Bad news for those of you out there that are more vocal than others with your bodily functions than others; it can land you in jail! I never knew that this law existed. Heaven help the person that breaks it, since it not only sounds and is a dumb thing to have count against you on your record. That’s right it is illegal to intentionally burp in church in Nevada.
This law is under the portion of the law codes addressing disturbing religious meetings and details other ways to get in trouble for violating this law also (and there are many, many ways).
The law as it is written says, “Every person who shall willfully disrupt, interrupt, or disquiet any assemblage or congregation of people met for religious worship:
1. By noisy, rude, or indecent behavior, profane discourse, wither within the place where such meetings is held or so near it as to disturb the order and solemnity of the meeting;
2. By exhibiting shows or plays, or promoting any racing of animals, or gaming of any description, or engaging in any boisterous or noisy amusement;
3. By disturbing in any manner, without authority of law within one mile thereof, free passage along a highway to the place of such meeting or maliciously cutting or otherwise injuring or disturbing a conveyance or other property belonging to any person in attendance upon such meeting; or
4. By menacing, threatening, or assaulting any person therein, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”
So basically if you got lost in the middle there somewhere: Don’t disrupt or interfere with in any way any religious meeting of any kind or the people or their belongings attending those meetings.
For me this just means that from now on I am just going to have to try and stay farther than 1 mile away from a church or meeting and not to touch anything or talk to people entering or exiting a meeting and to be far away and not doing anything exciting or annoying during any meetings that are going on whether I know about them or not.
If you’re like me this law is bad news. I see the original need(freedom to assemble and worship) but I will never move to Nevada and be subject to the possibility of getting in trouble for violating this law.
I'm sure that this still isn't really enforced. I've been to churches in NV and nobody was arrested for anything like that...but then again, it was federal property so I don't think that the state of Nevada has jurisdiction.
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty ridiculous law. Some things, like burping, are unavoidable at times. Also, if you're not aware that a service was going on, it would be a honest mistake to disrupt it. What if your baby cries? Would you get charged for that too?
ReplyDeleteInteresting that burping in church is illegal but so many other questionable activities are legal in Nevada...
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that this law still isn't enforced, but I can see why it was formed. People in this region tend to take religion and religious practices very seriously, so the law doesn't surprise me at all. Don't get me talking about religious law...that's all I have to say for now.
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