Government targets 'Jesus' sign

World Net Daily ^ | May 25, 2003 | World Net Daily

[milan]

A borough government in Pennsylvania says freedom of speech does not extend to a man's large "Jesus is Lord" sign, threatening the man with jail time if he doesn't remove it, reports the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat.

[ladyinred]

If you go to the link you will see a picture of the man and the sign.

[milan]

Interesting brief history of ACLU.

[milan]

There's more.

[Eccl 10:2]

While I admire the man's courage, letting the world know what he believes (BTW, bumper stickers are great, T-Shirts are cool, I wear a WWJD band 24/7), I disagree with breaking the law to do so.

Now let me tell YOU a little story. I have several non-believing friends and relatives who have repeatedly told me that while the Bible is full of wonderful teachings, one of the main stumbling blocks to their believing is the obnoxious way they get witnessed to, signs like this being one of them.

We are supposed to be imitators of Christ (1 Cor 11:1). Nowhere in Scripture did Christ do anything like this.

You may have been influenced to some small degree by signs like this. Praise the Lord! But where is the love in this witness? Countless people have also been driven away from Christ by "ministries" like this.

Again, better he would have taken his money and time and quietly done the Lord's work without all the fanfare.

How dare I, indeed.

[aiquile]

Well said!

[TommyDale]

"... According to the paper, the red, flashing neon letters are three and a half feet high and stretch nearly 100 feet across the building.">/i>

Anyone looking at the picture would know that the newspaper is lying about the width. 30 feet maybe, but why does the reporter feel it is necessary to lie about the "100 feet"?

[TommyDale]

</i> Italics off.

[Kay Ludlow]

The Bedford Historical Society has greatly eroded PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS in our town. They are also an unelected tyrannical group that is largely responsible for the local economic problems.

Yup. What country was that, that made so much use of citizens committees to make plans for everybodies lives? I think it started with USS...

All this cry for citizen's advisory groups to tell elected officials what to do is just a way of getting around the fact that American voters DO NOT vote for communism or socialism. We want decisions made by people we can throw out of office, not by petty dictators who are afraid of facing the election polls. It's all about control, not about history, or open space, or the environment - it's about who controls the means of production (of which property is a big part).

[gdc61]

sounds like you live in bedford. it such a beautiful place its a shame to see this crap starting to show up. just like the under 21 dance club that was in that same building until a few months ago, caused alot of trouble then just disappeared....its a shame cuz "it was for the kids"..;)

[halfdome]

Would you be so amenable if your neighbor put up a 30 foot high, 100 foot long neon sign saying "George Bush lost the election", or "Allah Akbar"? After all, a lot of people believe those statements.

[kuma]

I was thinking of passing this information on along to my pastor and some other town churches. I'm not sure how many locals actually even know this is going on.

Not everyone who moves here has intentions to "change Bedford for the better" but even with many of the same school officials still in place the public schools have changed alot too.

This coming school year my husband and I are going to try homeschooling. I'll be in charge of Monday and Friday with him taking care of Tuesday thru Thursday.

It might work out it might not, but with some of the new public school administrators I was disappointed with how much my sons have been coming home spewing politically correct garbage. They are honor roll students and deserve better than indoctrination.

Also they now do random class selection that puts them in the same classrooms as children that learn faster or slower than them. The results? More difficulty for the teacher. Fast students end up bored and in trouble because of the time needed for slow students. Slow students end up rushed and confused because you have to move on for the fast students. The children in the middle, my sons, just get shuffled in the deck.

[SendShaqtoIraq]

"Romans 13:1 says: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

Saddam was the authority in Iraq. Do you really think God established HIM?

[gdc61]

i live in johnstown now, but my mom lives right behind the high school. i grew up in manns choice. i went to see my mom just today and went out to "bill and freds" for ice cream and got a good look at the sign. i think its cool! are you or your husband from the bedford area?

[nmh]

I take it you wish to have a conversation with yourself. I lack the time you have for playing childish games.

[gdc61]

the sign is not 30ft high or 100 ft long the individual letters are approx 3ft high and says "jesus is lord" i just drove by it tonight and its cool.

[breakem]

"prohibiting flashing signs."

I thought raincoats were a sign of flashing.

[kuma]

I'm from Bedford and so are my parents, grandparents, great grandparents etc....some of those original settlers from the 1700's. Alas! Not any of the ones with money.

Anyway, I met my husband in the Army. He's from Southern California. We lived their for a year and decided to come back to Bedford for many of the same reasons (public schools) that I've stated on this thread. Not that I was disillusioned that this town is perfect just easier to deal with.

I have relatives in Manns Choice ^_^! My parents live right outside of town a few blocks down from the Fairgrounds. We live right on the town square. I don't have to walk very far for the Fall Foliage Festival. Right down the steps and out the front door. On top of all that my landlord is one of the local commissioners.

Fun meeting someone from the area!

My husband just got home from work and stated that our pastor was talking about this on Sunday. It would be exciting if we could get something going on this. If there is anything legal in his favor and we do get something successfully going I'll be sure to let everyone know. I contend it is a private property issue and since the building isn't historical I can't see how the rules apply.

LOL! Local gubermint would be blown away by a FReep. Some of these people probably object to the sign because they practically believe they are Lord.

[Bellflower]

I don't think the sign is obnoxious at all, even apart from content. Are you sure you just don't like the content? On a building like his it looks "normal". And by the way the content is the greatest.

[Bellflower]

I live in Madison, WI and on "Willy" Street people paint huge nasty looking signs on their buildings and have had all kinds of wierd things displayed over the years. It really doesn't bother me much either. I am glad for free speech. Often it is laughable. We decided if they could use free speech for silliness we could use ours for good. We have an 8 ft. cross with two scripture signs in our yard. One says, JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE AND NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME. JOHN 14:6 and also another one that says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16. There is a rock garden with beautiful flowers in front of the cross. Also a flag is flying that says Jesus Saves. We love it all. We have expressed ourselves for years now with little problem and many expressions of gratitude for the encouragement many have recieved from our efforts.
Galations 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

[Bellflower]

I live in Madison, WI and on "Willy" Street people paint huge nasty looking signs on their buildings and have had all kinds of wierd things displayed over the years. It really doesn't bother me much either. I am glad for free speech. Often it is laughable. We decided if they could use free speech for silliness we could use ours for good. We have an 8 ft. cross with two scripture signs in our yard. One says, JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE AND NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME. JOHN 14:6 and also another one that says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16. There is a rock garden with beautiful flowers in front of the cross. Also a flag is flying that says Jesus Saves. We love it all. We have expressed ourselves for years now with little problem and many expressions of gratitude for the encouragement many have recieved from our efforts.
Galations 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.