[Denvercane]

Originally Posted by Velvet

My background is Christian, studied to be a missionary. But I associate the little white crosses with death as they are used along highways to indicate someone has died in that place. I get creeped out every time I see them on front lawns. I understand that some people may get comfort from them. I don’t.

You can't possibly be that narrow minded. If so, you must pass out driving by a cemetery!

[Bill1701]

The crosses violate the deed restrictions. Simple as that. If the people with them win the legal battle then I plan to put them up all along my property line to keep the dogs out. After all, if one is good, a hundred must be better!

[Byte1]

Rules and laws are flexible, or can be flexible. Look at how laws are enforced by law enforcement and by the court system. Speeders often get warnings, and judges give probation or community service instead of the statutory penalty.
When I moved to the Villages, I did not notice the little white crosses. I do not know when residents started displaying them. I believe someone pointed one out to me a year or so ago. I did not notice that many of my neighbors display them, some in the middle of their yard in their landscaping. Now, I look for them to see how many claim to be Christian. I assume that they are Christian. Since I hardly notice them without intentionally looking for them, I do not find them to be overbearing or offensive. They do not bother me at all, and I find complaints about them to be foolish. To complain about something that gives a bit of joy and happiness to those that display them, seems to be nasty and hurtful in nature. To go out of your way to be deliberately hurtful to seniors attempting to find peace in their twilight years is (I was about to say UN-Christian) against our concept of how real Americans care for and support each other. Exactly what harm are these little crosses doing that agitates so much poison in folks? Perhaps those that are offended by the subject of divinity or the relationship of showing support for one's faith, should do a bit of introspection. Just a suggestion.
The little white crosses have been given away FREE. So, no one that I know of is making a profit from them. Who would care if they were making a profit from them?
Someone mentioned the displaying of a flag as an example. Yes, the flag is legally displayed in the Villages. What is the purpose of displaying the flag? To show your patriotism and support for your country. Does anyone have a problem with that? If not, why does showing support for one's religion or faith bother/offend you?
Granted, there are deed restrictions in certain areas of the Villages. Not where I live, so homes are pleasantly personalized with all kinds of items, including the crosses. I did not even notice the little crosses being displayed until I read about the controversy in the local newspaper. Then, I found that about half my neighbors are displaying them and I had not even noticed. Where some find it offensive (for some strange reason) I find them comforting. I did not know what they stood for until a friend informed me of the story behind them.
Someone else mentioned "would you like to see Jewish, Wicken, Buddist and Muslim symbols in yards?" I wonder why that would offend anyone. I would simply marvel at how nice it is to live in America with the Freedom of speech and religion. Atheists are offended? Yes, of course. Perhaps they should be.
Yes, there are deed restrictions. There are also laws broken in the Villages every single day of the year. I have not had a day go by where a golf cart has not busted through a Stop sign, most of the time not even slowing. Sorry, but that is violation of the LAW, not a deed restriction.
What a pitiful and petty complaint; offended by a little white cross. Like I said, better figure out why you are offended before the poison eats your soul. Everyone has preferences. What does it tell you when a little white cross or a plaster turtle in someone's yard "OFFENDS" you.
By the way, it does not offend me if you do not agree with me. Either way, GOD bless you.

[Tadpole]

Originally Posted by Red White & Blue

Those white crosses is a way for the church to make money, then the buyer slaps it into the ground and aims it at your face all year long.

I know of no church that sells the little white crosses. They are made by individuals and given away free of charge; donations accepted. Nor do they have anything to do with “death” (Velvet). If you care to hear the facts, here is a link to the true story behind the White Cross Movement: White crosses spread through yards with help from Lancaster couple - News - The Columbus Dispatch - Columbus, OH
Fact-checked by Snopes Frankenmuth Crosses and others.

[Andyb]

Anyone know where I can buy these white crosses? I would like to see them everywhere. Today’s world needs it.

[Rzepecki]

Originally Posted by coffeebean

Agree. Those white crosses are offensive to me also. I do not like seeing the white crosses but I live with them and have never made a formal complaint about them. I must admit though, the amount of white crosses in people's yards has dropped drastically. Maybe others have been complaining about them.

Ditto.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

1. Pick your battles wisely.
2. Your religion doesn't require you to advertise on your front lawn, with a white cross. So your battle cry is unfounded and without merit.
3. As long as you don't mind people putting up Wiccan pentacles, symbols of the Satanic Church, Jewish stars, the Anarchy symbol, Muslim symbols, on THEIR front lawns, it's all good right?
4. Pick your battles wisely.

Your white cross is offensive to me, but live with it because to me, it's just not worth "doing" anything about it.

You are exactly right. Jesus didn’t say, “If you believe in me, put a little white cross on your lawn, even if it is against the rules you signed, and then sue when you are told to take it down.” He said “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” A white cross is not “good works.” Wearing a cross is not “good works.” Good works includes kindness, generosity, forgiveness, helping those in need. Thousands in The Villages who don’t have white crosses do good works, whatever their religious beliefs. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

The person complaining is entirely free to put small or even large white cross on his or her golf cart, or a bumper sticker on his or her car, or wear clothing with crosses on it. I appreciate the regulations regarding decorations on lawns, for the reasons you say. This isn’t a matter of religious liberty. Many of my ancestors left England, or Germany, or Switzerland, or Denmark because they didn’t want to be members of the state church. We don’t have a state church. Some of them went to prison. Some were fined or even had their estates taken away. Some were Protestant. Some were Catholic. Putting a little white cross on the lawn isn’t worth fighting about so long as you can worship and believe the way you want to.

[Craig Vernon]

My two cents. The white crosses in peoples yards in my non-deed restricted neighborhood stand for Faith over Fear related to the virus. I do not have one but the sentiment is nothing anyone should be offended by. TV have deed restrictions self policed by other residents if someone took issue then remove it, that is called respecting others a good Christian principle. Living in paradise enjoy it, protect it, cherish it!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Leadbone1

Totally agree! I understand the need for deed restrictions and I am glad they are there for the most part. But deed restrictions that violate your constitutional rights cannot stand. The first amendment guarantees you the free exercise thereof with regard to your religion. It doesn’t say except if a deed restriction doesn’t like it! If there is a deed restriction with regard to a cross in your yard it should be with regard to the size of it, not whether you can have it or not. Obviously we would not want someone putting a 15 foot high cross in their front yard. Common sense needs to be applied

That's a contradiction. You can't have it both ways.

If YOUR interpretation of "freedom of religion" means you can put a white cross on your front yard, then YOUR interpretation must ALSO mean you can put a 15-foot-high cross in your front yard.

Freedom means lack of restrictions. Either you have it, or you don't.

In the case of the Villages, you are restricted, in most of the neighborhoods. There are some neighborhoods that allow it, some that don't expressly forbid it and it's therefore left up to the homeowner.

You don't get to have freedom of religion (within reason). If there are conditions on your freedom, then it is not freedom.

On the other hand - you also have rights - which are not freedoms.

You have the right to argue this with the ARC when they tell you that you have to remove the cross. They have the right to maintain that the cross is a lawn decoration and make you take it down. You have the right to maintain that the cross is a religious symbol and you want to leave it up.

But remember if you leave it up, it means EVERYONE in the neighborhood has the right to put up THEIR religious symbols in THEIR yards. And you might not end up liking what you see.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Craig Vernon

My two cents. The white crosses in peoples yards in my non-deed restricted neighborhood stand for Faith over Fear related to the virus. I do not have one but the sentiment is nothing anyone should be offended by. TV have deed restrictions self policed by other residents if someone took issue then remove it, that is called respecting others a good Christian principle. Living in paradise enjoy it, protect it, cherish it!

The crosses in my neighborhood were here when we started looking for houses to buy in this neighborhood last September. The virus hadn't arrived yet. They are a religious symbol, which again - is offensive to me, but isn't a big enough deal to DO anything about it. I moved to this part of the Villages, partly, because of fewer restrictions. I'll take the good with the bad, it's that wiggle-room for creative expression that I appreciate. Even if I don't like the white crosses. It's just a matter of taste. Like the house with the toilet seat in his driveway and a ridiculous hand-written sign on it that says "[political candidate's] world" on it, implying that the political candidate's world is down the toilet.

Tacky and ridiculous, but that says more about the neighbor than it does about the neighborhood.

[davem4616]

Originally Posted by Mikee1

I am amazed. 4 pages about the little white crosses. Some love em some are offended by them. If they offend you and that is the worst thing in your life you should be grateful for a good life. If you are bored and post about subjects that are not helpful or trying to instigate arguments, I would suggest getting a hobby

Mikee1 I totally agree with you

[quietpine]

I read that the white cross originated in Wisconsin as a protest. Yes folks, the people who display those crosses are protestors! You know, like the people protesting police shootings of unarmed black men.

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by Andyb

Anyone know where I can buy these white crosses? I would like to see them everywhere. Today’s world needs it.

I believe that there is a guy at the Knights of Columbus that gives them away, FREE.

It makes me feel good to see folks displaying them. I also enjoy seeing the American flag displayed throughout the Villages. It's great to know there are so many good people in the Villages, and the evidence of the American flag and the little crosses makes the neighborhood appear welcoming. That's my opinion and it is not going to bother me if some do not approve. It does amaze me that so many individuals are so miserable and pitiful that they can't be happy living among such a large group of decent and charitable people. It appears that many really miss their home states up North, where I am sure they enjoyed life much better.

[cherylncliff]

Originally Posted by Kenklaw13

I understand there is a lawsuit pending against a village household for displaying a small white cross in their yard. The last time I looked at the constitution,we were still guaranteed freedom"of" religion and not freedom "from" religion.
Time for Christians to stand up and be counted. Would be interesting to see hundreds if not thousands of "little white crosses"
pop-up all over the villages.

God is great; Beer is good; People are crazy!
KenK.

And indeed you are free to practice whatever religion or non-religion belief you want as long as you do not infringe on other people's rights. In this case, the display of any lawn ornament is forbidden in some of the districts per an agreement that you sign and agree to abide when you purchase. That is the issue here, not religion but obeying the legal agreement that was signed.

[talleyjm]

Originally Posted by Miguel 1952

Living in Paradise - most retired, some money and worrying about a little white cross. Incredible!

You hit the nail on the head. I’m really surprised that a small, white cross outside of a neighbor’s home can offend folk.