Posted on 11/28/2001 5:56:58 AM PST by Cagey
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Reuters) - A Kansas retreat that caters to witches and pagan rituals is fighting for survival amid community talk that naked witches may be weaving magical spells in the moonlight.
The owners of the Gaea Retreat Center, a 168-acre camp west of Kansas City that is home to such annual events as the Gaea Goddess Gathering and a "Heartland Pagan Spiritual event" filed suit on Monday in Leavenworth County District Court after county commissioners effectively put the retreat out of business by denying it a renewal of its land use permit.
"They say they're afraid of us, what we do here, the sound of drums. ... They don't know how lucky they are to have us as their neighbors," caretaker Wanda Roths said. "We're very quiet, very peaceful. There has never been any trouble out here."
The Leavenworth County commissioners denied the renewal for the permit, issued six years ago, in late October after a community petition raised accusations that the retreat fostered public nudity, pedophilia, and illegal drug and alcohol use. Neighbors also expressed concern about devil worship.
The suit claims the commissioners' denial is illegal and unconstitutional, as well as violating laws protecting freedom of religious expression and practice.
Lawyers for the county declined to comment.
The retreat denies any illegal activity, and county officials say there is no evidence of any.
Roths said there are "clothing optional" locations on the retreat grounds, and witches, Wiccans and other pagans do sometimes hold nighttime meetings around bonfires. But the retreat at times also attracts more traditional religious followers, she said.
Gaea, which means "Mother Earth," offers sanctuary to a variety of alternative religions and lifestyles, according to Roths. "We accept anybody," she said.
Before its current incarnation, the sprawling site was a church camp.
Psst. Only for now. I've read the end of the story. One day the rightful landlord opens the deed. On that day, look out!
Shalom.
WHAT?!?!?!? You're obviously wonkin' something other than the scripture.
I must've missed the part where Jesus said, "Y'all act stupid 'til I come back."
It is not, they are doing nothing illegal so they should have the right to keep on doing it. It is a perfect analogy which is why you won't touch it because you see my point now.
I have a major problem with these articles.
It is this: There is no mention of the fact that it is conservative Christians who tried to have the site shut down. Now, I presumed it was but then a question occurred to me: Has the press ever failed to mention when it was the 'right wing Christian Taliban' who was trying to do something vile and evil? No, they never miss the chance to denounce Biblical Christianity. Therefore, it must be absent because there was no religious implications in the town's efforts to shut the camp down.
That said, maybe the reason the town was so upset was because the witches were leaving the town alone instead of selling tickets to the dances.
It could be.
Shalom.
As I said earlier. Have you ever heard of the ACLU? Are you a Christian watching your God and Savior get thrown out of places where He used to be welcome and replaced with Darwin and Harry Potter? In one tiny instance Harry Potter loses and you come to his defence. Where are you in the majority of the cases where Darwin and Potter win?
This falls under the old saying,
"No nudes is good nudes.."
(besides, it is warmer in Florida or California..:))
Who the heck wants to be nude in Kansas in the winter?!)
I love the concept. I just wish it was practiced the same for all religions. Public schools teach every religion but Christianity. I also don't like seeing the concept abused by what is and isn't officially defined as religion. Evolution for example.
Are you saying the court system is always fair and consistant. I want you to start a thread with that title.
<B>
is your friend. But, what's the matter with <I>
and <P>
? :-)
Why are you saying private when I said public?
The law of the land probably says it is OK for sodomites to open a bath house next to or very near your house and it probably also supports the right to have a naked black mass with pig's blood. Just because it is technically 'OK' doen't mean that I have to jump to the defense of such things because in a higher legal system, it is not OK.
That was before sin entered the world thru Adam (or, Eve, if you'd rather). After they sinned, God covered Adam and Eve so that they were no longer nude.
And, it wasn't because they were suddenly cold.
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