Comments on: Church bells cost bishop

By: NJLawyer

NJLawyer — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:51:06 +0000

If, indeed, the bells are no louder than the ice cream truck chimes, then the judge has singled out the bishop, and the bishop should appeal — disparate treatment — and throw in the free exercise clause, too, though one wonders how many of you would want to hear the muezzin sing at dawn.

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By: TRS

TRS — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:35:01 +0000

In San Diego, where I used to live, Balboa Park has a clock tower, and it rings all the time. Totally secular.

But, I loved the sound when I would go there or to the famous zoo (right next door.) It is very peaceful and beautiful.

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By: feistyburg

feistyburg — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:38:52 +0000

I am blessed to live between a Catholic church and a Methodist church where the bells peal every 15 minutes, with hymns chimed after the bells on the hour. I love working in my garden and singing to the hymns. It’s a reminder that Christianity isn’t totally dead in my little corner of the world. And it isn’t nearly as loud as motorcycles, engine brakes, or car radio music which we hear regularly.
I am puzzled as to why a bishop was sentenced. Isn’t a bishop the person in charge of the diocese? Or does he just happen to be the pastor of this church?

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By: mumsee

mumsee — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:10:05 +0000

I like church bells. They are soothing and peaceful and a reminder of good things. I even liked the call to prayer in Egypt. Not because it was soothing and peaceful but because it was a reminder of our need to be in prayer always. And it was a way of saying this is a community.

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By: arcadia

arcadia — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:07:33 +0000

I like church bells. I like chiming grandfather clocks, too. But I don’t particularly like cuckoo clocks.

I hope the officials involved had a reason to do what they did. Noise ordinances are difficult to formulate and difficult to enforce.

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By: Random Name

Random Name — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:49:59 +0000

I have sent a virus to your computer that will cause it to beeptoll loudly every three minutes, even if you shut off the sound.

That way you will not need to send for whom the bell tolls.

A woman in a town near where I live got into a dispute with a neighbor. She sat outside his house in her car and honked loudly for ten minutes. She continued more honking lately.

When she was arrested, she said, “I am expressing my free speech.”

Judge Richard J. Thorpe ruled Monday that “Horn honking which is done to annoy or harass others is not speech.”

Maybe tolling your church bell too much is not freedom of religion.

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By: Mark Roth

Mark Roth — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:38:41 +0000

Ding dong — I like bell sounds. Have these particular bell sounds been synthesized and digitized for download?

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By: slesliec

slesliec — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:25:13 +0000

Amazing! California is talking about releasing 50,000 prisoners because of overcrowding – just release them onto the streets with no place to go:

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Federal judges on Monday tentatively ordered California to release tens of thousands of inmates, up to a third of all (160K) prisoners, in the next three years to stop dangerous overcrowding.

…and Arizona gave this priest a prison sentence (albeit suspended). Perhaps California should send its overflow prisoners to Arizona since they don’t seem to have enough there.

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By: Kathy

Kathy — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:04:46 +0000

We live half a block from a 100+ year-old church with a large clock and bell tower that can be seen from miles away. They too chime the hours. Some years ago someone moved into the neighborhood and went around trying to collect signatures on a petition to stop the bell. Thankfully they gave up before they got to me.Why would I want to stop the most pleasant sound in the area? We are also within three blocks of two separate sets of heavily-used train tracks with numerous local crossings that require whistles at all hours of the night and (half a block in the opposite direction from the church) we have a state highway that is used heavily by both trucks and ambulances from several surrounding communities. I much prefer the sound of church bells. BTW the petition person moved away just a couple of years after trying to change our neighborhood.

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By: Chas

Chas — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:26:35 +0000

If you live in Phoenix, don’t go to Charleston, SC. St. Michael’s chimes every 15 minutes and strokes the number on the hour. It can be heard through much of the city. At noon, the entire sequence can take almost a full minute. Some depend on it. If anybody there doesn’t like it, he’s wise enough not to say anything.

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