Christian Youth Foundation in Dordrecht Accuses Local Government of Anti-Christian Repression
A Christian foundation for working with youth surprisingly lost its license to serve coffee and soda on the grounds that the youth centre was a gastronomical enterprise running on deficit and other permits would be necessary for non-profit activities. This was perceived as a governmental anti-Christian repression and is now debated in court.
In March 2013 the Christian Dordrecht Evangelism Foundation (SDE) went to court to restore its license to serve coffee and soda. A few years ago the SDE had renovated an obsolete building close to their church and turned it into a recreational center run by volunteers. The place was planned as a space for coffee and prayer, especially for the Christian youth as an alternative to pubs and bars and worked successfully. In 2012 local authority had their license to serve drinks revoked, claiming that their (loss-making) serving of drinks was a professional gastronomical activity, which was not allowed, instead of a sales of coffee to support community activities. The latter is allowed under Dutch law and for this the SDE had possessed its (now revoked) permit. Council officials were very sharp controlling the organisation and even send police when young people were together in a morning-prayer on the premise that it was ‘a party’. The SDE then took the case to court.Source: http://www.refdag.nl/nieuws/binnenland/stichting_dordtse_evangelisatie_naar_de_rechter_1_725117