learning the right moral and work ethic. There is nowhere better for a child to be educated than under a Godly and Christian system.

So I was very happy to learn that there will be a new Christian school opening in August of this year in Skiatook. The school’s founder, Sabrina Miller, an associate with Immanuel Baptist Church, has felt the calling to open the new school, Hope Christian Academy.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

April 28, 2011

In The

Pointless Regulation Adding to America’s Failing Economy

Architects are beginning to realize that prescribing energy-saving technologies and techniques is creating unexpected professional liabilities. In the 1980s, architects were convincing clients that incorporating solar energy equipment and design techniques into their buildings would reduce their energy costs. Lawsuits followed when the savings never materialized. Now architects and engineers are being sued as their “green” designs are not performing as expected.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

April 21, 2010

In The News

Florida Passion Play Shows the Important Story of Jesus

I have just returned from Wauchula, Florida, after my annual trip to see the Story of Jesus Passion Play. This is the fourth year that I have attended, and even after seeing the play a total of eight times, it is just as fresh and enriching as it was the first time I saw it.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

April 14, 2011

In The

America is Rapidly Moving from Capitalism to Communism

America has been gradually moving away from its Constitution and toward a form of socialism for many years, and while most of us realize that things are not as free as they used to be, we may not realize just how closely our policies come to meeting the definition of Marxism.

Of course, few would admit that we are Marxist because we can still vote, we still have (somewhat) free enterprise, and we can still travel without a soldier asking us for our “papers” at a check point. And we certainly don’t think of ourselves as the Communist that Karl Marx (1818-1883) was.

But before you think I’ve lost my senses, listen to what Karl Marx and his close friend Friedrich Engels believed government policies should be.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

In a Danger-Filled World, America Must Support Israel

Israel, from the time of its rebirth in 1948, has been surrounded by enemies who have been intent upon destroying it. But now it is facing far more than it ever has.

If you pay close attention to the news and to current events, it is evident that political, economic, religious and military forces against Israel are growing.

Israel is becoming a richer nation and is likely to become much richer due to the relatively recent discoveries of oil and natural gas both in Israel and just off its shores. But Russia desperately needs to sell its gas and oil resources at prices that will allow it to be profitable for them, and it also needs to sell arms from its military industrial complex. When Israel places its oil and gas on the market, prices could dip to a point low enough to decimate the Russian economy. Since one of the goals of Vladimir Putin is to rebuild Russia’s military, it cannot allow Israel’s oil to reach the market.  

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Good News and Bad News for Church/City Relationships

There is both good news and bad news on the issue of discrimination against churches by cities.
The bad news first.

It appears that the number of discrimination cases is escalating and cities are coming up with new and creative ways to prohibit churches from building or to even cause them to close their doors. It is as though there is an unwritten playbook being passed from city to city that shows how to evict a church.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Unfulfilled Promises by Rural Developers Caused Problems 

We’ve all seen carpetbaggers in spaghetti westerns selling worthless snake oil products from a covered wagon, who quickly left town before it was discovered that that little bottle of elixir really couldn’t cure the gout with just one dose.

In the 1960s and 70s, and even into the 80s, the carpetbaggers of the time were land speculators who bought large tracts of inexpensive rural land, subdivided it, then sold it off using high pressure sales tactics that usually involved offering a small gift for listening to their sales pitch.

It was a time when Americans were becoming more prosperous, and many were looking for a quiet country setting for a second home or to build a retirement home.  

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

March 11 Earthquake in Japan Similar to 1923 Disaster 

We are all watching the news in astonishment at the power and destruction of the 8.9 earthquake that hit Japan on March 11.

This is the second earthquake in less than a century that has brought mass destruction to the Japanese islands.

The first one, the Great Kanto Earthquake, struck during the lunch hour on September 1, 1923, when a 7.9 (or possibly an 8.3) magnitude earthquake struck and shook the area for up to ten minutes. There were 57 recorded aftershocks. 

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Census Figures Conflict with the ‘Wisdom’ of City Planners 

I hope Tulsa’s city planners are taking a hard look at data recently released from the 2010 Census because it paints a much different picture of where growth is occurring than the urban planner crowd has been telling us.

Urban planners have been telling us for years that population growth will necessarily be in urban areas, primarily because of changing demographics and the development of light rail. But the Census is showing that their predictions of urban growth in favor of suburban growth were simply incorrect.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

March 3, 2011

In The

Cities and States Race to Cancel High-Speed Rail Fiascos

Despite Obama’s proposal to spend $53 billion on high-speed rail, the fact that our nation’s debt just exceeded its GDP and states like Wisconsin are fighting unions and an AWOL Congress, we are seeing glimpses of sanity here and there.

One of those is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who recently cancelled the $8.7 billion Hudson River tunnel project because it was over budget. His advisors estimated that the cost of constructing the tunnel could have cost over $14 billion. Christie cited Boston’s “Big Dig” that cost nearly ten times its original estimated cost of $2.8 billion as an example of what he wanted to prevent.

We can see another glimpse of sanity in the state of Florida, where newly elected Gov. Rick Scott has recently cancelled a high speed rail line that was to have linked Tampa with Orlando.
Scott rejected $2.4 billion in federal funds to build the rail line because it posed a substantial risk to Florida taxpayers who would have been forced to pay for cost overruns that are typical for this type of project.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

February 23, 2011

In The

PlaniTulsa Needs to Have a Respect for Property Rights

Those who watched or participated in the PlaniTulsa comprehensive planning process are aware that there were a number of workshops held to solicit public opinion about what was being planned.

It is a process I believe to be flawed, because it is prone to favoring one idea over another and as such, can produce outcomes that were planned in advance.

Apparently Andres Duany agrees, but not for the same reason. He popularized the concept of the charette, or workshop in our case, but now is promoting a new concept that he calls subsidiarity.
In an article in Architect (The Magazine of the American Institute of Architects), the author’s byline was “Andres Duany is souring on what he sees as excessive, obstructionist community engagement in urban planning.”

In that article, entitled “Control the Masses,” Duany was quoted saying that subsidiarity is “the design of decisions: what issue, by which people, and when… The smallest group at the latest point in time that can competently make a decision …thus we’re evolving participatory planning towards a more intelligent democracy.”

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

New Tulsa ‘Planning Director’ Will be a Powerful Person

My Google Alerts picked up an interesting, but lengthy, article by Mike Easterling that effectively demonstrates that we are likely to see a big shakeup in how planning is done downtown. At issue is the role that INCOG will play in providing zoning code conformance analysis of proposed projects.

Some speculate that INCOG will be phased out in favor of creation of an in-house staff that would take over INCOG’s duties. I thought that was made clear when the draft of the Comprehensive Plan was published. The text of the document suggested a diminished role for INCOG, not outright dismissal, but my interpretation of the text seemed to indicate that INCOG would become less important or involved in planning issues. Instead, I believe that INCOG will eventually only be used as a source for maps and other records, and even that role will eventually disappear.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Let’s Not Fall for the Bad Science Around Global Warming

Our recent record setting snowstorm is the latest excuse for Al Gore to claim that global warming was a real man-made problem.

But hold on, Al, it just ain’t so.

When I was in college, one of the books we were required to read was “How to Lie with Statistics”. The essence of the book was that you could take truthful statistics and twist them to prove anything you want, even if it was false. I believe that is exactly what has happened with the movement to prevent man-made global warming. 

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

The Constitutional Rights of Churches are Still be Denied

On the heels of a great victory for the Religious Land Use Act (RLUIPA) in the case involving Rocky Mountain Christian Church, it didn’t take long for another church to be denied a permit to build.

This time it is a small congregation, All Souls Church of God in Christ, near Atlanta, Georgia, who wanted to build an 8,400-square-foot building on a 5-acre tract of land. After renting storefront space for the past ten years, the congregation has purchased land and saved sufficient funds to build. Prior to purchasing the land, the church verified that a church could be built according to local zoning codes.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Court Decision Favors Rocky Mountain Christian Church

Last November, I wrote about the case of Rocky Mountain Christian Church (RMCC) in Boulder Colorado, and also did a one-hour show on OK-SAFE’s American in the Balance Internet radio explaining how important this case was to the freedom of churches all across America, and how critical it was that the Supreme Court not hear this case.

The good news is that the Supreme Court has declined to hear the case.

The reason that I did not want RMCC’s case heard is simple. Since the addition of two liberal judges, I felt that there was a more than likely chance that the RLUIPA (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act) would be declared unconstitutional, leaving hundreds of churches unprotected from being unfairly treated with onerous zoning codes. 

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Maybe Churches Should Brag About Helping Communities 

There is one thing that I can think of that churches are really lousy at doing and that’s bragging. Remember that old saying, “it ain’t braggin’ if it’s the truth?”

In last week’s article, I wrote about the growing trend to demonize churches as being a burden on society. It doesn’t take much of a Google search to turn up complaints against churches and more than a strong suggestion that churches aren’t paying their fair share of their burden on society because they don’t pay property or income taxes. And that is leading to some real discrimination against churches. 

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Tax Exempt Status is Making Churches a Target for Cities

If it weren’t bad enough that many cities in America are plowing ahead with new zoning codes that promote - or even enforce - high density development that are very unfriendly to churches, now churches are being attacked because they are tax-exempt.

Cities have been in financial trouble for several years due to the current recession. When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, Congress created laws that allowed municipalities to declare bankruptcy, which eventually evolved into the current Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Since the time that the laws were first enacted, about 500 municipalities have declared bankruptcy.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Tulsa Beacon Adventure Passion Play are 2011 Goals

At the close of 2010, I am in my tenth year of writing for the Tulsa Beacon, and I hope that Charley Biggs, who is a good friend and a great editor, will continue printing it for many years to come.

Most of my readers know very little about me because, to be frank, I intend it to be that way. I don’t share much about my family because we want our privacy. But I thought I might at least share a few things with my readers, and perhaps that may help them understand why I continue to write for the Beacon.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Understanding the Love of the Father Son and Holy Spirit

“In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make.” (John 1:1-3 NLT)

The Word is who the apostle Paul spoke about in Romans 1:20 (NLT) when he said:
“From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.”

Could Paul have possibly understood how utterly profound his statement was, when the sky contains an estimated 100 billion galaxies, each with billions of stars? Or that our bodies are composed of highly complex DNA, genes and chromosomes, the blueprint of our humanness? Or that scientists consistently discover more and more things in the universe that exhibit a perfect mathematical precision?

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

December 16, 2010

In The

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

December 9, 2010

In The

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

December 2, 2010

In The

What urban planners have not even considered, however, is the kind of population growth that is occurring, and what the demographics may actually be in twenty to thirty years. It is astounding that they have yet to realize how the existing cultural evolution to Islam will dramatically change their demographic models.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

November 24, 2010

In The

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

November 18, 2010

In The

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

To my knowledge, since its passage in 2000, it has been challenged and largely upheld by a number of lower courts, and it has been extremely valuable to churches that have been discriminated against in zoning cases.

However, I believe that if it reaches the Supreme Court, it will likely be declared unconstitutional. There is precedent to that suspicion. Most people don’t realize that the RLUIPA was a result of the voiding of a similar law, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA).

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

November 4, 2010

In The

Rocky Mountain Christian Church Wills Zoning Conflict

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

October 28, 2010

In The

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

October 21, 2010

In The

Our Future Growth May in Suburbs, Not in Central Cities

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

October 14, 2010

In The

Urban Planners Have a Problem Thinking Outside the Box

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

October 7, 2010

In The

GOPs’ Pledge to America Ignores the Property Rights’ Issue

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

September 30, 2010

In The

Immanuel Baptist in Skiatook Celebrates its New Sanctuary

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

September 23, 2010

In The

If Everything is About ‘Me’, our Republic is in Jeopardy

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

September 15, 2010

In The

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

September 9, 2010

In The

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

September 2, 2010

In The

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

As such, a church building is a powerful expression of freedom of religion and because most people are familiar with the symbol of the cross, they get the message that Jesus died for us, even if they don’t totally understand why. We are free, at least for now, to place crosses on our churches.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

What Happens Now That PlaniTulsa Has Been Passed?

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Ground Zero Mosque Sends the Wrong Message to USA 

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Last week on Fox News, a commentator was interviewing a man from the Freedom From Religion Foundation who said that it was not true that America was founded as a Christian nation. He was either lying or completely ignorant of the facts.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

Not that things aren’t insane enough as it is, and in the world of zoning and land regulation, things don’t get much nuttier than on the east coast.

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY

It’s Time to Take Back the Christian Heritage of America

RANDY BRIGHT            COMMENTARY