My inbox overfloweth with word today that a group on Facebook entitled “500,000 Against “Ale Mary’s” Abuse of the Sacred and the Sublime” – a group of 200 or so (as of now) folks from all over the place that have deemed the Fells Point drinkery/eatery offensive to their religious sensibilities. They have launched a “complaint review” campaign on Yelp, Urbanspoon and any other outlet they can find in an effort to discredit the use of small statues of the Virgin Mary and other such baubles of religiosity within the establishment.

Their MO:

This group has been formed to object to this obvious contempt for these beautiful and sacred things, and to effect change in this establishment so it may celebrate and uphold the genuine beauty and grace of the Catholic Faith in it‘s walls, or respectfully remove it entirely.

The comments left by the members are ….let’s just say, “inflammatory”

See, they have board games and it fees like “Cheers!” Which is awesome because it shows the average clientele is 40-something gay momma’s boys.

Other notable comments point out the “hypocrisy” of how any such place with a “Jewish Kitsch” theme would be considered offensive, whether or not based in any kind of fact or reality – though well known Italian family restaurant Buccas Di Beppo actually has the Pope’s head as a Lazy Susan, but I guess they don’t know about that.

And I’m not suggesting that this group should be shut down, it’s all in the interest of free speech that they can spew their anti-homosexual-pro-chalice-and-crucifix-worship rhetoric until they’re blue in the face, but I did notice that the group is *ahem* an open group, so if one were to have a differing opinion on the matter it wouldn’t be terribly difficult to *cough cough* join the group and *nudge nudge* shut them up right quick with blistering logic and even handed wording.

But seriously guys, 500,000 against Ale Mary’s? Maybe start with a more modest goal like 10,000. I’m sure there are enough insane Catholics around to fill that slot, if you tried really hard!