I have a post up at the other site about a couple of communities denying permits to build Buddhist temples or dharma centers. The Justice Department recently filed a suit against a California community for blatant discrimination against a proposed Zen center. You can read the suit, United States v. City of Walnut, California, here.
The story, in brief: The Chung Tai Zen Center, with between 100 and 200 members, had been holding services and meditation classes in a house sitting on a 2.19 acre lot. The area is zoned for residences and churches, and several churches are in the neighborhood.
In 2001 the zennies decided they needed a bigger space. They drew up plans in consultation with other organizations in the neighborhood and with city officials. In 2003, they submitted their plans to the Planning Commission for feedback.
The Planning Commission expressed concern that the proposed facility would be too large and didn’t provide enough on-site parking. The PC told the zennies they could get a permit for a smaller facility. However, at the same meeting the Vice-Chair of the PC expressed concern that the zennies would try to “recruit” students at a local Middle School.
So the zennies downsized the plans by more than 40 percent and provided for parking lots, and applied for a permit to build. The PC said the facility was still too big. The PC also asked the zennies to limit the size and frequency of meditation classes and provide valet parking for special events. Further, the zennies were asked to submit a traffic study to be sure the facility didn’t foul up traffic.
So the zennies did that, and the PC decided they didn’t like the traffic study (which anticipated no serious problem) and asked for another one that included additional data that, the PC admitted, were not usually required.
Finally, in 2008, the PC held a public hearing and voted to deny the permit.
At the January 16, 2008 hearing, the Commissioners provided explanations for denying the application, including a belief that the Zen Center would be a “tourist attraction” and would attract numerous visitors and adherents from outside Walnut. Although the proposed Zen Center was in fact smaller than other houses of worship in Walnut, certain Commissioners stated that the Zen Center, as a Buddhist house of worship, would resemble much larger Buddhist temples elsewhere in California and in Taiwan.
Later in 2008, the Walnut PC approved the building of a Catholic Church in the same neighborhood. The church will be three times larger than the Zen Center would have been. Further, after the denial of the permit, the zennies were no longer allowed to use the house they’d been using for religious purposes, so they had to move to another community. Effectively, they were run out of town.
As I said, the Justice Department has filed a suit.
The other recent episode occurred in Rankin County, Mississippi. A group of about 20 Vietnamese immigrants had been using an old trailer parked on a three-acre plot in Pelahatchie as their temple. They decided to build a proper temple, and applied to the local Board of Supervisors for a permit. Apparently the temple would not have been in violation of existing zoning ordinances, but the B of S turned them down, anyway. “If your congregation was to grow, where is it going to grow?” the County Supervisor said.
The Buddhists have a three-acre plot, notice. I’m guessing Rankin County is well stocked with big Southern Baptist churches, and that many of those churches are built on less than three-acre plots.
The B of S also had received a petition signed by 130 residents opposed to the temple. The signees said they were afraid the temple would screw up local traffic.
I monitor news stories involving Buddhism, and such stories about building permit denials come up occasionally. Sometimes permits are denied because of zoning laws, but more often the claim is that the temple will cause traffic and parking congestion. It’s hard to tell from a distance whether such claims are legitimate. But somehow I have a hard time believing that a little temple on a three-acre plot in Pelahatchie, Mississippi, would necessarily tie the community up in gridlock.
There are numerous instances, where mainstream churches do create gridlock at times. Yet, this is entirely unremarkable and tolerated by the communities in which they are located.
So, which would I want. A Buddhist Zen center or a huge Evangelical mega-church in my neighborhood? No questions, the Zen center. One, they won’t try and convert me or hand me tracts of the “Four Spiritual Laws”. Two, they are peaceful while most of Evangelicals support torture. Three, they are sincere in their faith while most Evangellies are not. Have they read the Bible? Do they see how Jesus rips on the rich all the time? If you have a literal translation of the Bible and it says, “Hey, rich folk ain’t gettin’ into heaven”, doesn’t that mean you shouldn’t be rich? LITERALLY.
In NY City, when the city mice go to pray, they don’t cause a whole lot of traffic because most people live in the neighborhood, or within a few stops on the subway or bus. Sure, some may drive to go the religious facility where they grew up, even after they moved away, but that’s not a significant enough number to tie up the LIE, or Cross Bronx.
When I lived down South, the country and suburban mice who went to mega-churches blocked traffic to the point where you had to have several local police officers at each church location directing traffic, and this was on major roads, frequently in the same town! Why? Because everyone comes by car. Little or no mass transportation. No one really complains, and if you’re not a religious person going to church that morning but just someone out for and errand, well, you leave earlier, and deal with it, that’s all.
For those towns to use traffic as an excuse is pretty lame, if not bordering on outright racism. OK then, in the future, no new churches, or big expansions, ought to be allowed in those same towns. Anyone wanna bet that that’s gonna happen?
So, “traffic” may be newer version of a dog whistly code for n****r, sp**k, ch**k, or some other local variation for the non-whites in the comunity.
I’ve got to admit, this is a pretty smart way for towns to try to block other people from praying to their own God. Sue the shit out of them!
There are places where Zen is growing enough to alarm the straights? Cool! I thought it was going to revert to a small and exclusive semisecret esoteric society with special robes and hand postures and a jargon inaccessible to, uh, anybody too lazy to access it.
The Cambridge Buddhist Association has neighbors that give it zoning grief. When the late Theravadan Patriarch Ghosananda was to attend, these neighbors alerted city officials to their concerns about traffic congestion. The CBA is a ten-minute walk from Harvard Square, and, given a choice, nobody in their right mind attends events on Cambridge’s twisty little streets with a car! The hostile neighbors got the Fire Department to limit the number of people in the big old mansion to 80.
In my experience, most Americans tend to be religiously illiterate even about their own religion. Low-profile religions like Buddhism make little impression on them — such groups just share the label of “Other” and people wonder how on earth anybody could possibly believe in such things, whatever they are. Whenever I try to explain Buddhism to many people, they assume I am proselytizing and cut me off.
But, really, it’s just part of paying dues for the sake of a commitment to spiritual truths one seeks or has found, a concept that seems to have evaporated from American Pop Christianity.
I thought it was going to revert to a small and exclusive semisecret esoteric society with special robes and hand postures and a jargon inaccessible to, uh, anybody too lazy to access it.
Oh, that’s pretty much what it is, but that’s why it’s fun.
So, “traffic†may be newer version of a dog whistly code for n****r, sp**k, ch**k, or some other local variation for the non-whites in the comunity.
That’s what I’m starting to suspect.
So, building a Catholic church close to schools is okay, but, a Zen cultural center, nah. These PC zonies haven’t been paying attention to Mahoney’s boys, have they?
Hmm, the dates in that lawsuit are interesting. The city of Walnut’s shenanigans took place in Dubya’s second term; the suit, of course, is brought by Eric Holder’s Justice Dept.
btw, I understand Gawd may have tried to smite New York with a tornado last night. (That would be the “terrist” Gawd.) Tornadoes are the last thing you need.
“the Vice-Chair of the PC expressed concern that the zennies would try to “recruit†students at a local Middle School”
Amazing, isn’t the whole point of the evangelical zombies to recruit new cult members? I have people coming to my house banging on my doors and leaving “sky-wizard” propaganda on a regular basis. When I’m home I love to answer the door in my skivvies with a pistol in my hand that usually does the trick!
Here in Kissimmee, we have a Sikh temple, a Jewish temple, two Mosques, a whole bunch of strip mall pentecostal type latin churches, most types of Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, and a Buddhist center; the latest constructed being the Buddhist center and a large Mosque in nearby Cambell City ( which is a mixture of white retirees and lower middle class red necks). On my way home from worshipping at the Home Depot last saturday, I noticed a Sheriff Deputy car posted at the Mosque, possibly due to the impending Qu’ran burning in Gainsville.
There are many different faiths in our community, most seem to get along while each professing to be the “truth”. I truly fear the recent “Islamophobia”, and what might come out of it, especially since it continues to be thrusted into our faces.
Tornadoes are the last thing you need.
They have pitiful little weenie tornadoes here. They knock over some trees and rip off a few roofs. Back home in the Ozarks, to qualify as a tornado a storm had to relocate a trailer park.
When I’m home I love to answer the door in my skivvies with a pistol in my hand that usually does the trick!
The pistol is overkill. 🙂
“The pistol is overkill”
Maybe but look on their faces is priceless. I actually had one old bag call the law, she sat on the road in front of my house and waited for the sheriff, he came and asked me why I would answer the door with my pistol, I answered why not? After showing him my registration and carry and conceal permit and asking if he’s like to see my entire collection he went out and told the old bag to move on! She has not been back since.
We’re actually experiencing world-wide religious wars – Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Shintos (Buddhism is not a religion but apparently some think it is) and everything in between are at logger-heads. Simply put, if you’re not with me, you’re against me – automatically.
An hour ago I thought any solution to this pernicious development was impossible but not now. Jon Stewart and S. Colbert are planning rallies in DC close to election day. Humor may just save the day only because humor is neither irrational nor rational.
Felicity,
I would agree, but it won’t work because conservatives, unfortunately, have an ‘irony deficiency…’
Still, it would be nice if it drew more than a few hundred thousand for their “Mock Concert!”
cundgulag – You absolutely hit the nail on the head. Just the other day it occurred to me that what conservatives absolutely lack is any sense of irony. They’re really a morbidly serious bunch of folks for whom seeing irony, incongruity, paradox, sarcasm and contradiction is an utter impossibility. Especially noticeable and therefore impossible to get across to them is the incongruity and contradiction in much of what they believe. Very frustrating for those of us trying to point it out to them – really a lost cause in fact.
On my way home from worshipping at the Home Depot last saturday
All praise be to Homer D. Poe!…I didn’t know they had Saturday services. La Iglesia de Herramientas ?
In Clearwater, Fl. we have an Albanian Islamic center complete with a minaret topped of with a crescent moon..We also have the headquarters for the Church of Scientology ..they basically own Clearwater!
somehow I have a hard time believing that a little temple on a three-acre plot in Pelahatchie, Mississippi, would necessarily tie the community up in gridlock.
Are you nuts? Think about it. Where do they have a lot of Buddhists? China, India, Thailand, places like that. And cities in those countries have crazy traffic. (I’ve seen pictures). QED. Sheesh.
I’ve never known Buddhists to go out and try to convert people. They don’t do they, Maha?
Buddhist evangelism — Zen very much discourages people from trying to convert anyone, and I think most other schools do also. Some parts of the Nichiren school are an exception.
Swami, the Church of Homer D. Poe has services 7 days per week, the most popular being Sat. and Sun. My fave is is Super Bowl Sunday, due to a conspicuous lack of attendence. I’ve been known to utter “Holy Shit” and “Jesus Christ” while searching for the truth in the pipe fitting bins and in the fastener section. I make a weekly tithing of 10 – 20 percent.
I’m familiar with the Albanian Islamic center on North Ft. Harrison, and with the cosmic sailor center in the former, once thriving down town.
UncleDad, is that your pistol pistol, or your pistol, or your medication?
Felicity, I think you’re right.
Maha, be thankful for the wimpy tornado.
UncleDad, is that your pistol pistol, or your pistol, or your medication?
LMAO…I was wondering the same thing. Was Mr. Johnson peeking out to see the bible thumper at the door?
An hour ago I thought any solution to this pernicious development was impossible but not now. Jon Stewart and S. Colbert are planning rallies in DC close to election day.
I’m half-seriously considering attending these “competing” events. (Main drawback: I hate to fly anymore.) But which one to attend? I agree more in spirit with Stewart’s “Restoring Sanity” theme, but I’m also drawn to my secret boyfriend Colbert’s “No, We Need MORE Freaking Out!” perspective. I suppose I could mosey back and forth between the two, and inflate the numbers for the teevee cameras.
I’m not sure it matters that the Tea Party doesn’t have a healthy sense of humor… I think the purpose of these parody events is to restore our own ability to laugh, and lift our spirits to resist the crazies and their evil overlords & ladies.
Not that this comment thread is lacking in LOLs. Mighty hilarious stuff, y’all.
Swami,
I knew uncledad was talking about a real “pistol pistol,” because he said when the cop came in, he showed him his registration.
My ‘johnson’ never needed a registration.
OMG, maybe the reason I never needed to register my ‘johnson,’ is that it was too small a caliber…
It was a real pistol, I’m irish so the alternative, not so scary!
I just had to post this because it’s so delightful:
NY City should do the same.
But I’m not worried about him, no matter how much they bill him.
They’ll have some radio-a-thon, and the Rush, Glenn, Sean, and Savage listeners will fall all over themselves sending money to this ass and his shit-hole church, proving once again ‘that a fool and his money are soon farted.’