By Allie Martin
August 23, 2001

(AgapePress) - A Wisconsin pastor says state officials are refusing to prosecute nudists who have allegedly assaulted Christians as they try and witness to those entering a nude beach.

Recently Pastor Ralph Ovadal, head of Wisconsin Christians United, was charged with state disorderly conduct for preaching to a woman headed to a state-owned nude beach near Mazomanie. Ovadal says although the woman was verbally abusing Christians and acting in a lewd manner, state officials have repeatedly declined to take action and are turning a blind eye to the illegal actions of the nudists.

"We have [the woman] on tape doing a very lewd dance and mocking Christians and sticking her tongue out and using profane and vile language," Ovadal says. "I preached about a two-minute sermon from about thirty feet away from her and didn't even follow her when she headed down to the beach."

"I was in the pre-trial hearing about a week ago and the district attorney was almost shaking with anger at me, and he asked that I be totally banned from the entire township surrounding the beach," the pastor says. "I was able to successfully argue against that."

Ovdal believes the situation at the beach is one of a kind. "To my knowledge, this is the only place in the country where the government has set up a beach, is funding a beach, [and is] policing a beach with tax dollars," he says. "It's open to the public, but the only ones of course who go are nudists -- nobody else can use it -- and people [who] canoe by on a big river ... end up seeing it."

"This is the only situation like this in the country, to my knowledge, and I just think that it's got to be stopped."

If convicted of the disorderly conduct charge, Ovadal faces up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. He says since the incident with the woman, Christians with WCU have been physically assaulted three times by nudists.

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