Guest Deisel Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/town-fema-turned-down_767137.html#Ocean Grove, N.J.When Sandy swept across the Jersey shore in October 2012, the coastal town of Ocean Grove was spared the worst. Sure, half the town’s boardwalk was destroyed and its pier was swept out to sea. And yes, sand, trees, and concrete benches were carried two blocks inland, while entire buildings were picked up and moved across town. But Ocean Grove’s crown jewel, an ornate and beautiful 6,250-seat auditorium, built in 1894, survived. It only had a third of its roof torn off. The auditorium’s foundation was intact and, most important, its 11,561-pipe organ was unscathed by the wind and rain.CORBIS/ AP Wayne Parry / NEWSCOMSo despite everything, the residents of Ocean Grove counted themselves lucky. That is, until they had to deal with the federal government. Ocean Grove has been denied rebuilding funds from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In one sense, this denial is part of the Obama administration’s quiet campaign against religion in the public square. Yet the story of FEMA’s conflict with Ocean Grove is about more than just Barack Obama. It’s the story of modern America’s rebellion against its religious foundations, rendered in miniature............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hoopah! Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 http://www.weeklysta...own_767137.html#Ocean Grove, N.J.When Sandy swept across the Jersey shore in October 2012, the coastal town of Ocean Grove was spared the worst. Sure, half the town’s boardwalk was destroyed and its pier was swept out to sea. And yes, sand, trees, and concrete benches were carried two blocks inland, while entire buildings were picked up and moved across town. But Ocean Grove’s crown jewel, an ornate and beautiful 6,250-seat auditorium, built in 1894, survived. It only had a third of its roof torn off. The auditorium’s foundation was intact and, most important, its 11,561-pipe organ was unscathed by the wind and rain.CORBIS/ AP Wayne Parry / NEWSCOMSo despite everything, the residents of Ocean Grove counted themselves lucky. That is, until they had to deal with the federal government. Ocean Grove has been denied rebuilding funds from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In one sense, this denial is part of the Obama administration’s quiet campaign against religion in the public square. Yet the story of FEMA’s conflict with Ocean Grove is about more than just Barack Obama. It’s the story of modern America’s rebellion against its religious foundations, rendered in miniature............FFS, now he's battling religion? You're hilarious. Which is it? Is he a muslim or an athiest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Troutsky Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 FFS, now he's battling religion? You're hilarious. Which is it? Is he a muslim or an athiest?But in the span of just a few years, all that would change, and Ocean Grove would become the site of a small skirmish in the gay-marriage wars. In 2007, an elderly lesbian couple from town, Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster, sought permission from the association to use a pavilion on the boardwalk for their civil-union ceremony. The association politely declined, explaining that same-sex couplings went against the church’s teaching. The couple filed a complaint with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, which promptly revoked the tax-exempt status of the pavilion.Wow, Obama's been at this war on religion for quite awhile now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrow69 Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 tl;dr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andras Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 tl;drThis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychic Gibbon Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 FFS, now he's battling religion? You're hilarious. Which is it? Is he a muslim or an athiest?Both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Google Bot Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Not Obama all by himself. It's the left in general. Obama has simply gone along with the left wing conventional wisdom on this.You can't deny the anti religion stance of the left. Well, anti Christian and Jewish stance. Islam? Not so much.The left is anti-religion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Google Bot Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 There's proof that there is such a thing as a dumb question.Do you have proof of this anti-religion stance by the "left" or is this another one of your broad generalizations about the lefty boogieman you seem so afraid of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatcorn Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 The left is anti-religion?I'll be sure to tell all of my religious friends who are liberal. I bet they'll be surprised to hear that they're anti-religion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andras Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 (edited) Apparently, wanting a separation of church and state makes you an Atheist and battling religion. **** our founding fathers. Edited November 21, 2013 by MDFMK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Deisel Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Funny how you folks refused to actually read the article but instead inpugn it without asking WHY did Fema not Co operate....Just another example of ignore and obfuscate..Carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychic Gibbon Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 After reading the article:1) The town was founded by very religious people and passed weird laws on religious grounds (this is how the article words it, not me). Therefore, the federal government hates them.2) The town became it's own municipality in the 1920s but it was rescinded in the same decade because of the religious laws. Must be Obama's fault.3) State tolerated the weird laws because they were in their own bubble for the most part until some alleged drunk driver was arrested and he argued the police were an extension of the church in the town and therefore unconstitutional. The Supreme Court agreed and transferred law enforcement duties to the county. **** liberal judges strike again!4) The article doesn't even argue against that the town, and by extension the laws and the law enforcement agencies, was an extension of the church but it certainly goes on with character assassinations against the judges and the drunk driver, which they never bothered to say whether or not he was guilty of.5) Secular-liberalism runs amok as people go to the beach before 12:30 without their own police force since the new cops don't bother to enforce these laws.6) A storm in 1992 destroyed the boardwalk and FEMA repaired it. Anti-religious government agencies strike again.7) Another storm hit in 2011 and a small section of the boardwalk was damaged but the boardwalk was leased to a private company so FEMA didn't bother to repair the damage. The town didn't seem to care. **** liberals.8) When Sandy destroyed the boardwalk FEMA again pointed that it was owned by a private company and that they should repair it. Must be because of gay marriage.9) There are lots of gay people around and in the town and there was no tension between them and the residents, since apparently gay people can't be residents. There was no tension between them until an "aggressive," activist judge in Hawaii ruled in favor of something (the article does not say what case they are referring to) in 1993.10) Over the next few years (read: 15 years later) when a gay couple requested to use a pavilion for their civil union ceremony but the town council refused on religious grounds instead of simply saying, "No." The couple made a formal complaint that the town explicitly stated their decision was religious based and how the town made no distinction between church and state. New Jersey courts agreed and revoked the tax exempt status of that pavilion. Secular fascists strike again.11) The ACLU was mentioned so you know communists are descending on this town.12) In response, the town decided no weddings could take place in the pavilion. Real American standing pat on issue of town overtly supporting one religion.13) Gay marriages happened on the boardwalk since it was own by a private company and thus exempt from the decisions of the town because, again, their laws are weird. This should be seen as a concession from the town even though by their own laws they had no say in this particular case. Unfortunately secular fascists wanted more. So much more.14) Back to the Sandy case, the town requested funds to rebuild the boardwalk but FEMA declined since it was owned by a private business and was not associated with the town based on their own laws.15) The town is appealing this because according to FEMA guidelines they can help religious organizations (ie. the town is referring to itself as a religious organization) when safety is concerned (ie. not having a boardwalk is a public threat).16) This must be because FEMA hates Christians. Obama definitely hates Christians. Secular fascists are out to get you. They're trying to kill religion in the name of liberty. Hold strong, real America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hoopah! Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 It's a biased article. I stopped reading after the line about Obama's war on religion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andras Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 (edited) Why does Obama hate Santa Claus so much? Edited November 21, 2013 by MDFMK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatcorn Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 I read the article. I'm not sure why you would assume anyone didn't. It's chock full of assumption, supposition, and innuendo. Par for the course from you.I don't really see any issue with this. It appears to be another case of people shunning government until they need government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Monarch Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Not Obama all by himself. It's the left in general. Obama has simply gone along with the left wing conventional wisdom on this.You can't deny the anti religion stance of the left. Well, anti Christian and Jewish stance. Islam? Not so much.I'm not anti-religion; I think people should be free and welcome to believe whatever they wish. I do, however, think that all religions, including Islam, are absolutely ridiculous and completely unnecessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great American Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Apparently, wanting a separation of church and state makes you an Atheist and battling religion. **** our founding fathers.The most misunderstood phrase in american history!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychic Gibbon Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Chances are, the people who continually use that phrase have no idea where it came from. I'll be they think it's in the Constitution?As I recall, it was written by Jefferson around 1800 to a Baptist association that no law should be establishing or supporting a particular religion. Then later in 1947 the Supreme Court extended the establishment clause to the states and according to the OP article, even though they never said which case it was, extended it to local governments in the 70s. So, yes, though it's not word for word in the Constitution it does legally and constitutionally exist in the United States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychic Gibbon Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 As you recall? Are you that old? And are you sure about that?Are you going to continue deflecting or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Google Bot Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Do you guys think government should be influenced by religion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Ocean Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 The most misunderstood phrase in american history!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great American Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 C'mon man ... you know I love me some W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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