Dean Left Episcopal Church Over Bike Path?

The Washington Post ^ | September 21, 2003 | Dana Milbank

[ayoshida]

Conversion on the Bike Path

In India, many people consider cows to be sacred. In Vermont, they worship bicycles.

How else to explain this exchange between Dean and ABC News's George Stephanopoulos last Sunday, after Dean was asked if he was raised Roman Catholic.

"No, raised Episcopalian, and I ended up as a Congregationalist," Dean said.

Why did he become a Congregationalist?

"Because I had a big fight with a local Episcopal church about 25 years ago over the bike path. . . . We were trying to get the bike path built. They had control of a mile and a half of railroad bed, and they decided they would pursue a property right suit to refuse to allow the bike path to be developed."

[ayoshida]

Ummm... Anyone else hear this? I mean, come on.

[shrinkermd]

IMHO Dean is the most secular candidate running. He never refers to chance let alone the diety.

[JimVT]

"Because I had a big fight with a local Episcopal church about 25 years ago over the bike path.

He left the Episcopal church because of the above flap?

Sounds like a real DEEP commitment!

No doubt, half the Episcopalians in VT are thrilled over his "civil union" (call it gay marriage) crap.

And I have some ties to the Congregationalists in VT and his name has never arisen as an active participant.

[nothingnew]

Deano ain't "bonafide", but he is "Certifiable".

FMCDH

[JimVT]

ALL PEOPLE NAMED WILLIAM CREEL ARE UNINFORMED!

[squidly]

My now deceased grandfather left the Baptist church over a disagreement with the building committee and became a Presbyterian. Remained that way for fifteen years or so before becoming a Baptist again not long before his death.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[Dog]

Dana Milbank is a hack...... it strikes me as a hit piece.......ask yourself why would he write this ..

Someone put Milbank up to this article...

[alancarp]

Does this say more about Dean's committment to a religion, or more about Dean's feelings about personal property rights?

[AnAmericanMother]

My ggg grandfather left the Anglican church for actual philosophical reasons and became a Freethinker (scandalizing his Methodist wife). The kids and grandkids were Methodist, but my grandparents became Episcopalians again because the choir was better. Now here we are having to leave the Episcopal church over a gay bishop.

How weird is all that?

[I still care]

All serious churchgoers have stories about people like this --think of all the people you know that left a church because they were mad at somebody or couldn't get their way on something.

Now think of what you thought of their character.

Now think of Howard Dean.

[Masked Conservative]

Didn't a team of Republican activists go through the Vermont public records about a month ago? Is this all they came up with???

Come of folks...this Dean idiot must NOT get the nomination. He's scarier than Hillary! I hear his activists are the most militant Liberals in the party. This "Doctor" Dean is the Jack Kavorkian of our Republic.

[thoughtomator]

What's the problem with it? Dean is hardly a threat to actually become President. He's too left-wing for half of the Democrat party, he's get Mondaled in the general election.

[Vermonter]

I've looked into the past, most Congregationalists failed to score about an ACU average of 20.

And in Jefford's case, failed to show an IQ above 20.

[huck von finn]

All Congregationalists are RINOs, except for Coolidge, BTW, Congregationalists believes in religous socialism.

LOL!!!!!

We must try and remember that as we pray before the Thanksgiving meal and remember the socialist pilgrims. LOL!!!!

[muawiyah]

We are familiar with this phenomenon within the family (extended ~ really extended thankfully) although it usually involves moves back and forth between the Apostolic Charistmatic Church of the First born and the Dunkards.

Be that as it may, no doubt your grandfather thought he'd been putting his soul at risk long enough, eh?!

None of this is any kind of excuse for Dr. Dean, although I suspect the COTFB (Church of the First Born) could probably tame him ~ they use peyote for that purpose ordinarily.

[Calvin Locke]

Anyone else hear this?

Sort of. The story is much worse than a looney abandoning his church over some secular matter, unrelated to faith.

Dean made his name as a state rep over this bike path issue. The railroad bed land was being returned to the deeds
from which it was carved. Dean had other ideas. At least one deed holder challenged the Dean sponsored law and it wasn't until
roughly 2001, some 21 years later, that the USSC declared it to be unConstitutional under the takings clause.

BTB, the mayor of Burlington, VT, at the time was Bernie Sanders. He broke off negotiations with the property owners after Dean proposed his bill.

Dean's the new Ted Kennedy more than the press lets on, though I haven't heard anything about his consumption of alcohol.

Or any negatives about his bridge negotiation skills.

When Dean announced his bid, a local radio station reported as a positive, the achievement of the railroad/bike path.
Pity they forgot about it being overturned by the USSC. More the shame that it took 21 years.

[NutmegDevil]

This is from NRO's Corner: TELLING DEAN BIT… [Rich Lowry]
…from Al Hunt yesterday: "He left the Episcopal Church because it opposed a bike path in Burlington."
Posted at 02:10 PM - So, Al Hunt (that stellar journalist) has the same story. Must be true.