Stewartville adult store offers 'clergy discount': An adult entertainment store's sign offering a "clergy discount'' has drawn the wrath of its churchgoing neighbors. The double-sided sign stands outside Pure Pleasure so those who attend Midwest Baptist Church next door see the ads going into, and leaving, the church. To people driving toward the church, the sign reads: "And God said go out into the world and have great sex. God's gift to women. Amen and amen.''
People leaving the church see: "No need to mail order. Gay videos in stock. Clergy discount. Have good sex. Hallelujah!''
"This sign shows me that he's not only thumbing his nose at the laws of the township, he's thumbing his nose at the laws of God,'' said the Rev. Joseph Grimaldi, who heads the church and is a vocal opponent of the business. "I just hope I'm not too close when the lightning strikes.''
As long as the lightning doesn't actually strike the advertisement itself, he should be safe enough. If it hits a sign so close to the church, though, all bets are off.
I must admit, I'm a mite surprised that Pure Pleasure actually could advertise so close to a church. Most areas' zoning laws forbid that sort of thing within a fairly wide area near schools or churches or government property. (Which would, I expect, explain the whole "laws of the township" issue. We'll just leave the "laws of God" thing alone, shall we? Let's shall.) You'd think that the township would be positively gleeful about imposing fine after fine after ever escalating fine for every time they tell him to take down the sign and it gets left in place. Sooner or later, it must lead to jail time, and given that it's a zoning issue -- the Court has always held that zoning allows some lattitude in restricting commercial speech rights -- the owner may not have a legal leg to stand on.
Posted by iain at January 17, 2003 12:46 PMComments
