Using a boat ramp to put your boat in the water seems to be a pretty typical use for a boat ramp.

Using a boat ramp for religious services does not.

I hope the guy just started backing down the ramp, laying on his horn.......

Not to mention that it was the 4th of July. I would think there would be quite a few boats wanting to use the ramp that day.

I have a hard time imagining the conversation at the church where it was decided that taking over a public boat ramp at the start of a long holiday weekend was a good idea.

A quick 5-10 min ceremony during a quiet part of the day - ok
A 2 hour extravaganza causing 20+ boats/trucks to back up - not so much

Recoil Therapy: I have a hard time imagining the conversation at the church where it was decided that taking over a public boat ramp at the start of a long holiday weekend was a good idea.

I don't. Being a public annoyance is a big part of their strategy.

"When we get to a day and time that a person can't respect another person's religious activity of baptizing, we're in trouble."

Hm I'd think we're in trouble when we get to a day and time where we have to tiptoe around so as not to upset a religious group that was using a public location for a religious service, monopolizing the location for an inordinate amount of time and blatantly disregarding its intended use.

Recoil Therapy:
A quick 5-10 min ceremony during a quiet part of the day - ok
A 2 hour extravaganza causing 20+ boats/trucks to back up - not so much

Exactly. I can only imagine how pissed off I'd be, sitting there waiting for 40 farking people to do that baptisms. None of their members had a swimming pool in the backyard?

I agree with the boat guy, but I probably would have called the authorities before actually putting the boat in the water if there were people in there. Just for safety's sake.

There are easier ways of dealing with such situations.

The guy with the boat was just behind this largish group of people holding baptisms between him and the water.
Rather than backing the boat up slowly (they'll move eventually) and causing an incident, he could simply lay on his car horn and blast his stereo system on some white noise station. When someone from the group runs up to his window to complain, he could flail about apologetically screaming "IT'S NOT ME! THIS CRAZY TRUCK WON'T TURN OFF! IT JUST KEEPS DOING IT!"

Thus are the lessons learned from the passive aggressive.

CtrlAltDelete: blast his stereo system on some white noise station

Just pop in that Black Sabbath CD.

co-conspirator: Just pop in that Black Sabbath CD.

Yes, also very effective.

Other ways include politely tapping someone near the middle of the baptismal line's shoulder and whispering "fisherman pee there, you know"; or bringing your kids and inviting everyone to a friendly, pioneer-days yelling contest.

The boat ramp is a public use area, doesn't that mean that these people were violating church and state and should be punished for that? Even without that, how rude is it to use a boat launch when they could have just moved away a few hundred feet? I guess they just had to be the center of attention. Inconsiderate assholes.

co-conspirator: CtrlAltDelete: blast his stereo system on some white noise station

Just pop in that Black Sabbath CD.

Woah now. Don't upset the diety.

Was it their intention to specifically use the boat ramp? Were they ignoring other suitable and accessible places to conduct their baptism? If so, then they deserve all the scorn they receive.

Complicit:

I agree with the boat guy, but I probably would have called the authorities before actually putting the boat in the water if there were people in there. Just for safety's sake.

Usually there is a park ranger or something hanging around. Lagniappe for the religionists, too, since they can put up a WND story about the government oppressing religion

.

FTFA: "I don't know if it's legal or illegal," but maybe there should be a sign at public boat docks stating that boaters should respect a baptism service and not launch boats until the service is over, he said

Fark off. It's a dock. It's for boats. How about a sign that says baptisms should be respectful to the boaters? Or, and this is just a little bit crazy, but maybe, just maybe, instead of doing these baptisms in a place where you're 100%, without a doubt, certain you'll do it at the inconvenience and interruption of others, find a more suitable place.

UNC_Samurai: Was it their intention to specifically use the boat ramp? Were they ignoring other suitable and accessible places to conduct their baptism? If so, then they deserve all the scorn they receive.

they probably weren't allowed to use other areas. the article said something about it being the only public use area around.

that said, 40 friggen people on the 4th of july?!?!? Who had THAT brilliant idea?

yeah, i can't think of many churches that would imagine it would be a good idea to use a boat ramp for baptisms. i know of churches that use rivers....but not boat ramps.

May I present "Baptism in Kansas."

Problem solved.

You know what's next... special ramps for Baptisms. Paid for by tax dollars, of course.

I say build your freaking church beside the river if it's that big of a deal. Hell, put it over the river on stilts and build a trap door.

This little gem popped up on the first page on a GIS for "baptism." I just thought I'd share it with the rest of the class.



Hmmmmmmm....

Doctor Funkenstein: This little gem popped up on the first page on a GIS for "baptism."

That's hot.

darkyn: Doctor Funkenstein: This little gem popped up on the first page on a GIS for "baptism."

That's hot.

You can almost hear It's Raining Men playing in the background.

I'm with tonkin, GAT_00 and Bullshiatter - it's a public use area, not a church. Freedom of religion does not extend to using government property and facilities to hold church services, especially if those services hinder the intended use of the facility.

Fark off, Xians - you want to dunk people, to it somewhere that you aren't inconveniencing others. Oh wait - you planned on doing it in a way that others would have to watch - you wanted to "witness."

Perhaps you would be interested in my "witnessing" to you about my atheism, or my rights as a citizen not to have another person's religion foisted upon me by the government.

Farkwits.

Doctor Funkenstein: This little gem popped up on the first page on a GIS for "baptism." I just thought I'd share it with the rest of the class.



Hmmmmmmm....

GAY!

Kyosuke: Recoil Therapy: I have a hard time imagining the conversation at the church where it was decided that taking over a public boat ramp at the start of a long holiday weekend was a good idea.

I don't. Being a public annoyance is a big part of their strategy.

I have to agree. The general assumption is that you SHOULD be doing what they are.

The boat ramp is for the immediate loading and un-loading of boats.
Not to be confused with the swimming area, which is for the immediate un-loading of your badder.

/Simple law Mo-Fo's.

Why do boaters hate Jesus?

Problem solved.

Next time they do that, I'll show up at that ramp with a boat named "Noah's Ark 2", that has two of each kind of stripper aboard: blonde, brunette, redhead...

darkyn: Doctor Funkenstein: This little gem popped up on the first page on a GIS for "baptism."

That's hot.

Meh, they're no Jake and Heath.

/I keed

Benevolent Misanthrope: I'm with tonkin, GAT_00 and Bullshiatter - it's a public use area, not a church. Freedom of religion does not extend to using government property and facilities to hold church services, especially if those services hinder the intended use of the facility.

the intended use of the facility was public access to the water. the church has as much of a right to be there as anyone. it has nothing to do with whether they're holding services, as citizens, they can use the facility. freedom of religion has shiat to do with it, and its NOT a church/state issue.

During a brief interview following the meeting, Mayor Privett said usually "99 percent" of the people who encounter a baptism service will wait until it is over, but that in this case "one person, whoever that person was, chose to push the issue of the law ....

So, the law comes into question when you use a boat ramp for a boat?

Doctor Funkenstein: This little gem popped up on the first page on a GIS for "baptism." I just thought I'd share it with the rest of the class.

Prelude to a Dutch Rudder?

Have these people never heard of beaches?

Don't pray at my boat ramp..
And I won't fish and get drunk at your church.

Deal?

Now get the fark out of the way!!

I know when I went and tried to wash my truck in the driveway of the parking lot of the local Baptist church this morning, they sure did get upset. I mean, I know I was blocking their way in and everything, and they couldn't start their service because of it, but man were they rude.

If they can't respect the right for a guy just trying to enjoy his Sunday off and wash his truck, we are in some sort of trouble in this country.

This is why I contribute generously to the ACLU.

Get 'em boys!!

WWJB? (Where would Jesus boat?)

At the Soddy-Daisy boat ramp that's where.

Katie98_KT: the intended use of the facility was public access to the water. the church has as much of a right to be there as anyone.
Wrong.

The intended use of the facility was public access for putting boats
into the water. They aren't for swimming or baptizing.

NYZooMan: Why do boaters hate Jesus?

I believe it's due to that whole 40 days and nights of rain thing.

inserthandlehere: WWJB? (Where would Jesus boat?)

At the Soddy-Daisy boat ramp that's where.

Sounds like a horrible porn name or a Monty Python insult....

impaler: Katie98_KT: the intended use of the facility was public access to the water. the church has as much of a right to be there as anyone.
Wrong.

The intended use of the facility was public access for putting boats
into the water. They aren't for swimming or baptizing.

have you never seen a public access ramp? they're NOT designated specifically and only for boats.

Christians make for wonderful underwater speed bumps. You would think they could find a more appropriate venue for such things, perhaps the local foundary would do. Your god loves you, he wants you to be baptized in steel!

Jesus don't surf water ski!

Wait till we have a religion who decides that blocking an intersection is a standard religious function for them.

Duh! It's called a baptism-ramp for a reason.
Stupid boaters.

Katie98_KT: impaler: Katie98_KT: the intended use of the facility was public access to the water. the church has as much of a right to be there as anyone.
Wrong.

The intended use of the facility was public access for putting boats
into the water. They aren't for swimming or baptizing.

have you never seen a public access ramp? they're NOT designated specifically and only for boats.

From now on I think all baptisms should happen in a baby pool, put in the middle of an off-ramp on the highway.

Oznog: Wait till we have a religion who decides that blocking an intersection is a standard religious function for them.

Unless they are Christian, they will be removed and beaten severely.

Romanian Pentecostals?

Was the boat ramp paid for with state dollars?