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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 19970
[Legal]
Date Posted:
8/29/2008
12:59:04 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 4,511
RSS: 14,228
Comments: 15
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Neighbors At Odds Over Use Of House
Author: Dom Cosentino Source: The Intelligencer (PA)
Title: NEIGHBORS AT ODDS OVER USE OF HOUSE
Rick Fire says he is a family man, a licensed social worker and counselor who is also an ordained minister. He wants to see clients on a limited basis at his Warminster home, and he has gone through the proper zoning processes as required by law to get that done.
Some of Fire's neighbors, however, say they were not made aware of Fire's intentions to offer grief counseling at the house, which sits at the corner of Street and Lowell roads, at the entrance to the Wellesley Hills subdivision. But they're also concerned by information they found on the Internet that seems to link Fire to groups involved in paganism, witchcraft and various alternative sexual lifestyles.
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Community Thoughts: There are 15 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| The Fact That... | Aug 30th. at 4:05:03 pm EDT
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Corax (Glendale, Arizona) - Email Me
NONE of the opposing neighbors had the "decency" (I would have used the word 'bravery') to approach him about their concerns absolutely INVALIDATES their objections. If you have a beef with someone, have the guts to speak to him about it face-to-face, instead of hiding behind some excuse like "policy" or 'zoning laws', etc. and vaguely worded 'concerns' about children's "safety". If Mr. Fire had any intention at all about doing "bad" things, he would have just gone ahead and done them WITHOUT bothering to do the right thing by notifying the appropriate authorities. Also, it is clear to me that this has less to do with having emotionally challenged people in the neighborhood, and far more to do with the (Pagan) context within which Mr. Fire desires to offer his help to these same people.
This is just another case of uninformed, brainwashed, voluntarily ignorant people freaking out over nothing at all. I have NO DOUBT that if Mr. Fire had billed himself as a fundy or other mainstream xian, there would have been NO PROBLEM whatsoever.
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| Would I Feel Safe? | Aug 30th. at 9:37:51 am EDT
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Ariel Moonshadow (Park City, Illinois) - Email Me
Yeah....because I'm not a fool and neither are mostof this man's neighbors. If someone told me that he wanted to hold grief counseling sessions at his home, as long as he doesn't tie up traffic a la Martha Stewart, I wouldn't care. I did look up the Village of Radikal Healing and the link takes you directly to the Ecumenicon website, which seems to have a lot to offer everyone. However, there isn't anything about this VIllage on the website. This all comes off as a tempest in a teapot. If Mr. Fire is offering COUNSELING as opposed to PRACTICING ON OTHER PEOPLE (possibly unwitting souls) , then what difference does it make? I do like the township solicitor's statement that they can't take anticipatory action based on what MIGHT or MIGHT NOT happen.
This really sounds like someone has a bone to pick with Rick and is too much of a coward to discus it with him, as usual. Also, there isn't anything in this article that indicates that Mr. Fire has been forcing people to follow his spiritual path.
Don't you just LOVE fear mongering?
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| Missing The Real Issue Here... | Aug 30th. at 1:05:43 am EDT
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Wolfspeaker (Irving, Texas) - Email Me
Did any one notice that no one actually knew about the paganism and sexual identity counceling until they found out about the zoning? They claim to be worried about their children, but he went this long without bothering anyone, so obviously he's not handing out pamphlets to convert their kids. AND he did say he would not be counseling "those kinds of people" at home. *rolls eyes*
If they honestly want their street to be purely residential because they don't want any home run businesses, fine. Fair enough. But don't make paganism and transgenderism the issue it when it isn't even involved.
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| Huh??? | Aug 29th. at 10:38:12 pm EDT
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Silver Faery (Hays, Kansas) - Email Me
I live in a small town as it is, and none of my neighbors have any issues of what happens there as long as they are not involved. Would I feel safe with my kids in front of his house...yes I would. At least I know there isn't a person that would hate them for not being what everyone else considers normal. Now mind you, my kids are both Christian right now and it doesn't faze them that mom and dad aren't. But if I find out their church tells them either of us are going to hell for our beliefs...I will have them pulled out in a heart beat.
People look for trouble no matter where they are at, especially if they dont' understand the other person or people involved, it's human nature. The most we can hope for is for some understanding eventually (not holding my breath.)
Silver Faery
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| What Really Strikes Me As Funny | Aug 29th. at 9:45:00 pm EDT
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Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me
Is that he applied for a zoning variance to allow him to practice his profession - grief counseling - for 10 hours per month in his home.
If he really is a pagan of some sort, he can have a drumming circle, ceremonial Wiccan circle, or any other type of ritual he wants any time he wants because that is "social" activity and not "professional" activity.
His neighbors are not faulted for having christmas parties, haloween parties, easter egg hunts or prayer circles in their homes and none of these activities require any kind of permit and cannot be prevented by the government. Although I know a few people whose parties should be illegal - whoooee
drunks & fighting all over the place. Somehow, most of those folks are the good christian types.
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| Lol | Aug 29th. at 9:29:46 pm EDT
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Elistra (Lexington, Kentucky) - Email Me
"Waaah! When the law won't let me shove my views down other people's throats, it means I'm being persecuted! Waaaah!"
If they were too many developmental rungs lower on the latter, they'd be screeching and slinging poo at each other.
Just pathetic.
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| ... | Aug 29th. at 7:59:19 pm EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
Oh look, "xian love" strikes again.
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| Witches And Pagans And Gays, Oh My!!! | Aug 29th. at 6:08:38 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Sounds like to me that only one or two busy-body bible thumper types might truly be upset by this and are trying to trigger a groundswell of indignation about it.
What they may not know, is that their kids might be a lot safer in front of his house than in front of some churches.
If he went through proper procedures with the city to be permitted to offer counselling, and they allowed it, then they might not be able to do much legally, as they had a chance to check into it before hand-and didn't.
And knowing them, they probably did receive notification about it, but trashed the memos.
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| Personal Vendetta. | Aug 29th. at 6:02:29 pm EDT
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Gypsy Lady (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
It sounds to me like one of the said neighbors went out of their way to find informatiom on Mr.Fire. And in my personal opinion, that usually happens when someone is carrying a grudge against you.
Mr. Fire has stated that he's only doing grief counselling, that is what he applied to the zoning board for. So, for someone to go looking up information to use against him, it looks like a vendetta.
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| Alternitive Lifestyles... Noooooooo! | Aug 29th. at 5:42:14 pm EDT
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Blue Fox (Toronto (Etobicoke) , Ontario) - Email Me
I fail to see what business it is of other people to b*itch and moan about who someone choosesto have in their own home or business. I didn't think people could be zoned?
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| As My Role Model Bugs Would Say.. | Aug 29th. at 2:49:28 pm EDT
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WitchPoet (Claremont, California) - Email Me - Web
What a bunch of maroons!
They have a tiny chance of fighting the zoning by saying they had no notice then blow it completely out of the water by jumping firmly onto an unconstitutional bandwagon of religious bigotry! And have the nerve to ask the council to join in their folly!! The city's lawer must have had a bad moment wondering if the fools would vote to do it! Luckily it seems this council is aware of the law and does not seem ready to be stampeded into a lawsuit they are bound to lose.
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| Feelings | Aug 29th. at 2:24:52 pm EDT
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Mysteries Child (Garfield, Arkansas) - Email Me
Would I feel safe with my daughter standing at the bus stop outside someone like that's home??
Well, I'd feel safer than I do living in a community where, despite my own best efforts at not taking anticipatory measures, I truly do believe she's going to have Hellfire and Jesus shoved down her throat-- not to mention find herself shunned by her peers, all126 of them-- if word ever gets out that Mommy is a Witch.
The world I'd feel safest in, frankly, is one where everyone bothers to get to know everyone else, without reactionary leaps of anticipatory judgment.
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| A Case Of Not In My Neighborhood | Aug 29th. at 1:57:16 pm EDT
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Dennis Deal (Nazareth, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
[Web LINK] It looks to be a solid orginzation that is trying to be as professional and ethical as it can. Another Pagan organization that is doing what a lot christians sometime accuse Pagans of not doing. Working in their communities for the benefit of all.
I'd be willing to bet that person that kicked this lil get witch hunt is a small minded person. who is only looking for trouble. found got a bunch of neighbors together showed enough info to upset them.
Bet this same person doesn't want his backer to talk to this Mr. Fire. Bet this person lives in fear of that circumstance happening.
I'll further be willing to bet some those backers are quietly talking to Mr.Fire to understand all this a little better.
This maybe buck County. Full rednecks and arsenals. trust me I live in county close to bucks and I have met more than few residents not shy about their Second Amendment rights..
But for all that once they understand man is only trying to make a living and is not some wild eye radical who is going to blow up a building. It will blow over. Besides 70 signatures is nothing to be worried about. 70 means there is not a ground swell of support and once people get to know Mr. Fire a lot of those signatures are going to have second thoughts..
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