Synagogue, 2 churches vandalized in Modesto

The Modesto Bee ^ | February 3, 2006, 12:14:26 PM PST

[keat]

Racist graffiti and vandalism were discovered at three Modesto churches Friday morning. Police were investigating. Images of a swastika, penis and a Star of David with an "X" crossed through it were painted on a wall at Congregation Beth Shalom, a Jewish synagogue on Sherwood Avenue.

Less than a mile away, at the Greek Orthodox Church on Tokay Avenue, a black "666" was painted on a large cross outside. The satanic symbol also splashed across the church's tile steps. The double doors leading into the church's office were painted with graffiti, including upside-down crosses. Curse words were painted across the office window and someone appeared to have driven across the church's lawn.

At Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, next door to Congregation Beth Shalom, had a cantaloupe-sized rock thrown through a window. A smaller "666" also was painted in black on the back of that church.

[advance_copy]

Three churches have been destoyed by suspected arson in Alabama. I'm wondering if there's a connection.

[Godzilla]

ping

[bordergal]

Hey, it's the "Muslim day of outrage" today.

[BenLurkin]

I'm guessing it was the same perpetrators in each location -- out on a midnight spree of anti-religious intimidation.

[Shermy]

Sounds like it will be a schizo kid into Goth and maybe satanism.

[Arthalion]

PRICKS! I hope they catch the SOB who did this, and I volunteer to personally kick his rear until he can't walk anymore. I was baptized at Fatima and spent a couple years there at school (they have a K-6 elementary school on the property), and we used to occasionally play ball with the Jewish kids from the synagogue. These are good people, who didn't do anything to deserve this kind of garbage.

[TFFKAMM]

Almost certainly a Goth/Satanist idiot, by the sounds of it. The target choices are revealing as well: a synagogue, because Jews are the perennial easy target for knuckle-draggers; and the local branches of the Eastern and Western Catholic Church, because they provide lots of iconography for bigots to deface.

Anyone want to guess how much bigger a story this would have been if this nameless cretin had had the 'nads to mess with a mosque?

[Arthalion]

Well, there's only one mosque here in Modesto, and it's a tiny little converted house on a major roadway. I kind of wish they HAD tried to hit it, since they probably would have been spotted and arrested.

The choice of targets may also have to do with their locations. Most churches in Modesto are on busy arteries with lots of traffic at all hours. The three that were hit are among the few major churches here in town that are located on quiet side streets with little off-hours traffic.

[TFFKAMM]

Makes sense.

In my book, desecrating any place of worship - church, temple, mosque, whatever - is the mark of a hateful, cowardly lowlife. I hope they find and prosecute the guy(s) behind this.