‘Jesus saves’ reads the message marked out in tiles on the roof of a farmhouse in the countryside east of Rotterdam. The Dutch Council of State is unequivocal: it has to be removed.
Two years ago the local Giessenlanden council ruled that the message in massive white letters broke its rules on the appearance of buildings. The council ordered the farm’s evangelical owner, Joop van Ooijen, to remove the letters under penalty of a fine. Determined to stand up for his right to freedom of speech, Mr Van Ooijen appealed to the Council of State, which acts as an appeal court in disputes between citizens and government.
Watch Robert Chesal's February report on the 'Jesus saves' roof (article continues below):
Aesthetics
The appeal judge has now sided with the local authority’s committee that makes the rules on building aesthetics. The massive white letters are against the rules because they spoil the view. And the council is quite within its rights to enforce its rules on “extravagance in the appearance” of buildings.
The local council has always asserted that Mr Van Ooijen’s message had nothing to do with their decision. In fact, the local coalition includes executives from the Christian Democrats and the orthodox protestant SGP party. “Mr Van Ooijen knows very well that the content has nothing to do with it,” Mayor Els Boot told Dutch daily de Volkskrant. “There are two Christian parties in our executive. A lot of people here embrace the content of the text.”
The appeal court also stressed that the ruling had nothing to do with the content of Mr Van Ooijen’s message, but just its appearance. What’s more, they suggested he’d be welcome to keep the text as long as it was in a less striking colour or smaller letters.
Human rights
However, according to Mr Van Ooijen’s lawyer, the local council’s aesthetics committee would only be happy if the letters weren’t visible from the road. And, as far as Mr Van Ooijen is concerned, that would defeat the object: he wants to spread his evangelical message and save souls: “It’s the only question in life that matters,” he told de Volkskrant.
Mr Van Ooijen has no intention of taking the latest decision lying down. He’s now determined to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights. Today he can expect a letter from the local council ordering him to remove his evangelical message within six weeks. But as far as Mr Van Ooijen is concerned, ‘Jesus saves’ is here to stay.
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Dear Joop
Go on, we stand behind you.
Jesus saves!!!
Well, whenever the name of Jesus pops up demons pop up as well. That was the case in Paul's days and hasn't changed since then.
If this farmer would have written 'allah is great' or 'mohammed=great' it wouldn't have been a problem at all and the Dutch Government would have been happy to buy the paint for them.
Islam is no problem for satan, (muslems are already under his power and control and he knows they will go to hell unless they convert to Jesus Christ) but a living Faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that's what bothers him. They are the ones that escape from his claws.
satan doesn't mind religion as long as it is not living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
if mr van ooijen would rent a small airplane with a biilboard behind it advertising JESUS SAVES wouldthat be considered against any local or international law? It would not be any different that what he is doing now and a tolarable sign of good advertising. Keep the faith sir and more power to you.
YES!!! Jesus saves - that's for sure :))))))
YES!!! Jesus saves - that's for sure :))))))
Mr. Joop van Ooijen has the right to put anything on his property since it be not offensive to the public. What is here in issue is speech right. On his interview what called more attention was "Religion is on the head but relationship is on the heart. Go ahead mister Joop van Ooijen.
Do the concepts of property rights and individual rights to speech no longer figure into the lecturesome, benighted, lesson-giving heads of the Dutch?
You'll recall that the Netherlands was once a HAVEN for those whoe religion drew abuse from the state. How is this any different? Those tempted to utter (in Pavlovian fashion,) that such a ruling enforces the separation of church and state should be aware that all measures of that sort are for the protection of faiths FROM the state, not measure to contain religious opinion - as though religious opinion was magically different from all others.
In fact, this ruling is a precedent for the demolition of all churches in the Netherlands, when you think about it. What, after all, does a church represent? What would any carvings, mosaics, and sculptures on them say? Nothing that Joop van Ooijen's work barn doesn't say.
So start swinging that wreching ball, if that's what you really think. Whose core belief system is next?
Retry with "Allah ouakbar". It works.
Use less striking colors or smaller letters that is the solution suggested by the Appeals Court, which seems to be reasonable and in consonance with local ordinances.
As the article says, this is a planning/built environment issue, not a freedom of speech issue. I assume The Netherlands has strict laws on these matters, as we do in the UK, and I'm very pleased this is the case as I live in a pretty little country town in Somerset where almost of the buildings in our main shopping streets are 200+ years old and 'listed' (i.e. very strictly legally protected).
The Americans who have posted here already may not realise how different laws are in the EU are, and we want them to stay that way. We have branches of McDonalds here, but they're not allowed to construct a giant M outside.
'As the article says, this is a planning/built environment issue, not a freedom of speech issue."......Wrong my friend! If it was an were a "planning/built environment issue", the council would hold all accountable for the same violation. The farmer stated in stated in the one-sided, biased report that others in his area have markings on their roofs. For the farmer it is freedom of speech and he should have the same right as the person who put large letters stating "Coal" on his roof. It is more than "freedom of speech". It is the humanistic Europeans who have lost their moral compass and it the name "Jesus" that scares them. { You spoke of the UK as it was one big Somerset but if you take closer examination of the the UK, you will find it just the opposite.
Go out of Central Station in Amsterdam, look left and above a "bible" store you see a big JESUS SAVES sign in neon high on the building......I would love to see that disappear. Its so offensive.
"I would love to see that disappear. Its so offensive."............Don't look at the sign if it is "so offensive." One would think that a Jesus sign above a bible store would be correct but more especially in a perverted city like Amsterdam (Sodom's daughter).
I am an evangelical fundamentalist atheist, and even I support their freedom of expression, even thought they are delusional.
I am a confirmed atheist and yet I see no reason this should be banned. This man owns his barn and he should be able to do with it what he wants unless it is hate speech to encourage others to do harm to someone.
It bothers me when Evangelicals go to extremes to ban my free speech rights so I well know how this gentleman feels.
One must do what his or her conscience dictates.
Jesus may save, but The Pope invests. :0)
Mr. Blass, you might have verified Mr. Van Ooijen's statement that other buildings in the area had markings on the buildings. If is statement was true, you might have asked the council why it was not enforcing the code compliance on the others in the area? The truth might just be Mr. Van Ooijen is right. But one would never know without the facts, right?
Finally a crack in the Dutch Bible Belt!
A disdained as I am to all religious displays, I can't but think why? let it stay, it's not harming anyone.
O Lord, I beg you, show your grace and your mercy to your fearless witness from Giessenburg! Bring down your enemies, o Almighty! Wipe away, o Judge, their names from your lists of those who deserve your gifts, for they demand that the blessed name of Jesus Christ be wiped out! Leave their cursed seed rot amidst barren fields, o Master of heaven and earth! Forgive me, your sinful servant, for my anger and despair, o Love, o Compassion, o Protector of the weak, o Prosecutor of the wicked! For who wants to wipe out Jesus from our sight but those who would gladly crucify Him again? Mete out your holy justice to the godless, o God, whose glory dazzles us, your worthless creatures. Let no-one deter us from expressing our love to You by paying homage to the blessed name of Jesus Christ, the Lamb, the Messiah, the Saviour!
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