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Religion and Other Assorted Blasphemies

Judge Has Finally Told Darrel Rundus What To Do With His Religious Tracts at the State Fair

By Robert Wilonsky, Wednesday, Sep. 30 2009 @ 11:28AM
Comments (10)
Categories: News You Can Actually Use, Actually
darrelrundus.jpg
Darrel Rundus
​
I'd forgotten all about Darrel Rundus till I took a peek at the agenda for tomorrow's Park and Recreation Board meeting, during which the board will go behind closed doors to discuss the 3-year-old federal lawsuit in which the preacher sued the city of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas for violating his First Amendment rights. For those needing a refresher course, we wrote all about this back in October of '06, but the short version is:

For years, Rundus -- who's apparently some kind of marketing genius? -- tried to pass out religious literature inside the fairgrounds during the Fair. But each time he was stopped by Dallas police officers and Fair officials, who said, sure, he could do his thing outside the Fair (like, on the public sidewalks), but not inside -- not unless he rented an exhibit space and stayed put. To which Rundus said: Federal lawsuit! And the thing worked its way through U.S. Magistrate Jeff Kaplan's court for three long years -- until September 16.

At that point, Kaplan had enough and ruled in the city and Fair's favor, as evidenced by the memorandum order and opinion you'll find below. (The brief judgment follows after the jump, as does the City Attorney's Office official position filed with the court last November.) As far as Kaplan's concerned, the city's got nothing to do with setting State Fair policy -- it is, after all, a private entity (since 1886!) that takes control of the fairgrounds for a few weeks each year -- and rules is rules.
Rundus Order and Opinion Rundus Judgement
City's Position
Comments (10) Write Comment
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Comments (10)

Steve says:

Seems like a clear-cut case. Sidebar: Judge Kaplan's signature is insane.

Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 30 2009 @ 12:17PM
chris von danger says:

While im a pretty big fan of freedom of speech and religious choice, Darrel Rundus is just a nutjob and in the total wrong. All this guy and his direct market followers did was hassle people in/outside Fair Park accordingly and passed materials that looked like forged currency to boot. If he wants to provide religious materials and counseling, he buys himself a booth at the fair, like the other Christians, $cientologists, Flying Spaghetti Monster Believers and Volcano Worshippers do accordingly. Until then, he has been what the kids today call "Legally PWNED"

Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 30 2009 @ 1:46PM
lakewoodhobo says:

Oh, but I thought it was the jews and the homosexuals that were trying to shove their beliefs and agenda in our face.

Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 30 2009 @ 1:59PM
Daniel says:

Who says he isn't a homosexual?

Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 30 2009 @ 2:07PM
Coleman says:

...passed materials that looked like forged currency to boot.

wait....tracts that look like forged currency? He's one of those Ray Comfort/Living Waters assholes! God those things are annoying! you find one that looks like a 20 lying on the ground and get all excited, then it turns out to be a propaganda piece. ugh. That's happened to me like, twice.

Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 30 2009 @ 2:19PM
You should know says:

Rundus is a wing nut of the first order. He had not problem paying for the gas to get to the fair or the tolls if he used a toll road. He wanted publicity and a few media outlets gave it to him. That is all he wanted and as soon as the cameras left he did too. He has turned more people off to religion than he has helped. Don't stand too close. Lightening will eventually strike.

Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 30 2009 @ 2:21PM
chris von danger says:

Ray Comfort(AKA Mrs. Kirk Cameron)is another one of the nuts who makes all intelligent Christians such as myself wonder why God allows mouthbreathers to survive. Living Waters is pretty much a clearing house for tracts and other products like his husbands Way Of The Master series and the aeformentioned "money tracts", which Rundus and quite a few other preachers have handed out over the years..

Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 30 2009 @ 5:24PM
Terry says:

Wow!! These comments are so rude. So because he's Christian and He desires to share the love of Christ, you guys consider him a nut job? or an a-hole? I mean seriously!!! You guy sound more like liberal middle children. Everyone has a right to free speech. If you want to be real technical, The 1st amendment was establish the right to speak against the government if the government decides to step our God Given freedoms. As far as their tracts, I don't have a problem with them. Many people love those tracts and it is an effective way to spread the Gospel Of Christ. Jesus once said, "those without sin, cast the first stone". Unfortunately, looking at these comments, all have sinned and yet still throwing stones at someone who is effectively spread the Gospel as Christ has commanded.

Posted On: Tuesday, Oct. 13 2009 @ 4:19PM
dracula says:

darrel rundus has a right to do what he does and that is the truth sounds like some major chicken christians and i aint that type of christian namely messianic christian
his first amendment rights were violated
and you say that the judge is wrong that scum sucker is a crook just the rest of those black robed criminals who are mainly masons devil worshippers
what you people cowards talk about fag right
the only good one is doa and a abomination before my Yhwhs eyes

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 24 2009 @ 2:41PM
Lyle says:

Too bad he couldn't pass out tracts. Next you won't be able to legally pass out fliers or any other harmless material. You can also kiss our rights goodbye too because the erosion has began. The man did nothing wrong other than irritate intolerant wusses.

Posted On: Thursday, Jan. 28 2010 @ 4:52PM

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