# Is baptism 'swimming'   legally?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-baptism-swimming-legally/828584>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 29, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-baptism-swimming-legally/828584 "2019-01-29T02:08:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-baptism-swimming-legally/828584/41 "2019-01-31T06:27:37Z")

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> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> We have a pond on the back side of our place. Literally in the back 40. A county road comes close to it. It’s fenced and the old dirt road has a gate that is chained. We were warned early on by the county agent to keep it signed up, no swimming or fishing. For our own liability if someone came in and swam and got snake bit or drowned. I doubt there’s an actual law on the books for not swimming in farm ponds. Gotta do what you gotta do, if you own or are responsible for a body of water.

Well, trespassing but…

Yeah I know a lot if people use signs like that but couldn’t care less. They aren’t required to actually enforce it to not be liable.

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**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-baptism-swimming-legally/828584/42 "2019-01-31T06:51:01Z")

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> [@Littleman](#):
>
> Well, trespassing but…
> 
> Yeah I know a lot if people use signs like that but couldn’t care less. They aren’t required to actually enforce it to not be liable.

Wut?

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**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-baptism-swimming-legally/828584/43 "2019-01-31T07:05:38Z")

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Well dictionary definition is propelling ones self through the water using your limbs.

If it’s private property I’d say it’s just up to the owner.

I couldn’t find any specific legal definition of swimming.

In reality it’s probably entirely up to the park ranger or whoever enforces it

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**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-baptism-swimming-legally/828584/44 "2019-01-31T07:06:46Z")

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> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Wut?

Law for not swimming in farm ponds… trespassing

But a lot of people put up a no swimming sign and ignire anyone who does because they don’t care. They are already relieved of liability without actually enforcing anything.

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**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-baptism-swimming-legally/828584/45 "2019-01-31T16:45:33Z")

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> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> I’ve always wanted to go wading in the Point. I’ll have to settle for PPG Place, I guess. ☹

I don’t believe they totally object to wading but things could have changed since I was last volunteering down there a lot.

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