Philadelphia Is Going After Churches Now
By Wyatt Earp | September 10, 2010
First they came for the firefighters. Then they came for the bloggers. Then they came for the cupcake vendors. Now the city is going after those eeeeevil Roman Catholic churches:
In a neighborhood known for its loud and raucous bar scene, some residents are demanding that the city silence a Manayunk church from ringing its bell at 7 a.m. The city health department is now threatening church officials with hefty fines for being morning people in Manayunk.
St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church is facing a $700 fine each day, if the bell violates Philadelphia’s 2006 noise law.
The church has been a part of the community for 179 years. Ever since a $20,000 gift was given to repair the bell last year, it has rung the prayer known as the Angelus every day at 7 a.m. – an hour later than the 6 a.m. traditional time for the chimes.
This is a complete and utter disgrace. It’s not bad enough that Mayor Nutter is closing fire stations, extorting money from bloggers and towing away food vendors? Now they are going to fine a church $700 A DAY because a few morons are complaining about a bell?
Think this would be happening if the “offensive” party was a mosque?
Topics: Philly, WTF? | 29 Comments »
September 10th, 2010 at 7:11 am
Come to Cleveland Wyatt, hell, Elliot Ness did. Only half the people here are scum. We haven’t reached the Philly, NY, San Fran, LA or Washington levels yet.
September 10th, 2010 at 7:35 am
Jon – Meh, I just can’t cheer for the Browns.
September 10th, 2010 at 8:03 am
A church bell at 7 AM is a problem, but the nuisance bars at 2 AM aren’t? Talk about selective enforcement. Oh yeah, that’s right- Nutter makes money off of the nuisance bars. My mistake.
September 10th, 2010 at 8:16 am
You are right, Wyatt!!
It’s OK to do this because it is a Catholic church!
Nutter is a lost cause!! Philly needs another Rizzo!!
September 10th, 2010 at 8:22 am
Gotta start weeding out those pesky Christian churches to make way for the new Mega-Mosques.
Maybe the nut case in Flordia could burn a Philly City Charter copy also on Saturday?
September 10th, 2010 at 8:23 am
Mrs. Crankipants – A church bell at 7am is only a problem when it’s a Catholic church. Why? Because Catholics don’t behead people when they feel they were wronged.
Danny – There were rumors Sam Katz was going to try and run against Nutter. That would be nice – a man who actually understands business running a depressed city.
Jon – I would support that move!
September 10th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Wait until the mooslimbs take over there: prayer calls (wailing over a loudspeaker imulating a cat getting castrated without anesthesia) five times each and every day starting before sunrise and ending after sunset, flogging the drunks that are complaining about the noise, stoning women who dare to go out unveiled or unescorted, etc., etc. The idiots in charge now will look back and wish for a real religion of peace to be in the neighborhood.
September 10th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Because the drunks got angry because the church bell amplifies the hangover they are trying to sleep off.
Seriously, does anyone in Philadelphia understand the beauty of a ringing church bell? It rings in hope, the gift of the day that God has given us.
Instead some idiot city bureaucrats would be happier with the roar of old Chevys with no muffler, Harley-Davidsons revving up and the screech rap of 50 Cents telling you the beauty of gangs, drugs and Hos…
September 10th, 2010 at 10:55 am
All part of the Sharia plan……..I know I sound paranoid but I fear for our future……..
September 10th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Robert B. – My grandmother lived next to a Slovak church in Bridgeport, PA. The bells – three of them in a tower – were about ten feet from the house, and they rang three times a day. And you know what? No one cared!
Ferrell – The Manayunk neighborhood is lib central, but never thought they would get this idiotic. Apparently, I was wrong.
LDIV – I’ll fear if the Ground Zero Mosque is built. After that, it’s goodbye America.
September 10th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
They’ve done this at volunteer fire companies where I used to live. Admittedly, we all had pagers, but the siren filled a gap.
September 10th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Church Bells are like living by the train tracks. It bugs you the first day, but after that not so much. I am with the rest of the crowd, when all the mosques are allowed to have calls to prayer why are we even talking about a church that has been there for 179 years.
September 10th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
At least the mayor is appropriately named. He is a real nutter.
September 10th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
I promise you they are Obama voters.
September 10th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
[...] Wyatt: Philly vs Church bells [...]
September 10th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
By enforcing this ban against the Catholics, the city will be able to enforce it against the Muslims who want the call to prayer broadcast.
I know the Pope doesn’t allow you people to use birth control, but I didn’t realize there was a prohibition against clocks and watches as well.
You can’t have special rules for things you like (christian church bells) and then expect to legally be able to prohibit things you don’t (the call to prayer). I prefer my ears not to be assaulted by your various superstitions at 7 AM.
September 10th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Scott – That’s cool, because I prefer my ears not be assaulted by your obnoxious, drunken bar-hopping.
Why is it that all of my trolls – especially the monosyllabic ones – are named Scott? Must be something about the name. You’re obviously new here, but like most liberal trolls, you think you know everything there is to know about me, my commenters, and the blog after reading one post. A post your Mommy probably had to read to you while you stay rent-free in her basement.
But I digress.
Show me where I want to prohibit the call to prayer? Please, I’ll wait.
Find it? Of course you didn’t, because I didn’t write that here. What I did write was that the city would never dare to fine a mosque for a call to prayer, even though it has no problem doling out fines to a Catholic church. Why? Easy, because Catholics don’t threaten to behead those who disagree with them.
As for your poor, assaulted ears, may I suggest you turn up the volume of your Bob Marley CD. That should drown out the sounds of the evil, evil Catholics. Boo!
What rights do they have, anyway? They have only been in Manayunk for 179 years. You, on the other hand, have been polluting our gene pool for what? 25 years? Idiot.
September 10th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Scott, St. John the Baptist has been a cornerstone of the neighborhood for almost two centuries. They rang their bell daily, except for the time that it was broken, for years. If you don’t like it- MOVE. It’s a church bell, not obnoxious music blaring from a passing car, or gunshots, or screaming drunks rolling out of a bar. Get over yourself.
September 10th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
I agree 100% They will not even attempt this crap when the muezzin calls. And maroons like Scott–that’s right, maroon–won’t be half as funny (as they think they are) when that time comes.
Thanks for the great blog, Wyatt. You might be interested to know that I am going to see some (somewhat) authentic baggataway in Milwaukee tomorrow.
September 10th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Centaur – Lucky stiff! Hope you have great weather for it!
September 10th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Yeah — the wealther might be iffy. But the baggataway is scheduled first (hopefully b4 rain), followed by a chumash tourney and then (I think on Sunday) a lacrosse tourney. Good fun. I’ll let you know how it goes.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Jeez, Wyatt, you were way too polite to that nutter. Hey, Scott, go to Mecca and try that. If you still have your head when you return, let me know.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
If I were the Bishop in Philly, those bells would be ringing at 6 AM tomorrow.
September 11th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
This is the problem with people using our freedoms against us. Comparing the Muslim call to prayer (5 TIMES A DAY) to the once or twice a day Church bell is exactly the kind of comparison the Muslims want. Hey I’m ok with that except for the fact that there ARE NO CHURCH BELLS IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES! THAT is the difference. We believe in religious freedom, THEY DON’T. I’m not comfortable extending it to those who are out to destroy us, It’s kind of like me believing in gun rights and handing Charles Manson a .357.
We should be demanding a quid pro quo you know as a good faith gesture on their part. After all, all Muslims want is to get along with us…
September 11th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
I want to be spared the call to prayer. Just like I want to be spared loud church bells at 7AM. Just like if there’s a new popular religion that starts tomorrow demanding loud screams at 11 PM. If you allow one you must allow all, and I for one don’t wish to allow any. Oh, and I’m not a liberal if you mean leftist/statist. If you mean laissez-faire liberal where churches don’t get to play by special rules, then yes.
When some mosque tries this I would like the city to be able to say “no, just like the catholics, you can’t do it.” And have that decision upheld. If we don’t stop the catholics from doing it, we will hear the call to prayer.
September 11th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Bob – Yeah, no head for you! *chop*
Jean – Might as well. If they’re going to fine them, they might as well drop their compromise.
Captain – Yeah, and their version of a meet and greet is flying planes into buildings.
Scott – Liberal is liberal, chief. At least admit what you are. I’m sorry the church bells so inconvenience you and your life. Maybe the city can remove all of the car alarms, loud radios, and sounds of birds chirping for ya. How’s that sound?
September 11th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
The bells are pushing out the demons and now the devil is complains to the advoate the politican.
September 12th, 2010 at 10:20 am
Medic Bob – And a few people complain, so the city decided to overreact . . . again.
September 12th, 2010 at 10:52 am
[...] Support Your Local Gunfighter points to Philly’s war on churches [...]