Jews can now play softball in Va. county

[underpants]

Man spurs county to alter rules for softball
A resident who is Jewish protests Caroline's church requirement

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-04-10-0164.html

BOWLING GREEN -- A Caroline County man says the county recreation department blocked him from joining its softball league because he doesn't attend a county church and is not a member of a church-sponsored team.

Rich Lieberman is Jewish, and there are no synagogues in Caroline. The Board of Supervi-sors says it intends to broaden the recreation department's eligibility rules.

"I've never seen anything like this in 20 years," Lieberman said, referring to his time in the Army when his unit initially denied him leave to attend synagogue services on Friday evenings, when the Jewish Sabbath begins.

"But that got fixed immediately," he said.

Lieberman, who runs an insurance business and a sports-memorabilia business in Fredericksburg, said county authorities originally told him it could take a year to rewrite eligibility criteria.

"But why would I say discriminate against me for a year?" Lieberman told the board.

Lieberman called the recreation department two weeks ago after reading about its adult softball program in a local newspaper, he said. "I was told this is a church league only, and you have to attend church in the county."

The recreation department did not deliberately set out to exclude Jews or others, said Recreation Department Director Donnell Howard. He said the county was sponsoring church-league softball when he joined the department 19 years ago. Church affiliation was viewed as a way to organize teams "and the churches fund those teams, so funding wouldn't be an issue" for the county, he said.

In some cases, churches who could not field enough players from their congregations have recruited from outside their church, he said.

[KG]

1. heh.

i recall playing church league softball against some fundies many years ago in rural Ga. i slid into 2nd base and popped out my shoulder. i let out a couple of the 7 words. do you think the other teams players would come to my aid as i'm writhing on the ground? hell no! they all went whining to the ump to get me thrown out of the game for cussing. what great people fundies are. :eyes:

[TooBigaTent]

2. It is clear what Mr. Lieberman must do - convert and become saved! Then, play ball.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. What the hell year is this? Unbelievable that 'rules' like this can still exist.

[underpants]

7. Caroline county

well known for the amazing number of cops. Basically if you are a star athlete in high school you either sell insurance or are a cop.

[underpants]

8. Caroline county

well known for the amazing number of cops. Basically if you are a star athlete in high school you either sell insurance or are a cop.

[ziggysane]

4. Just because we're now "allowed" to play

Doesn't mean we are actually capable.

Rachel

[Karenina]

5. Capable of what? Playing sports?

And WHO is this "we" you speak of? :shrug:

[underpants]

6. Welcome to DU--there is always hope

Oy vey can he hit!!!!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

17. Invoke the spirit of Sandy Koufax (who is still alive)

And wouldn't play in the World Series on Yom Kippur.

[LeftishBrit]

9. Wow and double wow...

I'm amazed that there was even such a rule. This is 2008, not 1908.

[Lance_Boyle]

10. How can the County Rec. Dept. maintain a religious requirement?

Isn't that blatantly unconstitutional? And now that Jews are granted admission, what about Muslims? Pastafarians? Atheists?

[underpants]

11. It's not their fault. They didn't know

that there were any Jews in Caroline County

:eyes:

Actually anyone could play-they just had to go to church first :patriot:

[damntexdem]

12. It didn't set out deliberately to exclude anybody ...

except the unchurched.

[alarimer]

19. So I guess atheists can't play either

What a backwards place.

[kestrel91316]

13. Funny, I thought it was 2008. Not 1908.

[Forrest Greene]

14. "The Recreation Department Did Not Deliberately Set Out To Exclude Jews Or Others..."

...it just happened in a natural manner, by reflex.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. *snarf*

[Cerridwen]

16. What GreenPartyVoter said.

*snarf*

[KamaAina]

18. What part of "separation of church and state" don't these people understand?

A Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, got that put in the flippin' Constitution, fer Chrissakes!

If the churches *themselves* wish to sponsor a church-only league, fine. They could even play on county fields. But for the county to *sponsor* this? :argh: