Over on the Salem Community Vision Facebook page, a post about this illegal sign has gotten a lot of attention.
The sign is in the public right of way, which violates the City of Salem sign ordinance. So I'm wondering if Jesus loves illegal signs. Here's what the Salem Community Vision post said.
THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU DON'T ENFORCE THE CITY SIGN CODE
There are hundreds of illegal temporary signs in the public right of way all over Salem, but this one on Mission Street really takes the cake!
The signs proliferate because for years now the City has stopped enforcing our sign code which prohibits temporary signs in the ROW [right of way]. When small businesses see signs in the ROW all over town, they think its okay. It's not. It's a blight and an embarrassment. Out of towners must think we're a bunch of yahoos who don't give a damn about the appearance of Oregon's capital city.
Do you suppose we could do something about this before we get thousands of visitors for the eclipse in August? How about a volunteer enforcement brigade? We'd send a message: Don't Mess With Salem.
I totally agreed with these sentiments.
My next thoughts were these: (1) asking drivers to "honk if you agree" about anything seems stupid, especially when no one is around to hear the honking (does Jesus also love honking?), and (2) what the heck is PoleGems?
It turns out that this group aims "to support, empower, and equip people working in all facets of adult entertainment, and victims of sex trafficking, to live healthy, flourishing lives."
Well, that sounds good -- aside from the question of why PoleGems seemingly feels the need to butt into the lives of everybody who works in the adult entertainment industry, regardless of whether they feel the need for support, empowerment, and equipment to live healthy, flourishing lives.
A bit of browsing around the PoleGems web site and Facebook page led to a rather obvious conclusion: PoleGems is out to proselytize in the name of their Jesus who supposedly loves strippers.
[Note: I don't believe in God or in any religion. So trying to convert people to Christianity or any other supernatural fantasy strikes me as a waste of time. But I also believe in freedom of expression, so long as it isn't coercive. Along that line, I suspect that many, if not most, workers in the adult entertainment industry view PoleGems as I view Jehovah's Witnesses: people who deserve to hear "No, thanks, not interested."]
Here's a few excerpts from the PoleGems web site:
We have a great team of volunteers at POLE Gems. We are all committed to furthering the mission of Christ by assisting women and men who are involved in the sex industry. We believe that God has called us to this particular field and love to see Him working in the lives of those we serve.
...We have many opportunities to get connected with POLE Gems. First, pray! Our ministry would not be as successful as it is without the covering of prayer from our many supporters! Our volunteers gather once a month to go into the clubs with gifts and love for the staff and dancers.
And the PoleGems Facebook page talks about their connection with Strip Church in Las Vegas.
Strip Church serves, teaches and equips women who share a heart and calling to reach out into clubs. We provide 2-3 Training Conferences each year, developing 20-30 people each time. These leaders are trained to do strip club ministry in their cities across the U.S. Our Strip Church Network is supported through monthly training conference calls, resources, networked websites, blogs, prayer, and branded materials to use inside the clubs.
OK. Like I said, this is a free country.
Christians are free to proselytize in overt and covert ways. Bringing gift bags to women who work in strip clubs and befriending them in hopes they will come to Jesus (and leave the adult entertainment industry) is a totally legal thing to do.
Personally, though, I feel that Christian efforts to bring people back to the "straight and narrow" would be better served by visiting the head offices of large money-sucking corporations, especially those in the fossil fuel industries that are wrecking our planet.
I realize that some of the workers in strip clubs are taken advantage of and need help. But so do workers in many other industries, which leads me to suspect that the zeal of PoleGems is founded more in a moralistic judgement that strip clubs are evil, than in a desire to help the most afflicted American workers.
Regardless... let's get back to the illegal sign.
It really is illegal, as Salem Community Vision pointed out to the executive director of PoleGems, Cynthia Shaver -- who commented on the Facebook post, saying she was just trying to draw attention to a July 4 fundraiser and didn't know the sign violated a City ordinance.
Regardless of the content and your good intentions, this sign is illegal. It's in the public right of way. You could be fined $2,000 a day if the City enforced their code. You need to move it back from the street (behind the sidewalk) and then it will be legal. Do it now please. Repect the law.
Disturbingly, even after Shaver was told about the prohibition on temporary signs in the public right of way (which includes the area between a sidewalk and a street), she persisted in her belief that it was OK for the large illegal PoleGems sign to remain standing.
It seems strange to me that a "good Christian" would knowingly flaunt the law, especially when her group is dedicated to helping people who they consider might be at risk of getting involved in illegal activities.
My proud atheism may be speaking here, but I often find that religious people are annoyingly sure that whatever they're doing in the "name of God" is beyond reproach. In this case, PoleGems needs to realize that they are violating the City of Salem temporary sign ordinance.
The fact that many other businesses and organizations also are in violation of the ordinance is no excuse. If PoleGems wants people in Salem to believe that they are out to do the right thing for people in this town, they should start acting like good citizens.
Tear down this sign!, Ms. Shaver. (To kind of quote Ronald Reagan.)
I encourage anyone who is concerned about this gross violation of the City sign code to send the City a complaint using their online complaint form: http://www.cityofsalem.net/Pages/report-neighborhood-problems.aspx
Posted by: Jim Scheppke | July 02, 2017 at 11:37 AM
The Strip Church was founded by a former stripper who knows what goes on behind the scenes. What's so wonderful about what they do is they don't go in and preach at the girls and bouncers. They say "God loves you no matter what you do in your life." While that may not seem like a good message to you, it's amazing what happens when you treat people with kindness rather than derision. Most people in their circumstances are told they're lost. That they're disgusting. That they're worthless. That they're not worthy of God's love. Even so called "Christians" shout those things in protest at them from the parking lot. The Strip Church believes that as Christians, they're called to love, not judge. I think that's a powerful message for anyone, regardless of your religious affiliation.
What the ladies at The Strip Church do is amazing. They go into the clubs and say "we love you. God loves you. Jesus loves you. You're not worthless. You're not disgusting. You're not lost." And it works. People are being saved. They're being helped. They're getting out. Some are finding God some aren't but that's okay. The point of the Strip Church is not to convert, it's to help sex industry workers in whatever way they can. I personally love to hear the updates about women who've left that life and are now being helped to build lives outside the strip clubs. Getting away from pimps and finding meaningful work. And as for the ones who choose to remain strippers??? They at least know they're loved.
My uncle was a prison librarian for many years. He wasn't a religious man at all. His message was very similar to what the Strip Church teaches. "You're worth something. You deserve an education. You deserve a better life." I don't see strippers as being any different. It's just a different kind of prison. Please remember, many of the women in strip clubs are victims of childhood sexual abuse, sex trafficking and even domestic abuse. The message of The Strip Church is "you deserve better. You're worth so much and we love you. Jesus loves you." I think they're wonderful.
You may WANT the Strip Church to go after the corporations but in saying that, you've missed the whole point of what they're trying to do. They're trying to reach one person TODAY. Just one. That's like saying "don't go feed the homeless, go after the big corporations that keep wages low and keep people homeless." Or "go after the government for not doing enough to create low cost housing." Noble goals that will in the long run create less homelessness but what do you do while you're fighting the BIG fight?? A fight that can take years. You go out and you feed the homeless. You make sure you get food in their bellies today. Or a roof over their head tonight. The Strip Church tells people you are loved TODAY. Right now.
I highly encourage you to educate yourself about sex trafficking in Oregon and then definitely get involved. The horror stories you'll find are the very reason The Strip Church exists. I know many atheists who are involved in stopping sex trafficking all over the country. It's an important cause. Most women who enter the sex trade do so as minors. Most are abused by those who are trafficking them. Instead of criticizing the Strip Church without really knowing what they're about, maybe sit down with them and talk. I think that's often what we're missing in this country today. We assume so much without really talking to one another. You might find that you have more in common with these Christians than you think you do. And you might find you want to help tackle sex trafficking in your community. It's a worthwhile cause!
Posted by: Olivia | July 04, 2017 at 11:47 AM
There is NOTHING religious about what these ladies are doing. Religion is ceremonial and theological. What they are doing is simply passing along the love that has been given to them by God to others. I had a daughter there in the clubs. She ended up there after her father walked out of her life. I would have given anything had a group of woman walked into the club and told her she was loved valued and adored before a predator did....who trafficked her. Many over the years have done wrong, even evil things in the name of religion. Jesus hated religion. I'm so very grateful for people who understand the difference in religion and a spiritual walk with God.
Posted by: Michelle | July 04, 2017 at 02:01 PM
Monday's city council meeting is addressing the sign ordinance. Please come and help us speak out against temporary/illegal signs. 8/14 at 6 pm
Posted by: Sign Shark | August 12, 2017 at 10:37 PM