Posted on 11/28/2001 5:56:58 AM PST by Cagey
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Reuters) - A Kansas retreat that caters to witches and pagan rituals is fighting for survival amid community talk that naked witches may be weaving magical spells in the moonlight.
The owners of the Gaea Retreat Center, a 168-acre camp west of Kansas City that is home to such annual events as the Gaea Goddess Gathering and a "Heartland Pagan Spiritual event" filed suit on Monday in Leavenworth County District Court after county commissioners effectively put the retreat out of business by denying it a renewal of its land use permit.
"They say they're afraid of us, what we do here, the sound of drums. ... They don't know how lucky they are to have us as their neighbors," caretaker Wanda Roths said. "We're very quiet, very peaceful. There has never been any trouble out here."
The Leavenworth County commissioners denied the renewal for the permit, issued six years ago, in late October after a community petition raised accusations that the retreat fostered public nudity, pedophilia, and illegal drug and alcohol use. Neighbors also expressed concern about devil worship.
The suit claims the commissioners' denial is illegal and unconstitutional, as well as violating laws protecting freedom of religious expression and practice.
Lawyers for the county declined to comment.
The retreat denies any illegal activity, and county officials say there is no evidence of any.
Roths said there are "clothing optional" locations on the retreat grounds, and witches, Wiccans and other pagans do sometimes hold nighttime meetings around bonfires. But the retreat at times also attracts more traditional religious followers, she said.
Gaea, which means "Mother Earth," offers sanctuary to a variety of alternative religions and lifestyles, according to Roths. "We accept anybody," she said.
Before its current incarnation, the sprawling site was a church camp.
I remember at the start of the WACO siege reading that the individuals in question indulged in the above.
It is a common practice to accuse any group you don’t like of the above before you make your move on them.
I remember as a young boy this was the early 60s,from a strict catholic family, being warned to stay away from the local synagogue because old Jewish men liked young catholic boys.
Tony
That would be sir. That was weak, I'd prefer a statement that I could actually say something about.
From the article it would sound like they aren't in plain sight of anyone, but rather obscured by acres of trees.
If you are a good practising Christian, all the nonesensical spell-casting of these poor deluded individuals shouldn't bother you. Its nonsense.
There are more important things to be concerned about than a handfull of these people. Besides, it IS a free country. As long as they don't commit a crime, they can dance around in the moonlight all they want as long as they leave us alone.
I trust you have a source for this, or do you just make stuff up as you go along?
I've read a lot about wicca and paganism on the internet and I keep my eyes open. My ex-inlaws who have gay kids are into paganism. Their dad left his wife for his boyfriend and they are into paganism. Time and time again on the internet if you find a male pagan you will find that he is also gay. It is a probability thing, not a 100 percent thing.
How is that 'public'? You make it sound like they're standing on Main Street.
You are right about that. That charge sure seems like a stretch.
Behold, from the article you obviously have not read:
The Leavenworth County commissioners denied the renewal for the permit, issued six years ago, in late October after a community petition raised accusations that the retreat fostered public nudity, pedophilia, and illegal drug and alcohol use.
They may or may not have any evidence of this, but calling someone a mean spirited liar when he is only quoting from the article is unfair.
The article does not say. Who knows?
Oh, so you've been to my backyard!
I don't think I said anything that shows that I personally feel threatened by those people way over there. I may have indicated that I can understand the concern of the people who live close to them though. I have a lot of kids and I get 'threatened' or concerned by any anti-Christian morality in proportion to it's potential influence on my kids. If a huge gay pagan nudist camp opened next to my house I'd be pretty concerned. What happens in Kansas is not 100 percent isolated from me and I don't ignore it. It's kind of like the Freeper 2nd ammendment thing. Every little win is celebrated and every little loss is lamented.
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