Catholic League urges condo residents to file complaints -

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Tuesday urged residents of a Medford community affected by a potentially unlawful ban on religious statues to file a complaint with the New York State Division ...

[Jimmy]

Good for the Catholic League, good for the right a person to express his or her religion be it with a statue, Cross, Menorah or Crest or Icon.

[Jimmy]

Whats next? Will people be offended if I wear a Cross, medal, star of David,or picture of Buddha and make me take it off in public? Too bad about them, I'll wear my religion the way I want if it helps me to practice what my religion teaches, love of God and love of my brothers and sisters.

[RMK]

IT MAKES BE WONDER IF ARLENE CRANDELL IS JEWISH AND THATS WHY SHE HAS SOMETHING AGAINST THE BLESSED MOTHER OR ST FRANCIS..THIS IS AMERICA..PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.IF SHE LIVED NEXT DOOR TO ME,I WOULDN'T OBJECT TO A STAR OF DAVID...

[So Sad]

This is not a fight about banning the statues, This is a fight to have them removed from a Common Area that the residents do not own.

They allow them to have these statues. But ask them to be placed on their property.

[dobbie]

yeah-let's make this condo rule issue about common property about religion. Kinda like the Bush administration-let's make this about patriotism not the war!!

[dobbie]

Jimmy wrote:

Good for the Catholic League, good for the right a person to express his or her religion be it with a statue, Cross, Menorah or Crest or Icon.

Yes let me put a 25 foot statue across from your front door!Maybe a crucifix.

[Belle]

I don't believe you have to wear your
religion on your sleeve. This condo
is just trying to keep the property
looking consistent with the other homes. That is why the color of the
homes are limited to (3) colors. The
front yard can be seem by the public,
but the backyard is more personal.
Even dogs are limted to a maximum weight. The statue should be kept in the backyard.

[micky]

If they said you couldn't display a Jewish star.....Man, all hell would break loose.

[DMK]

This is just stupid.

If someone wants to put a statue - not even a HUGE one - of a religious figure in their front yard? LET THEM. WHO is going to complain?(Especially since - for the love of God IT'S ALSO A BIRD BATH, that part I find mildly amusing; wonder if the little tweeters are bathing in holy water?)

The Christians wouldn't complain about Jewish stars, the Jewish folk wouldn't complain about statues of the Virgin Mary or whoever else, and I'm not sure how Muslims or anyone else really display their faith because I'm a sheltered lass but I'm SURE that'd be fine too - really, if ANYONE is going to be so petty as to complain about that sort of thing?

EVICT THEM.

I hate PC America. This is definitely one BIG way to our downfall.

[Bob Costas]

Everyone get over yourselves..Rules like these, for the most part, are silly and extreme, but this is a rule she had to agree to at some point to live there. That's life. Vote out the HOA members and change the law, or move.
Those who are offended by the statue, I wish I had that much free time. Loosen up a bit and try not to sweat the small stuff..Let this woman have her small statue if it gives her a little peace in her life.
And Newsday....I am pretty sure there far more important stories going on than this....Move on already...

Jeez, the common area will be covered in snow in a few weeks away...

[Jimmy]

Would it be ok if I sat in the common area, like the on the pool deck, or went into the swimming pool with a religious medal or symbol around my neck. or will this offend too? How crazy are we gonna get?

[ANTHONY]

IF YOU WANT TO SHOW HOW RELIGIOUS YOU ARE, SHOULDN'T IT BE BY YOUR ACTIONS, AND NOT BY WHAT YOU WEAR??????????

[On LI]

Apparently, these statues do have religious significance or the Catholic League would not be getting involved. They don't seem to understand that a community place is no place for religious symbols.

[PROUD AMERICAN VET]

I HAVE A QUESTION, WHAT HAPPENDS IF YOU REFUSE TO PAY THE FINE IF THE RULE WAS CHANGED LIKE IT IS SAID THEN YOU NEVER AGREED OR SIGNED ANY PAPER WORK WHEN YOU FIRST MOVED IN. THEY CAN'T TAKE YOUR PROPERTY OR PUT YOU IN JAIL. ANOTHER THING SIGN ANY CHECKS TO THE ASSN.UNDER PROTEST OF PREJUDICE. ALSO PLEASE EVERYONE GO TO www.aclj.org AND SEE WHAT HELP CAN BE GOTTEN, AND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE ALONG THESE LINES. ANOTHER PLACE TO CHECK OUT IS www.newsmax.com

[VOR]

Want this reversed? Make them take the mezuszzhas down and you'll have an uproar. Won't happen, since board appears to be Jewish,

It reminds me of the time in the 80s my dept asked me to create some flyers for our holiday party. I used a lot of clip art, including nativity scenes, menorahs, and secular holiday images.

A Jewish manager asked me to remove the nativity scene, but keep the menorahs. I asked him how this is fair, and he said, "Well, you still have Frosty on there."

[Hmmmmm]

Will these rules now affect our holiday observances? Will the homeowners not be able to put christmas lights in the trees or shrubs surrounding their homes? After all, some people feel these are religious symbols. This could really snowball into something big. Will you be allowed to throw your christmas tree in the dumpster for pickup? After all, the dumpster is common property and the christmas tree, to some, is a religious symbol. To me, it represents Santa and happiness, but to some, it's a religious thing. Where does it end?

[Fool]

micky wrote:

If they said you couldn't display a Jewish star.....Man, all hell would break loose.

All hell has already broken loose, you jerk, and it has nothing to do with a Jewish star. Take your biggoted comments and stuff them.

[Fool]

VOR wrote:

Want this reversed? Make them take the mezuszzhas down and you'll have an uproar. Won't happen, since board appears to be Jewish,
It reminds me of the time in the 80s my dept asked me to create some flyers for our holiday party. I used a lot of clip art, including nativity scenes, menorahs, and secular holiday images.
A Jewish manager asked me to remove the nativity scene, but keep the menorahs. I asked him how this is fair, and he said, "Well, you still have Frosty on there."

Another a-hole biggot heard from.

[Fool]

Reader wrote:

William Donahue looks for reasons to be offended. It's embarrassing to every Irish Catholic! Is Jesus so wimpy that he needs William Donahue and the Catholic League to fight his battles (on this level)? How about going to church and saying a prayer?
How about a little humility? Geez, when I was growing up, one thing I learned from my Catholic parents was to follow the rules. They did not teach me to sue every time a rule was unfair.
It would look so much more like working for justice if he took up the cause of Jewish people or another religious group being denigrated.
Catholics are not being targeted here. All residents are being asked to follow the rules for the common area: no display of religious objects in those areas.
Pretty soon, there will be no display of anything in the common areas. How will Donahue fight that one? Will he say that he has final say over the HOA rules?

I agree with you. I own a home in a deed restricted community and the HOA rules are very strict. Violations can result in fines and if you don't pay the fine they can have the HOA lawyers file a lein and, in the extreme, forclose on your property. For better or worse, anyone who moves into a deed restricted community must agree to abide by the rules, present and future. I get the impression that what they are trying to do is keep the public (common) areas free of clutter. I really don't see this as an anti Catholic thing or, as the ignorant biggots would like to claim, a Jewish plot against the Catholics. If the residents of the community don't like the rules, vote out the board members and change the rules.

[AmandaNYC]

RMK wrote:

IT MAKES BE WONDER IF ARLENE CRANDELL IS JEWISH AND THATS WHY SHE HAS SOMETHING AGAINST THE BLESSED MOTHER OR ST FRANCIS..THIS IS AMERICA..PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.IF SHE LIVED NEXT DOOR TO ME,I WOULDN'T OBJECT TO A STAR OF DAVID...

She isn't jewish (people always looking for that angle-keep looking maybe her great great great grandmother married someone who's cousin was jewish) A statue is NOT the same as wearing a Star of David around your neck. They are not talking about jewelry here !