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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 21038
[Civil]
Date Posted:
8/13/2009
9:56:16 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 3,799
RSS: 22,038
Comments: 6
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Cape Beachgoers At Holy Crossroads
Author: Aaron Gouveia Source: Cape Cod Times (MA)
Title: CAPE BEACHGOERS AT HOLY CROSSROADS
Sunshine, sand and surf are Beach 101 in town. Even weddings and an occasional sunrise service. But a prayer station in the beach parking lot?
Earlier this month, selectmen voted 4-0 to allow volunteers from four Upper Cape churches to set up a prayer station in the Old Silver Beach parking lot.
The "prayer station" only takes up one parking space — from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day this week — but the selectmen's decision doesn't sit well with some beachgoers. Staffed with volunteers from Heritage Christian Church in East Falmouth, First Baptist Church of Pocasset, Falmouth Church of the Nazarene and Bay Community Alliance Church in Buzzards Bay, no preaching or solicitation is allowed. The volunteers can only talk to those who approach them. Still, the board's decision has drawn the ire of some residents who feel that a line in the sand, separating church and state, has been crossed.
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Community Thoughts: There are 6 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Content Neutral Free Speech Zone | Aug 16th. at 9:36:30 am EDT
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Terry (Irvington, Virginia) - Email Me
With this door opened, Falmouth had better accept the reality that they've just opened a content neutral free speech zone for any religious, political, arts, or similar person, group, or message, that anyone cares to request time and space to present.
It might be interesting to see what the small UU fellowship in that area would present, perhaps related to their coffeehouse program. There could be competition among naturist and nudist groups, who have divergent views on how much to act like secretive leper colonies, or civil rights activists. If the now approved Nazarene and Baptist factions are typical, other groups might well present on how that style of dogma is used as a de facto form of child abuse, where handing out free water could well be the only good thing they've done (despite any annoyed commercial interests) .
It could get very interesting if a diverse range of other groups prove Rob Boston right.
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| Sorry, | Aug 15th. at 1:37:13 pm EDT
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Thorin (Newaygo, Michigan) - Email Me
Sorry, but, these folk are taking up more than one spot. Their stuff is on 1 1/2 spaces, plus whatever car/truck they are driving will take up more. This is a clear violation of the seperation of Church & State. And, I am sure they are only talking to people who approach them......yeah......right! LOL
JMO
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| Mixed Feelings On This | Aug 14th. at 11:00:34 am EDT
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Sea Raven (New Haven, Connecticut) - Email Me
On the one hand, I don't see any harm in these people being there, as long as they stick to the rules and don't bother people who don't want to be bothered. If this were at my public beach, I would look at them funny but as long as they left me alone and didnt' try to harra....er.... evangelize at me, I'd be ok with it.
On the other hand, it looks to me like they're taking up nearly TWO spaces, not one, "prayer station," not to mention their own parking spaces. ARE they paying for these spaces? If so, leave them be. If not, they should pay up or pack up.
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| Let's Be Reasonable | Aug 13th. at 6:23:21 pm EDT
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Maome (Naples, New York) - Email Me
They should have to pay for each parking spot they occupy just like everyone else.
According to the article they are not allowed to speak to anyone unless that person approaches them.
While their presense may make some of us uncomfortable let's not be overly sensitive. If we objected to everyhthng we saw that we didn't like we would be spending way too much time protesting at the expense of more enjoyable pursuits. When they become obnoxious and stop abiding by the rules that is the time to object.
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| What A Mess | Aug 13th. at 4:28:52 pm EDT
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Twig (Orlando, Florida) - Email Me
Not only do they get a free parking spot to set up the prayer booth, but you can bet their own vehicles are taking up additonal spots -- and as the commentators to the article have said, parking is at a premium there, AND beachgoers have to pay for their parking spot.
Wrong, wrong, wrong on so many levels!
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| Well, | Aug 13th. at 10:46:20 am EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
In essence, they- did- have the tacit agreement of a government to be there--on public property. And while they were not actively chasing down people and harassing them, they did set out to proselytize. After all, why else would they be there, because one can bet that they were attempting to draw people to them any way they could-- within legal boundries-- of course. At least they got a permit.
While I do agree with free speech- even theirs, I also know that the true aim for these folk is to try to take advantage of any loophole they can in order to pass the "good word" along to those who often wish they would find something a bit more productive to do besides bother them.
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