California veterans home threatens to expel 84-year-old widow for leading Bible study group

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,704
3,649
113
#1
An 84-year-old widow claims California officials are threatening to kick her out of a residence for veterans if she doesn't stop hosting a longtime Bible study.
Artis Breau and her husband moved to the Veterans' Home of California in Yountville nine years ago. Breau's husband, who died a few years ago, served as a Merchant Marine, Army, in World War II and then, during the Korean War he served in the Air Force. The two met in the 1950s while she worked at the Pentagon as a civilian employee in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army.

She has been volunteering with the chaplaincy program and led Bible studies much of the last decade at an area of the residence known as the Holderman Building, which is a shared space for residents of the home. Recently, the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) notified Breau that she would face "involuntary discharge," or expulsion, from the home if she doesn't give up her status as a volunteer Bible study leader.

"This shocking attack from the state against our client's exercise of religious convictions is deeply disturbing," said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), the firm representing Breau. "The state seeks to punish Artis based on non-existent directives, and deprive her of a personal ministry to the veterans who have benefited from her religious services for years. Artis isn't fighting just for herself, but for the Gospel and for the residents who are unable to fight for themselves against the state's attempted intimidation."

Breau came under fire for a discussion she had last September with another resident about heaven and hell that allegedly caused the man to lose sleep and was deemed "elder abuse, emotional abuse, and otherwise illegal," according to PJI.
In December, the veterans home notified Breau that her volunteer status was being suspended indefinitely due to an ongoing investigation. She said she has not had an interview scheduled with CalVet officials about the alleged complaint.

Until last week, she was allowed to continue to lead the Bible study for some of CalVet's most elderly and mobility-challenged residents who have a hard time attending chapel services.
But on Friday, a CalVet attorney threatened Breau with expulsion if she didn't stop offering the voluntary Bible studies. The attorney claims the decision was for the "health and wellbeing" of the residents.

"The safety, security, and wellbeing of all of our residents is our top priority. We are very proud of the religious services provided to all of our residents through our chaplaincy services. This investigation concerns the private conduct of an individual. Beyond that, we are unable to comment on an ongoing investigation," Lindsey Sin, deputy secretary of Women Veterans Affairs at CalVet, said in a statement.

Breau is an Evangelical Jew and believes in Jesus. She told PJI she believes people have an issue with her religious beliefs.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/californ...ow-from-veterans-home-for-leading-bible-study
 

JosephsDreams

Senior Member
Dec 31, 2015
4,313
467
83
#2
Nothing surprises me anymore. Just saddened as to where this country (and generally the world) is headed.
Tough days ahead for young Christians. Maybe even older ones too, as the days of persecution due to our love of Christ in the USA are coming.
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
5,928
685
113
#3
Maybe she could hold a bible study at Fox "News".
 

mar09

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2014
4,927
1,259
113
#4
This is really disturbing. At the same time, it makes us think how faithful we ought to be in obeying the Lord too. I wonder how long the Lord will allow each of us to serve Him here, and just ask He enables us as we also strive to be faithful to Him.
 

PennEd

Senior Member
Apr 22, 2013
12,822
8,596
113
#5
We are to submit to governing authorities. However, Scripture gives us a very clear example, strikingly similar to this old woman's, when the Jerusalem council kept threatening and beating the Apostles for preaching the Word. Of course we know they refused and continued to preach Jesus and the Gospel.

In a warped way, it's kind of exciting to see the end draw near with more and more abuse towards Christians.
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,261
2,386
113
#6
If the bible studies are voluntary, and she hasn't done anything weird to violate any particular policies... then she probably has grounds for a lawsuit.

I don't think anyone anywhere can be kicked out of an apartment because another resident CHOSE to have a VOLUNTARY discussion, and then didn't like your views.

...
 
S

Susanna

Guest
#7
I don't think anyone anywhere can be kicked out of an apartment because another resident CHOSE to have a VOLUNTARY discussion, and then didn't like your views.

...
Well, I have seen that sort of behavior here at CC lol.
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,261
2,386
113
#8
Well, I have seen that sort of behavior here at CC lol.
CC isn't an apartment.

CC is a forum, which is known, and understood, to exist solely to foster Christian views and Christian fellowship.
If someone gets kicked out of a PRIVATE CHRISTIAN FORUM, for proposing non-Christian ideas which are AGAINST THE POLICIES OF THE SITE, and AGAINST THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE SITE... that has absolutely nothing to do with an old lady getting kicked out of her apartment for doing something completely within her rights at that apartment.

Furthermore, no one is going to be homeless for getting kicked off an internet forum.


Apple are not oranges... nor shall they ever be.

...
 
A

AuntieAnt

Guest
#9
Hmmmm.... let's see. You cannot discriminate against race, gender, age, or any religion that is anti-Christian. But Christianity you CAN discriminate against? That's not liberty and justice for "all". I pray the Lord put it on the heart of a smart attorney to take this case.
 
S

Susanna

Guest
#10
CC isn't an apartment.

CC is a forum, which is known, and understood, to exist solely to foster Christian views and Christian fellowship.
If someone gets kicked out of a PRIVATE CHRISTIAN FORUM, for proposing non-Christian ideas which are AGAINST THE POLICIES OF THE SITE, and AGAINST THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE SITE... that has absolutely nothing to do with an old lady getting kicked out of her apartment for doing something completely within her rights at that apartment.

Furthermore, no one is going to be homeless for getting kicked off an internet forum.


Apple are not oranges... nor shall they ever be.

...
I’m talking about the situations where someone is calling for a ban when others don’t agree with them.
 

Zan

Member
Mar 15, 2019
57
73
18
#11
Insofar as people still have a right to their religion, I would imagine that cooler heads will prevail. She just needs lawyers who are fluent on the issue and willing to organize the case into something digestible along those lines.

As for the old man losing sleep over a conversation constituting "elder abuse," unless she was harassing him, I don't think that holds any water.
 

Bingo

Well-known member
Feb 9, 2019
8,285
4,386
113
#12
"Is not spiritual equilibrium out of balance with opposing worldly 'events'.
Harmony of the two are indispensable......but has it not been told of the 'adversary'
to be a world destroyer...are not God's 'words' indisputable."
'Praise God'
 

Attachments

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,261
2,386
113
#13
I’m talking about the situations where someone is calling for a ban when others don’t agree with them.

This has nothing to do with the topic.

This has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

People disagreeing on a Christian forum has nothing to do with the Department of Veterans Affairs kicking a woman out of her home.
Apples and oranges.

And someone on CC "calling for a ban" isn't even a thing.

No one on CC has any authority except the mods.
No one can "call for a ban".

You can't even DISCUSS someone's ban after they've been banned.
People have been banned for just talking about bans.

No one has any authority here except the mods.


TO CLARIFY:

A. In one situation, we have people with actual authority to make a person homeless, and no legal right to do so, trying to kick a woman out of her home.
B. In the other situation, we have people on a Christian forum, with no authority to do anything, and certainly no authority to actually harm anyone, simply disagreeing and being obnoxious.

These two situations have NOTHING to do with each other.

It seems you're just trying to drag CC into a political conversation because you don't like certain people, and you just want to complain.

Very Christian.

...
 
S

Susanna

Guest
#14
This has nothing to do with the topic.

This has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

People disagreeing on a Christian forum has nothing to do with the Department of Veterans Affairs kicking a woman out of her home.
Apples and oranges.

And someone on CC "calling for a ban" isn't even a thing.

No one on CC has any authority except the mods.
No one can "call for a ban".

You can't even DISCUSS someone's ban after they've been banned.
People have been banned for just talking about bans.

No one has any authority here except the mods.


TO CLARIFY:

A. In one situation, we have people with actual authority to make a person homeless, and no legal right to do so, trying to kick a woman out of her home.
B. In the other situation, we have people on a Christian forum, with no authority to do anything, and certainly no authority to actually harm anyone, simply disagreeing and being obnoxious.

These two situations have NOTHING to do with each other.

It seems you're just trying to drag CC into a political conversation because you don't like certain people, and you just want to complain.

Very Christian.

...
I’m sorry Mr. Maxwel, but your response is difficult to take seriously. You’re assuming a lot of things, and you’re downright making false accusations. In short, you’re trying to commit a character assassination. I will not accept such behavior.