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.
But that is the point there is much I dont support which I also do not actively oppose.
Take drugs, I do not support drug taking, and I will definitely not encourage someone to take drugs or to view it as a right, but on the same coin I do not believe in trying to stop someone who has made up there mind that, that is what they want to do.
To me witches and dancing its all new age hippy stuff, if people want to go into the woods and act in my mind like idiots well let them you just wont catch me amongst them.
Cheers Tony
Riiight!
I know. I just wanted to make a statement in celebration of the beauty of the female form. I hope I can thank G-d that I don't look at women's bodies (tastefully clothed, of course) without any clinical detatchment whatsoever without offending any medical personnel on FR.
Shalom.
The point being made concerns the teens being welcomed by the people at the camp -- the campfire nudists knowing the teen is there and not sending him or her home.
This type of irresponsibility is not necessarily grounds for a criminal prosecution. It is or should be grounds for revoking the land-use permit.
If the campers see the kid and call the police that's a different story.
You mean cliche, with that faggoty french accent over the "e"? I use them when "debating" with you because you've already demonstrated an inability to understand analogy (that baby in the road one was terrible), and cliches, though tired, are often the best literary devices to make a well-established, universal point.Thanks for the constructive criticism, though. I'm actually a professional writer, and here's some for you: when trying to make religious points, try writing like someone from the 21st century. Crap like this:
"A blind man is trying to describe a room to me that I can clearly see."is really, really trite. And boring to boot."I'm a citizen of a higher place and only a visitor here. In that Country it IS my duty, responsibility, and birthright, to testify to lost souls, that they are lost and that He is the way the truth and the life. If you reject that testimony, your blood is not on my hands."
But all this is really extracurricular, isn't it? Why don't you answer the question: why do you have such a tremendous inability to mind your own business? Why are you so concerned with how other people worship whatever God it is they choose to worship? What's it to you?
Really? Having known a few pagans in my life, I would agree.They would recognize the kid as a minor and an outsider. And they would try to corrupt/seduce him/her anyway if they thought they could get away with it.
There is no such thing as wholesome nude recreation anymore than there is such a thing as innocent sinless people. If you don't believe in sin do to your personal religion then we will never agree about much of anything.
Says who? Again if these people are doing everything right there is no problem. But if they are placing themselves in a situation where they can be credibly accused of pedophilia and statuatory rape, pull the permit.
Do unaccompanied minors frequently just show up at Christian retreats?
Without parental permission? No. The reason why parents are more likely to trust sending trust their children to organizations founded on Christian values -- the Boy Scouts come to mind -- is because those values defer to parental authority and reinforce traditional sexual mores. Did you ever consider why sexual predators target the Boy Scouts?
Why are you putting words in mouth? Cliche's at that. Funny that I, the most non spellingwonk in the world would run into writer. My best friend, newgeezer, has lots of fun with my terrible spelling.
But again, you are putting words in my mouth. That discription of me is totally unfair and all I can do is protest it. I believe in predestination more than most Christians you will ever meet so it would be against my doctrine to worry about saving people or to worry that they can hurt anyone who is saved. Wicca is a pathetic little lie that is little more than a sex fest for some and a dress code for others. I won't say I don't care about people because I want them all to be saved but I am comfortable with God's ability to save them through exactly what we are doing right now.
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