Conservative Christians have recently started investing time and effort to fight the government's power to seize property via eminent domain when done for the purpose of giving the property to private commercial interests. They have feared that churches, being tax exempt, would become easy targets. When they have the opportunity to seize something, though, they are only too happy.

The Boston Herald reports (via No More Mr. Nice Blog) that a high school radio station's frequency was given to a Christian organization:

Maynard High’s WAVM, which has been broadcasting from the school for 35 years, found itself in this David vs. Goliath battle when it applied to increase its transmitter signal from 10 to 250 watts. According to Magno, that “opens the floodgates for any other station to challenge the station’s license and take its frequency.”

Using a point scale that considers such factors as audience size, the FCC ruled the Christian broadcasting network the better applicant. WAVM is given 30 days to appeal, and has done so.

Granted, use of a particular frequency isn’t strictly speaking “property” and the high school didn’t own it, but there is an important principle here — or perhaps I should say hypocrisy. Conservative Christians shouldn’t fight the seizure of property for uses that are “better for the public” but then accept similar actions when they are the beneficiaries.

 

Read More:

• Religious Right
• Religious Right News