Here is another shot of the temple that I took the other day. The steeple here almost didn't get built, due to legal haglings in the Massachusetts courts. If I recall, the supreme court of Massachusetts overturned a previous ruling against the steeple on the grounds that the courts did not have the authority to judge whether or not the structure of a religious building was an essential part of the religion. Apparently, the zoning law in the neighborhood puts a cap on the height of the buildings that falls right at the base of the steeple, but religious structures are exempt if the part of the building in question is essential to the religion. There are a number of other churches in the immediate neighborhood of the temple with very high steeples. The prosecutors appealed to the US supreme court, but that court refused to take up the case, so construction of the steeple went ahead. By that time, the temple had already been dedicated and was in use. Since then, I'm not sure whether the locals have warmed up to the temple or not. I hope it hasn't been as contentious an issue as it was seven years ago.
2007-08-05 21:52:37 • 2 Comments • Categories: [Artistic Photography]  [Mormon Culture]  Boston_temple LDS_church sky temples
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