7/24/22. 9:40 am. Religious service in the Pavilion. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click to clearly see what is going on.
This man, a church representative, is standing on the public thoroughfare. (the boardwalk). He is soliciting people walking by to take a program and come into the Pavilion church service. This moment is symbolic of what is going on lately in Ocean Grove.
PAUL GOLDFINGER, MD. Editor Blogfinger.net
For newcomers to OG, they see only what they see…..they have no sense of how the OG culture is evolving. The CMA has shifted into high gear lately as they try to create a “Christian Seaside Community,” The balance between secular and religious life is undoubtedly shifting.
Here are two examples:
A happy Doo-Wop Saturday night crowd in the GA. c. 2017. Paul Goldfinger photo.
Out-of-towners enjoying the Doo Wops. Blogfilnger photo.
Elimination of Saturday night shows in the Great Auditorium: The summer Saturday night secular programs in the GA. were a big hit for years. There were thousands who came to enjoy acts like Tony Bennett, Neil Sedaka, ABBA, Frank Sinatra, Jr., the Beachboys, and others.
These shows promoted happiness for locals and visitors, but evidently they didn’t fit into the long term plans of the CMA.
We are currently witnessing an explosion of religious programming in the Grove, whereas secular morale builders are being drowned out. Saturday nights are now all about Christian entertainment, and that programming spills over to Sunday and envelopes the town in a big way.
We inquired about the cancellation of the Saturday secular shows and we were told that it was too expensive to hire the big-time acts which people preferred. But the CMA could have raised the price of tickets, as they have successfully done at the Count Basie in Red Bank.
Now we are witnessing why the CMA wanted Saturday night back.
Grovers are seemingly not concerned with more balance of secular and religious. They just go into A. Park for amusement.
2002. Yoga on the OG beach. No problem then. PG photo. Totally secular activity. PG photo.
Yoga on the OG boards 2020. The class sets up at the rear–in no one’s way. Paul Goldfinger. photo. Click to enlarge.
Second: As another example, we used to have yoga on the boards and on the beach, and there were no complaints. One of the yoga teachers, a senior citizen from OG who has been popular here for 17 years, worked with small groups and was careful not to block anyone’s access to the “public thoroughfare” on the boards is now experiencing pressure from the CMA to stop his yoga activities.
Now the CMA wants to teach “Christian Yoga” on the boards and wants to force the the regular guy out. Can you teach Christian yoga on a public thoroughfare? What is happening to separation of church and state in OG public places?
So keep your eyes open for culture shifts in our town. Especially watch the CMA as they implement their expanded religious programs and as they slowly replace or force out secular institutions, thus allowing the balance to shift in one direction.
As an atheist and a member of Fran’s yoga class, I have a different perspective.
The Camp Meeting *can* control the town. They own the land, and I signed up for life on their Reservation, respecting their traditions.
OGCMA can program whatever exclusive events they want, in and on their own property. They can extort condo owners and businessesfor disproportionate ground rent. They can reveal themselves, with words and deeds. They can choose for the wider community to experience them as an organization without conscience.
My issue is that taxes I have paid to Neptune, New Jersey and/or the Federal government have been used by the Camp Meeting for something they are now preventing me from using.
OGCMA failed to insure ‘their’ boardwalk, then argued for FEMA money to repair it.
And OGCMA solicited public donations, certainly without telling the public the resulting boardwalk would be regulated by religious policy.
The Camp Meeting launches itself down this Church/State road about every 20 years, it seems.
PG: That picture you posted of the ever popular oldies concert says it all. Excellent point you made.
Do we see these faces at religious programs at the Auditorium on Saturdays? I think not. How about catering to EVERYONE in the town, not just “christians” (whatever that means).
Maybe low attendance at the CMA “Christian programs” will make their programs fade away.
They need to realize they are part of a bigger area, which includes Neptune, where we pay our taxes.
They cannot “control” the town. There are other reasons to live in Ocean Grove and their presence is NOT one of them!