Posted on 08/13/2014 1:30:25 PM PDT by Morgana
A half-dozen strippers paraded topless outside a rural Ohio church as its parishioners entered and exited this Sunday as a counterprotest to the church's efforts to close their business.
A total of 30 dancers, friends, fellow employees, and strip industry executives gathered outside New Beginnings Ministries in Warsaw, Ohio, on Sunday, the second week the sex workers protested the evangelical church's strong moral stance.
The church, which has about 125 members in a city of 700, has protested the Foxhole North, located just nine miles down the road from its sanctuary, for years.
Thomas George who owns that location and the Foxhole South in the southeastern Ohio city of Zanesville, tried to get a legal injunction that would prevent church members from protesting within one mile of his business.
The evangelical church regularly holds prayer vigils outside the tiny, nondescript club, offering its employees God's love and a better life. Pastor Bill Dunfee said he regularly spoke with strippers. “I told them I will put a roof over their heads, their bills will be paid and their children’s stomachs will be full,” he said.
He added that at least one employee has left the industry as a result of his church's outreach.
But George told the Coshocton Tribune that the protestors' behavior was “not Christian-like, not what I read in my Bible.”
The previous weekend, about 14 people protested outside the Warsaw church. Dunfee told the Zanesville Times Recorder at that time that one dancer exposed herself to a woman who belongs to his fellowship.
The business faced no fines, since courts have interpreted Ohio statutory law as allowing men and women to go topless, requiring only that the lower half of their bodies be covered. Advertisement
This weekend, the church instructed its members - especially women and children - to come through the back entrance, behind a tarp that shielded them from the topless protesters.
As the bare-chested women marched down the sidewalk in front of the church, strategically raising and lowering their signs, members of the church sang "Amazing Grace" and marched backwards in front of them, holding up signs that blocked their breasts from public view. One of the church's signs said simply, "Lust is Sin."
Among those who took part in the latest protest is Greg Flaig, the executive director of Owners Coalition, a coalition of strip club owners which says its goal is to "improve the Adult business images in Ohio.”
The topless protests have been widely reported, stretching from the small Ohio town to the New York Daily News and USA Today.
The group's tactics are reminiscent of Femen, a group of women who protest topless, and often in a violent fashion, in favor of abortion-on-demand and homosexuality in Europe. The Ukrainian-based organization was first led by Viktor Svyatski, who hand-picked the most attractive women for maximum propaganda effect.
Its members attacked the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela, in February, pelting him with – in their words – “a rain of panties soaked with the blood of our illegal abortions.”
The bare-breasted women also assaulted the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium, Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard, last April over his views of homosexuality. Archbishop Leonard humbly knelt and prayed as the angry activists doused him with water.
Dunfee has vowed not to back down, instead saying he will address the protests during Sunday School next week. The protests are “shameful,” he said, and only serve to strengthen his ministry and his efforts to stop the sex industry's inroads in Ohio. Advertisement
"But George told the Coshocton Tribune that the protestors' behavior was “not Christian-like, not what I read in my Bible.”"
Not in his Bible? So what is the "Christian" thing to do in order to help these women?
The same folks used to protest outside my church on Sundays. They weren’t naked but almost. Our pastor took out bottles of cold water to them and they didnt stick around long.
I hope they were at least a little better than the topless protestors at the open carry rally in Austin. Then again, maybe a little tolerance is in order. :>}
Appearantly it is to stuff dollar bills in thier shorts.
Wonder what version of the Bible the strip club owner has that approves of topless dancing? It’s not in my Bible.
***ANTHONY COMSTOCK PING***
This is a new low....even for them.
It sure is not in my Bible!!
Great article but I must say a picture would better.
“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.” Proverbs 25:21-22
I guess it works. ;)
"Just" nine miles? Sounds like these busybodies have way too much time on their hands. Then they wonder why non-religious people are hostile to Christians. I suggest they mind their own business.
“Appearantly it is to stuff dollar bills in thier shorts. “
I was afraid someone would give that answer.
It’s what they want. Those poor women too, being exploited.
giving it away for FREE
“Oh yeah, there were all those strip clubs set up in the Bible /idiot”
Post of the day dude!!
Hopefully none the men in the church were recognized by the strippers.
I’ve never understood the attraction of these clubs (I’m a very straight guy). I went to one once out of curiosity. The dancers looked bored, the place was kind of grimy and dingy and nobody looked like they were enjoying themselves. I stayed about half an hour and never felt the desire to go to one again.
So, if you open a strip club you pay the strippers, but if you don’t want to pay you open a . . . . .
Yup.
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