In Los Angeles, Laly Dobener decided to erect a giant cross, 24 feet tall, in her front yard. She insists that it's part of her religion and so should stay but Los Angeles Building and Safety inspectors say that such a huge structure requires a building permit -- something she never tried to get. She's already been fined and if she doesn't get a permit in 30 days or take the cross down, she'll be hit with a much bigger fine.
Inspectors only came to the site because of complaints from neighbors. Laly Dobener seems surprised that anyone would object to a giant cross in the front yard in a residential neighborhood. Really?
"She has two options," Building and Safety spokesman Dave Lara said. "Option A is that she takes it down and Option B is that she tries to get a permit.
"If she wants to apply for the permit, though, she has to meet all design, building and zoning codes ... This is a public safety issue."
Source: Daily News
Neighbors complain that the giant cross in bringing in a lot of traffic from sightseers, which may or may not be true. It wouldn't surprise me if that were happening, but honestly I would be surprised if that was their sole concern. Who wants a giant cross in a residential neighborhood? Especially a cross that has blood-red paint on it to represent where Jesus was nailed to it.
One curious aspect of this is the combination of religious beliefs Laly Dobener is operating from:
Dobener said she intends to file the paperwork to comply with city codes so she can keep the symbol of her strong Catholic faith. "I don't want to take this cross down," she said. "To me it's an important symbol of my faith. It's not hurting anyone." ...
Dobener has said the cross is built according to specifications detailed by the "Cross of Love," a splinter religious movement to which she belongs.
This movement was launched in the 1980s by members of a church in Dozule, France, who said God told them in a series of apparitions to build crosses to ensure their salvation.
So is this cross a symbol of Catholicism or is it a symbol of the "Cross of Love" movement? If it were Catholic, I'd expect it to be a crucifix and have Jesus actually on it rather than just splattered blood. Laly Dobener sounds a bit confused, to be honest, but she wouldn't be the first religious believer to mix-and-match religious ideas without regard for origin or compatibility.
I have to wonder, though: if she sincerely believes that this is some sort of religious obligation, or simply something that God wants, why doesn't she leave it all in God's hands? Why bother with permits at all? If God really, really wants her to have this cross on her property in this cul-de-sac, won't God provide money for the fines, magically cause the permits to appear, or simply smite the inspectors?
No comments:
Post a Comment