Cult communities are spreading across Florida

[The Backlash Cometh]

There's a 400 home "neo-traditional" complex being planned in a nearby city in what use to be a 165 acre Greyhound raceway. This community was bought by Northland, which is referred to as a Church Distributed(?) It also plans to build a community outreach center, recreational park, school, (probably elementary & middle school). Basically, everything it needs to be self-contained. There will also be a 3000 seat sanctuary. And apparently, it plans to feed services via fiber optics.

What is peculiar about this, is that they are part of a school rezoning that will allow their students to be rezoned for a high school in the next city over, and meanwhile, students on the other side of the city, will get kicked out to attend a school in yet another city over. Everyone gets displaced by the new kids in town. Doesn't surprise me, however, because their builder happens to be the same builder that a city commissioner in the next city over (the one with the high school)does business for. I doubt anyone has bothered to mention this.

This is a very scary development because it's obvious that they mean to self-contain the sales of those homes to their own believers. What's more, I hear that there are other places out there that were built with the same idea of containment, though perhaps not on a religious basis. Solvita comes to mind. I believe it tried to get the entire subdivision to be one voting precinct. The idea being that one party can control the votes in that subdivision.

Democrats are going to lose Florida, because these self-contained areas are acting like one and because the city commissioners are leading the way through development approvals.

[aquart]

1. "LOSE" Florida???

You been out of town for a while?

[FloridaPat]

5. There's tons more Democrats here then repubs, but I can't figure

out where they go during elections.

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. The Dems are voting. It's the Republicans who have been

gaming the system for years. Too many patterns are predictable. Votes have been flipping at the last minute for several elections now.

[oasis]

34. Votes ARE being "flipped". It's not just the koolaid.

[Indiana_Dem]

2. For a group ideology that's not supposed to favor communism

it sure sounds like this is exactly what they are doing! I wonder if anyone has told them this? LoL

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. I just want to see how they're going to handle the sales.

It's against the law to discriminate based on religion.

[havocmom]

14. Jonestown North

Ya know, I always thought that in its pure form (hard to achieve when humans get involved) Christianity would work like communism, if you could get THAT to work in its pure form (same damn obsitcles here too, that humanity thing).

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. It's one of the reasons why the Catholic church use to get trounced

by Republicans. They don't like the whole concept of the redistribution of wealth. Well, Catholics know it as charity.

[Nite Owl]

3. Scarey stuff

doesn't it make you wonder just what are all the things we don't have a clue about yet.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Or why we're having so much trouble getting someone to talk?

Actually, I can answer that one. It's because in Florida, the old guard Dems are too interjected into real estate and they're also part of the problem. They won't rat on their own kind as long as they get a fair cut.

[Maria Celeste]

4. The fundies are not the only ones doing that

For example Clearwater in the 90s and Miami in the 80s.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Wait for it....

Okay, what happened in Clearwater and Miami?

[Maria Celeste]

21. Other Groups

Scientology and Yaweh-Ben-Yaweh

[Cleita]

6. On the bright side,

if global warming from greenhouse gases keep melting the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps, rising oceans will make Florida a memory. You see if these religious folks keep putting the polluter war hawks in power it will happen and this isn't even from divine justice, just from ignorance of science.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Actually, I'm getting a chuckle out of all this because I know why

the Dittohead soccer parent I fought with on political issues just got his daughter zoned out of the high school, and he probably hasn't figured out why. Har, har, har. The fox got outfoxed by a bigger fox.

[Cleita]

12. I'll bet there is going to be some epiphanies had all around. n/t

[Old and In the Way]

13. Highest point in Florida is 12 feet ASL

So I've heard. If true, they better start building the dike now....or live in a marina community.

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. Speaking of marina communities.

I was driving around this area looking over the community and I came across an old time Florida marina community. I swear, I was scared. Houses on small lots, some built like shacks, maybe one that was built on two lots with a Lexus in the driveway, but most of therm were unkempt and the land seemed...damp.

[neohippie]

38. I don't think that's true

In the panhandle near Torreya State Park, west of Tallahassee, there was a spot that was something like 200 feet ASL from what I recall.

http://www.coaps.fsu.edu/climate_center/FLClimate.htm

I read here that there are places in north Florida that are 345 feet ASL.

[Old and In the Way]

56. I didn't check my facts, so you're probably right.

I recall I was told that by someone when I was in Florida a few years back. Perhaps they meant Southern Florida. Or maybe that's the average ASL.

On edit, the mean elevation is 100 ft, so I was completely wrong. But here's an interesting map that shows what happens to Florida if there's a 6 foot rise in water level-

<>

[havocmom]

15. If they do it as a religious colony, will the property be held by a church

or by individuals. Sounds like a property tax dodge.

[Cleita]

16. It could be.

But for the sake of argument, let's say the church sells to the families and they own their own home. What would you say the property owner's association's strings would be? No doubt they would have to attend that church and send their children to their sunday school. If they wanted to sell no doubt they couldn't sell to just anybody except another member of that church.

[The Backlash Cometh]

19. How can they do it with our present laws, though?

It's unconstitutional, yet, it's there in the paper. All the amenities are there for their congregation.

[Cleita]

20. I don't know your laws in Florida.

In California homeowners associations are so powerful, they can tell you what color to paint your mailbox and what you can plant in your garden and the law backs them up.

[FlaGranny]

48. Homeowners associations

are the same everywhere. We joined one when we moved here. The homeowners themselves decide what the regulations will be and before you can buy you must sign legal papers that agree to those regulations. At every general meeting, you get to propose any regulation you might want, or you can propose that an old regulation be dropped. Then the whole community gets to vote for or against. Our community is one of the nicest around. That's why we live here. Our association regulations made it the way it is. If people want to do whatever they please without regard to their neighbors, a homeowners association is certainly NOT for them. I personally don't have a problem with it because the regulations suit the way we want to live. If someone is considering a community and doesn't like the regs, then they should look elsewhere, for sure. Heck, they even put you through a credit/criminal check before they'll approve you.

[Clark2008]

54. Yeah, I couldn't live that way

I like that everyone in my neighborhood gets to do what they want with their house and yard.

True, my neighbor has an old car in the back yard, but, if it sits there much longer, all I have to do is call the state inspector to pull it based on the fact that it's tag isn't up to date - which is a different matter than home ownership.

[FlaGranny]

62. I used to say I would NEVER live

where I had to belong to a homeowners association, but sometimes your priorities change, especially when you get older.

[The Backlash Cometh]

55. An H.O.A that allows ALL of the residents to vote on an issue

that effects the docs? How novel. I live in one that had a resident that was a shill for the city. From the inception of this development, the original developer had trouble finishing off the development in one phase, so it was phased into two or three phases over a period of years. Through it all, the shill was always there representing the Association, whether we voted him in or not. I think it just got so that we realized that the city would only talk to him and not listen to anybody else. Anyway, because of the shill's personal influence, he somehow managed to persuade others to believe that common grounds would be handed over to the individual homeowners who resided alongside of them instead of to the Association when the replat for the next phase occurred. This shill helped foster the idea that the Association never owned the property after the first replat back in the 80s. I not only discovered that he did know a turnover had occurred, but that he had signed the papers, and I even found letters in the city file which showed that the city attorney not only knew, but insisted on the turnover.

But, because of secret board meetings and rehearsed Association Annual meetings, (when they occurred) the regular membership (outside the shill and his cronies) never really knew that the turnover meant that we had full control of the property, including the common grounds. Instead, people were led to believe that the developer still owned the property until the final phase replat.

What was more disgraceful was that when we went to protest the final replat at a city commission meeting we were told that we had no power. They stated that the developer OWNED the entire plat. It was not only a lie, but the letter I later found in the city files indicated that they still had the city attorney on their payroll which presided over the turnover in the 80s. The city knew or should have known that the final replat, which eventually gobbled up about 3/4 acres of common land AND the main entrance road was taken without the majority of the Association ever understanding what they were giving away.

They still don't know because the only one that tried to explain it to them was ostracized as the crazy lady on the street. That's me. I won't go through that humiliation again. At least I stopped the individual homeowners from taking the common land, but even that's a lost cause because they control the boards now and they haven't sent out a newsletter in three years to let the new people here know they even exist.

It just goes downhill from there. Attorney after attorney made things worse for reasons which should have gone to the Florida Bar for reprisals, except that it became evident that under a Republican administration in Florida, none of the heavy weights will ever get sanctioned.

So FlaGranny, you can count me in as one of those who HATE Homeowner's Associations. Not because I don't like to follow rules, but because I know how they can be taken over by city shills and/or greedy, nasty people who breach fiduciary responsibility. To sue them is pointless in a cronyistic society.

[FlaGranny]

61. What a horrible experience!

But it's just like anything else I guess - bad people do bad things. Must have been a republican!!!

This is my second homeowners association - so far, knock wood, no problems with either one.

We live in a mobile home community, surrounded by mobile home communities. When we were looking to buy, I checked them all and I found this to be the nicest. When you do have a good association it does wonders for your property values. Ours have skyrocketed. When you have a bad one, well, you already indicated what can happen. Seems kind of like politics, doesn't it?

[The Backlash Cometh]

64. Doesn't seem like. It is.

This city was at the forefront of the property rights movement in Florida. It began as a developer controlled community. Maybe even one of the first in Florida to become what now seems to be standard. You might say, property values have benefited, but the community is a fraud. The monthly community magazines may have gotten glossier, but it's just a show. There is no community here. Just a lot of individuals who don't really trust one another because of the activities from other individuals who have give them reason to distrust. That's why it's so important that we support career public officials who really do understand putting the interest of the public before the interest of developers or politically connected law firms.

[SmokingJacket]

40. There's a town in New York State where

you have to belong to a particular church in order to buy a house there. (Actually the church owns the land; what you buy is a lifetime lease.)

I can rent a place there, but I can't buy a house. Religious discrimination indeed!

[The Backlash Cometh]

42. Isn't there a federal law that prohibits this?

[SmokingJacket]

46. I would have thought there was.

But this town has its own zip code (14752) and I can't own property there.

www.lilydaleassembly.com

Children who live there go to public school, and they have a fire department.

Go figure.

[The Backlash Cometh]

47. Someone should be contesting this. It sounds like a cult.

[MsTryska]

75. lilydale actually seems kind of cool.....

all new agey and stuff.


i bet i would get a kick out of living there:

http://www.lilydaleassembly.com/special_events.php

http://www.lilydaleassembly.com/events.php

[TWiley]

73. I believe it is against the law

to discriminate against potential home buyers just like it is to discriminate against renters.

It would be pretty tough to enforce though. The lots are probably sold at church, and no sane heathen would want to live there anyway.

[Dave Reynolds]

22. I see a HUGE potential

for Kool-Aid concessions.

:evilgrin:

[soup]

23. A deeper look

I looked up Northland church distributed and came across their website. The home page put me off because if I'm reading this correctly their take is - 'the message sent through the devastating tsunami was 'Repent''.
http://www.northlandchurch.org/

Since 1985, Dr. Joel C. Hunter has served as the Senior Pastor of Northland: A Church Distributed. Dr. Hunter received his Doctorate of Ministry from Christian Theological Seminary in Indiana and ministered for 15 years in the United Methodist Church before serving at Northland. Founder and chairman of the Alliance for the Distributed Church, he served as adjunct Professor of Practical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando from 1991 to 2000, and currently is a guest lecturer. He is the founder of The Christian Citizen, a web-based tool for that gives individuals a direct way to give input to government officials ( http://www.thechristiancitizen.net ). And he is on the Boards of Directors for the National Association of Evangelicals, the Global Pastors' Network and The Jobs Partnership of Florida and the Advisory Boards of Man in the Mirror Ministries, Belhaven College, the Christian Sharing Center and Vision Orlando. Dr. Hunter also serves on the editorial board of New Man magazine.
http://www.northlandchurch.org/about_us/pastors/index.htm

So, I checked out some of these connections

The Christian Citizen
"Your voice in government”

Here’s how it works:

From time to time you will be sent an e-mail giving you a chance to respond to an important issue that directly involves your faith. Embedded in that e-mail will be a simple way to give your input directly to the appropriate government representative or agency.
-
What is different about The Christian Citizen from these other politically oriented ministries? Isn’t this just a duplication of efforts?

The Christian Citizen is exclusively “grass roots”. This instrument is not trying to organize a Christian power group to take control. It is meant only to give individual Christian citizens a way to fulfill his or her public duty.
http://www.thechristiancitizen.net/

grassroots? Two of the Ministry Partners listed are:

Christian Coalition of America
http://www.cc.org
and
Family Research Council
http://www.frc.org

---

Vision Orlando
Seeking the transforming presence of God in greater Orlando

'Who we are':

a couple of the Honorary Co-Chairs:

The Honorable Glenda E. Hood
Secretary of State, State of Florida

The Honorable Mel Martinez
Senator, State of Florida
http://www.visionorlando.org/who_we_are.htm

---

New Man Magazine
http://www.newmanmag.com/

is a product of Strang Communications

Our Founders
Stephen Strang has become a leader in the fast-growing Christian communications industry. An award-winning journalist, entrepreneur and businessman, Strang founded an Orlando-based publishing company in 1975. Today it produces books, Christian education materials, five magazines (including one in Spanish) and a weekly national television program on TBN.
http://www.strang.com/

---

I can't quite put my finger on it. Why does all this make me so uncomfortable? Is it because it suddenly seems so pervasive/ invasive? The government connections? The direction they want to take our country? The rigidity and lack of tolerance for others out of the same mouths that declare 'love your neighbor'? Something else? I don't know - but put it all together and it scares the daylights out of me.

[The Backlash Cometh]

28. WOW! You caught them redhanded! And I do mean REDhanded!

This sentence sounds like a chapter from Ralph Reed's psalm and verse:

"From time to time you will be sent an e-mail giving you a chance to respond to an important issue that directly involves your faith"

These people are being used. How can they not see it!

The link to the Visionorlando.org group especially needs attention.

Yes. Those honorary co-chairs draw concern.


The Honorable Richard Crotty
Orange County Chairman

The Honorable Glenda E. Hood
Secretary of State, State of Florida

The Honorable Mel Martinez
Senator, State of Florida

[FlaGranny]

51. All those things that make you uncortable

make me uncomfortable too. If all these nuts move into preplanned communities, though, it might get them out of our hair, so to speak. If they all move in together, they will move out of other neighborhoods, which will immediately become more tolerant and democratic. If they isolate themselves from the sane communities, maybe they would have less impact than they would otherwise. Then again, what do they think they can accomplish this way? Would they be more dangerous or less dangerous to democracy and freedom? Not sure what to think of it.

[fla nocount]

68. It's not a christian thing.....it's a neo-con thing.

And it's happening all over Fla. Just up the road there's a place called the The Villages of Lady Lake. It's all owned by one family, for all intensive purposes it's tax exempt, it's home to tens of thousands who have absolutely no voice in local decisions concerning their future and oddly enough don't seem to care. It's totally contained with it's own churches, charter schools, roads, stores and volunteer vigilanty police force. Two of three surviving family members cast electoral votes in SElection 2000.

The development with it's dozens of bars, hundreds of holes of golf and exclusive "compound" homes for the "real" people is often the gathering place for the assembly of the "ugly" party to plan and celebrate.

Ever seen a drunk republican take a golf cart down a flight of steps because he'd reached the point of no return and couldn't back out? Comical...I saw it with these eyes, couldn't help but admire the look of steely resolve when he raised his glass and put the pedal to the metal.

[poe]

24. Yes I've Seen Them

they are often seen driving around in these very quite slow moving white vehicles open on all sides with what appearsto be a tarp for a roof. they are well armed it seems with silvery clubs, many also have silvery hair, and use these clubs to swing at small round objects on this thin green grass like substance. they seem to smile alot but for no apparent reason will have a tantrum and throw these war clubs around. this is all very curious behavior and should be reported to the homeland office.

[Swamp Rat]

30. HAHA! They're PodPeople!

I've seen 'em all around, but they mostly flock together on large swaths of green, donning a weird, multi-coloured attire while slaves are like pack animals, carrying their metallic instruments. Don't bother calling the Stazi because they work for the freaks.

:D

[poe]

32. crackin' me up

the green eyed Dr. kissinger merits poster hangage in public domain.

Amazing new bill to be introduced by Cynthia McKinney
Washington-A controversial piece of legislation is set to be introduced by Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Titled "The Jowl Limitations Act", (HR 666), seems to have hit a nerve in the Republican headquarters creating quite a flap. When asked what she felt this bill could accomplish Ms. McKinney stated, "I think it's time we restricted the number of pendulous slabs of flesh allowed in the halls of Congress. I mean how many dewlaps is enough. I'm not that tall and I'm tired of being slapped in the face by some corpulent white guys chin. Hey they're drowning us all in their gravy spills, it's gross."
When asked for comment Dennis Hastert wiping the gravy off of his tie said, "Hold on, mmm boy that was good, now what was the question, oh yeah. This is another example of playing politics. In America we believe in freedom and that means freedom to have as many chins as you would like. Now if you'll excuse me,brrppgh, I've got a luncheon to attend.
One of the bills most ardent supporters Dennis Kucinich, (R) Ohio, said, "It's not some kind of vegetarian conspiracy as reported in much of the media. We're not asking them to give up meat, it's a matter of reconceptualizing what you think of as meat."

[ultraist]

25. Is that the one north of Tarpon Springs and Newport Richey?

There is a huge fundie complex going up in that area too.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. Nope. Seminole County.

[ultraist]

31. Christian NUDIST colony: TAX EXEMPT!!! LOL!

Some *christian* developer is making a WHOLE lot of money, TAX FREE off of this scam!!!

http://naturist-christians.org/natura/investment.html
Participate or Invest
A prime peice of property for Natura has been obtained in Hudson Florida, near Tampa. As an established 501-C-3 non-profit Christian religious corporation in the state of Florida any donations are fully tax deductable. Investments are secured by prime land.

Our plans are to redevelop the old Florida Naturist Park into Natura Family Naturist Resort Community.

Natura is a Christian ministry whose mission is to help all of God's people realize their fullest potential through the development of the spirit, mind, and body in a context which affirms the goodness of God's creation.

Located in beautiful, naturist friendly, and rapidly growing Pasco County, Florida. We not only have the original park of 120 acres under contract but we have closed on an additional 115 adjoining acres for new construction. Excellent schools, shopping, hospitals, etc. within 3 miles. Very convenient to Tampa Florida for outstanding employment opportunities.

Natura will be a resort - community - ministry based on Naturist Christian principles with a heavy emphasis on families with children. It will include a water play area that will be will be a great attraction for families and be a wonderful, unique addition to a naturist resort. With the new acreage, we will also be able to provide over 500 new homes – many within the park and many on the 80 front acres on Hudson Avenue. The layout for many of these homes will provide for non-naturist friends to visit with greater ease, while still allowing easy access to the nude recreation areas.

Natura is being developed by Continuing Care Inc. an established 501-C-3 non-profit Christian religious corporation in the state of Florida. Continuing Care has developed and consulted on several multi-million dollar retirement communities and currently operates Naturist-Christians.org the largest Christian Naturist web site and Group online

[Stop_the_War]

26. This reminds me of the movie "The Village"....n/t

[Cats Against Frist]

29. Let them build compounds

the sooner they split off and form their own country, the better.

Sorry to encourage this, for people who live in the Bible Belt/South, but I've had the "you go to your corner, I'll go to mine," philosophy in mind for quite a while.

[The Backlash Cometh]

43. They don't have to build compounds. They are everywhere.

Or they're good at giving the appearance that they are.

[neebob]

33. So I sez to myself, sez I, "What the HECK is a church distributed?"

and I googled on the phrase, and the Northland Church was the number-one hit, and page was number three: http://www.thechurchdistributed.org/Docs/five_principles/index.htm

You know it can't be a good thing when it takes eight pages to explain, and after reading those eight pages, you STILL don't know what a church distributed is.

If you back up in the url, to http://www.churchdistributed.org, click on "Defining" under "Philosophy" on the left, you'll see the heading "What is 'a church distributed'?" So it seems they recognize that people want to know, and you think they might answer the question, but it just leads to another series of pages of B.S.

You know what? I don't trust this guy, Dr. Joel C. Hunter.

[soup]

39. Oh, thank you neebob!

thank you thank you thank you!

I couldn't make heads nor tails of it, either - thought it was me and what few functioning brain cells I have left giving up in frustration. Maybe I'm not quite as far gone as I thought?

One blip in the midst of all the gobbledy-gook caught my eye and made me smile, though:

>An alternative is in the way some Africans respond to the question, “How are you?” They reply, “I am well if you are well.”<

“I am well if you are well.”

*sigh* That's where I want to be. not my way or the highway, for us or against us, my God is bigger than your God, do as I say - not as I do, etcetera etcetera etcetera...

“I am well if you are well.”

---
and for what it's worth? I don't trust much of anything anymore, let alone this guy, Dr. Joel C. Hunter and whatever the heck a church distributed is.

Oh, and on edit, you're link isn't working. I think the comma at the end throws it off. http://www.thechurchdistributed.org/

[neebob]

63. Thanks for correcting my link

Of course it's too late for me to edit. You obviously read the 8+ pages of B.S. more carefully than I did - I just skimmed and didn't see anything that wasn't B.S. Seems to me if you really want someone to know what your church distributed is, you tell them in a couple of paragraphs. If you want them to be all confused and think it sounds good but not pass judgment on it - say, you want them to join a cult - you ramble on for several pages.

I'm not saying it is a cult; it just doesn't not look like one.

Dr. Joel C. Hunter is also the author of a book entitled Prayer, Politics and Power: What Really Happens When Religion and Politics Mix?. My guess is you get very rich and hang out with these people: http://www.maninthemirror.org/cac.htm

[The Backlash Cometh]

44. Methinks your conclusion is the only correct one.

[Cats Against Frist]

58. Is it kind of like a girl, interrupted?

Seriously, I read it and thought the same thing -- "what the holy fuck?" These people really are crazy.

[KitchenWitch]

35. Pardon my ignorance

but are there not housing and urban development laws and federal housing authority laws that would prohibit such discrimination based upon creed? Yes, I know the next stop for our current government is Theocracyville, but I would think the ACLU would fight these church groups tooth and nail about denying non-members "access" to the housing and the schools that are being planned.

[ultraist]

37. check out the TAX EXEMPT christian nudist colony website linked above

[The Backlash Cometh]

45. That's not an ignorant comment. Who was the one who said it?

To paraphrase: Evil prevails where good men do nothing. And in Seminole County, all kinds of evil prevails.

[TWiley]

50. Segregation is a genuine Christian belief.

Especially in the Bible belt. They believe it preserves the integrity of all races and creeds.

The rest of us heathens know it as a rationalization for discrimination.

[More Than A Feeling]

52. Wrong. segregation is not a genuine Christian belief

"Love the Lord thy God with all your heart and soul, and love your neighbor as youself"

That is the message of Jesus. It's about as far from segregation as you can get.

[TWiley]

65. It is easier to "Love your Neighbor"

when he goes to the same church.

With the evangelical influence in politics, religiouis intolerance is growing daily.

Could it be true that the "Christians" you are thinking of are actually mythalogical creatures, as evidenced by the fact that most contemporary ones are judgemental as hell of any differing viewpoint?

[More Than A Feeling]

66. Look, I share your dislike of religious intolerance

Currently, I am interning at Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, so I am very familiar with what is going on.

Check out the parable of the Good Samaritan for a definition of who one's neighbor is.

[TWiley]

70. I believe that we agree in principle.

However, "Christian" values are simply not evident in a majority of American believers.

I used to be tortured by this as well. I simply decided to face reality for what it is.

Christianity should not be defined by mythological class of believers. It should be defined by the actions of the majority of its members. Only then will the world get a genuine look at its soul. It is the incorrect use of the equal sign placed between what we wish, and what really is that is the problem.

I believe this would be called placing a wolf in sheep's clothing, and I suspect you understand how Jesus would feel about that.

Are we participating in this sin by refusing to acknowledge the truth which allows still greater numbers to be deceived?

[Thtwudbeme]

36. I think that's a lovely state for them

nt

[klyon]

41. but will the dogs still run?

sorry just kidding

KL

[TWiley]

49. There are "Christian" subdivisions in our town as well.

Could you really imagine living in a place like that?

Those perverts will soon be digging though your garbage and peeking in your window at night to find a reason to toss you out of the subdivision so their nephew could buy your house cheap.

[Divine Discontent]

72. that's funny & truthful I'm SURE with some of these people

people in general can be very devisive and mischevious if they CHOOSE to be. I may not UNDERSTAND why someone has a difference of opinion than my own, and may even think, "how absurd", but at the end of the conversation, it is their opinion and I truly respect that, so not all the Christians are the same, we're just all created equal and have the same opportunities to be Christ-like as much as possible, and when we don't act like that, we should repent.


and Christian nudist colony???? gimme a break!
first, some of my old friends would be kicked out because too many people would be lusting after them cause they look like polo models, and others (including me to a degree) would have people laughing about us behind our backs, ok, in front of our faces is more like it, I certainly think that clothing is NOT an option. lol..

[TWiley]

76. What has me curious,

and I don't want to sound rude, but is it REALLY true that those who call themselves "Christians" are morally superior to non-believers?

It seems that folks just utter the magic prayer, and all their sins, past, present, and future, are forgiven.

I am not wondering about "the way it should be", I am wondering about "how it really is".

Do Christian teenagers really have less sex? Do Christian husbands beat their wives less? Are there fewer divorces in Christian families?

The only statistical evidence that I have heard shows that these numbers are greater than they are in the general population, primarily throughout the Bible Belt.

Do people really find permanent and meaningful change, or is merely vocalizing a wish.

[Peak_Oil]

53. It's a free country. Let em do it.

Why not? Who cares if they do? Lefites have communes, and the right-wing Christians have Landover Baptist Church. So what.

Actually, it's probably their right to do this if they want. Freedom of religion, right to assemble, private property, etc. They should definitely have the right.

[The Backlash Cometh]

57. If they have public roads, it's not a private community.

[tsuki]

60. And stay there. Unfortunately, we have a Kool-Aid Kommunity in

our area. They have their fingers in everything. We had to change the Halloween Carnival to Fall Festival. If Halloween was okay for my Methodist Mom and Baptist Dad, I just don't understand why it is Satanic now. They preach, preach everywhere "morality." They use their church to endorse candidates. They vote in a block. They harass poll workers. They slander educators at public meetings. They are hateful, hateful people.

Be aware of what is moving into your area.

[AngryAmish]

59. Keep them in one place

So we know where to find them.

[Must_B_Free]

67. Sounds like a Lifetime Movie I saw

I think may have had John Ritter and Hal Linden.

Family moves into to a high tech ultra secure posh home at a bargain price.

Turns out there are miles of rules and regulations, internal security moniter and punish inhabitants and they discover that the entire place is wired with surveilance equipment.

Families that try to escape are eliminated.

[DemonFighterLives]

69. Their Utopia won't work

There will be problems of all sorts. It is sickening for them to think if they just cut out the______s, all will be well. They will still have fights, divorces, drunken driving and other disputes. I don't think I could last more than a week in LaLa land.

[sandnsea]

71. Liberals built them first

Here's two links

http://www.cohousing.org

http://www.ecovillages.org

[MsTryska]

74. funny that you bring up solivita.

my folks live there, and what you were describing sounds jsut liek the damn place.

is there soemthing about their neighborhood i should know about?

i thought it was jsut retirements folks. i didn't realize there was some other agenda, and i don't think my folks do either. altho they do realize they're int eh minority with their dem leanings and all.