click to enlarge or enrage, you decide.This full page ad runs in the squeak at least once a year and every time I read it, it makes my skin crawl. I think it's great that the local pastors are trying to keep the rate of divorce down but I really don't think this "Town X Area Marriage Policy" is aimed entirely at the local church going crowd.
You see, we used to live in town X. We bought a beautiful house on a foreclosure sale 4 years ago but only made it one year there and happily paid capital gain taxes to get the hell out of town. The problem and the reason for moving out were crazy rules and nosy neighbors. No work on Sundays for everyone, including heathens like us. No lawn mowing, no gardening, no laundry (at least don't hang it outside) and most certainly no booze on Sundays (or any other day for that matter, recycling day was always fun at our house!). The weekend we moved in, we had a parade of neighbors come over and explain the rules followed by an invitation to their churches. What, do we have horns growing out of our heads? Is it that obvious?
Now don't get me wrong, Town X is a lovely community, but just not for us. We still live very close to this small town, but being out in the country has given us the cushion we need, and no more nosy neighbors stopping by on Sunday to tell us we're doin' it wrong.
This video has made the rounds lately but it goes so well with this post.
Thanks to the bloggers listed below for passing this video on.
This is not meant to ruffle any feathers as I know I have several Christian readers. Stuff like this gets me thinking, and thinking is a good thing!
Ooh, one more thing. This is my 200th post! Hard to believe that I've spilled my guts in 200 posts already.
11 comments:
Congrats!
Wow! So Oostburg is still living in the 1950's. I thought all the small towns here in 'Sconsin had at least moved into the '80's. I guess I was wrong.
I'm down here in my little corner of Walworth County dealing with a vast majority of hard core conservatives. At least they seem to have moved away from the "bible controls all" theory...somewhat. At least people here can work on Sunday, and even drink seven days a week.
I'll say one thing, you lasted a lot longer than I would have in Oostburg. The first time someone came over and told me the "rules" I would have told them where they could get off right after I reminded them that this is the United States of America not Iran, and that we have a Constitution that says they can't tell me what to do. Of course, I probably also would have told them that they could stick their "religion" where the sun don't shine.
Thanks for posting that little item from the local rag. Very interesting. May have to go there some day just to see what the nobs are like up close.
I cannot believe that Oostburg pastors really think they can dictate to everyone in their town like this! This is maddness. I can see why you moved out.
I guess the idea of same-sex marriage must really make their heads explode.
Congratulations on 200 posts!
Intrigued, I looked up that little burg and found the general ordinances (http://www.oostburg.org/government/general_ord.htm). What really struck me was the amount of attention paid to providing items of a sexual nature to a minor in Chapter 2 (noting, of course, that we already have laws prohibiting such in our fine country), the wording used actually made me think that someone may have totally gotten something out of writing it and perhaps still gets that "whatever" each time they read it!
Oh, Aliceson, I wish that I'd heard about Oostburg while I still resided in WI, it would have been fun to cruise through town on a Sunday while tossing beer cans out the windows!
Grandpa Eddie,
Thanks for stopping by! I'm happy to hear that not all of Wisconsin is like my little community.
Sidhe,
I hadn't seen that before. I too find that completely odd, don't they have something better to do?
Oh and while we lived in Oostburg the village clerk (I think that's who it was) embezzled a bunch of money from the water bills for gambling. Doesn't sound like a very Christian thing to do, does it?
Thank you for posting this - I have gay and progressive Christian friends who have nothing to do with these nasty people, so they won't be offended ;)
What REALLY gets me is not just that 1) they are forgetting about freedom of religion, or freedom NOT TO practice it, but 2) giving Christianity a bad name by saying that to be a Christian is to be a bigot. I have a good friend here who is a pastor who argues that god isn't small enough to put into one religion, and he said he will do same-sex ceremonies as soon as it is legal here.
Is this the town of OOSTBERG? Burg? lol, if so, you forgot to white out those in the article, ha ha. If not, I'm chuckling over nothing.
What a bunch of whack-jobs. My heaven's. Glad you got the h-e-double-hockey sticks out of that place. lol. Sounds like a religious stepford wive type community.
Spooky-illy-scary!
Congrats on 200! And great post for a milestone post!
Congrats on 200 posts. I can see why you moved. Scary stuff when churches/towns dictate like that.
holy crap!
Nothing like controlling folks to make sure they love god and love others. Yeah control & love are really the antithesis of oneanother they can't go together. Not that I have it figured out as a christian but shit people showing up at your door to let you know the rules??? Bullshit. And this letter, what arrogant browbeating.
congrats on your 200th post though!
Congrats on the 200!
Hmmm... I think my in-laws would be extremely happy in your "Town X" LOL. My poor Mr. Wild's Dutch Reformed upbringing. I always joke that Holland is so liberal because they kicked out those that weren't ages ago.
I'm with Grandpa Eddie, shoulda told them you weren't living in Iran. That would have gotten their ire up. Just not their thinking. Good for you and your thinking.
you ever hear of the 'log-cabin republicans'? gay republicans. Not really sure about how I feel about the whole gay-marriage issue, but find the justaposition of a traditional "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" party that freed the slaves with the currently conservative right.
Not saying Oostburg is right, but hey, thank-god for state's rights, municipal powers, and the power of the voting public who validates and approves such measures.
All of this is kind of odd compared to AZ, where if you don't like a judge or state supreme court justice, you can recall him or vote him out - so much for observance and interpretation of the laws before you, in lieu of saving your job!
I also noted Sidhe's comments about the city's rules vs. the nations - In CA, the state has marginally legalized marijuana, but Nationally, the U.S. hasn't. Therefore, you can be legal WRT to the state or local municipality, but still be guilty in a federal court. Oostburg would be wise to keep such language (assuming it meets or exceeds the rules of the nation WRT minors) less you may be legal at a municipal level abusing minors.
Also, all of this reminds me that the Quakers provided the basis of the legal system and most of the laws which govern us at a national level. An interesting paradox at times, compared to the comparatively liberal dutch reform.
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