[Guillermo]

I wonder if the "offended" persons were of the Mohammedan persuasion...

Probably.

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - SECULARIZATION OF AMERICA ALERT!

[F16Fighter]

One step closer to CWII.

[Puddleglum]

But officials at the Falmouth Waterfront Park...

How many officials does the park have, anyway? Why don't they just admit it was one uneducated "I'm-in-touch-with-nature" park ranger's assistant who got a bee in her or his bonnet about Gaia being so desecrated? That's my guess. Christians just don't appreciate nature, ya see.

[Havoc]

People are shocked that the world hates Christ and his followers. LOL. People don't even want the slightest inference of God to remind them that they are responsible for their actions. Their parents didn't, their government doesn't, who is God... (/sarcasm).

Just think, if it were handled like free trade, some here would just say "get over it, it ain't your religion".

[Auntie Dem]

It's a good thing this subversive group of Christians didn't try to announce their "Call to Baptism" over a public loudspeaker system, or they'd be in really BIG trouble, and the unbiased ACLU could no longer support them. Oh, wait....

[mlmr]

Mahoney's group has threatened to file a lawsuit if the park refuses to allow future gatherings by religious groups, something for which the park admits it has no written policy.

Dont threaten Mahoney....do it. And get lots of monies from these crumbs and cripple them financially.

[LanaTurnerOverdrive]

But park officials said religious groups seeking to perform a service in the park still need to apply for a permit or else gather under a shelter or inside

If that is true then this ceremony is cut-and-dry illegal. Now, if they apply for a permit and are denied....then we have a problem.

[vigilo]

Where did this 'right to not be offended' come from? It seems that this mythical 'right' is being used more and more to suppress and oppress people. And it seems to be used most often by low level bureaucrats in situations where no one complained about anything.

[Rytwyng]

What we try to discourage is anything not formally permitted that just sort of occurs spontaneously

The credo of a tyrant.

[CurlyDave]

I bet if it was some sort of pagan moose-limb water dunking ceremony it would be A-OK with the park.

[Sloth]

Acts 8

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"

Then Philip opened his mouth, saying, "Ye shall apply for a permit from the local authorities, for spontaneous baptisms are not allowed. Do not forget thy Ethiopian identification papers."

[RFEngineer]

This is the same area where so many illegal aliens have drown in recent years (almost always alcohol related) that they had to put up signs in spanish.

[Polybius]

"What we try to discourage is anything not formally permitted that just sort of occurs spontaneously."

The difference between America and totalitarian countries is that Americans may do anything that is not specifically prohibited while citizens of totalitarian countries may only do those things that are specifically allowed.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

I was baptized in a local creek under a wooden covered bridge. The creek, known as Sandy Creek had even taken on the name of Sandy Baptist Creek because that is where local churches held their baptisms.

It's a park now because of the bridge, I wonder if any of the churches still baptize there?

[Sir_Ed]

""We don't want to tread on anybody's First Amendment or constitutional rights,"..."What we try to discourage is anything not formally permitted that just sort of occurs spontaneously."

Like throwing a frisbee?

Tossing a baseball around?

Playing scrabble?

God save us from pin-headed tyrants like this jackass...

Ed