Wisconsin: Vandals behead statue of baby Jesus

Catholic Culture ^ | August 20, 2009

[Niuhuru]

Yep. Some people are so busy being ‘in your face’ to God that they don’t realize his patience isn’t from a weka sort of enabling love, but a chance to always do the right thing after doing wrong.

[Guyin4Os]

Stop calling the statues graven images. And stop misrepresenting the faith.

Uh.. no. A graven image is a physical representation of a deity. That is exactly what a statue of the baby Jesus is. What underscores the fact that it is a graven image is that the statue is considered to be "holy" by worshipers. That is the very essence of the term "graven image." It is no better or worse than the golden calf that Aaron made and labeled "Yahweh."

[Guyin4Os]

But something tells me you don’t really believe in the graven image injunction at all, you’re just stirring the pot.

I most certainly do believe with all my heart that God does not want his people to fashion graven images. Furthermore, I believe with all my heart that fashioning a statue of Jesus is crystal clear example of what God ordered His people not to do in Exodus 20:4-6 and other passages.

It is inappropriate for you to attack me personally when I have thus far argued a position without attacking any individual.

[Judith Anne]

So, you wouldn’t consider this damage to be vandalism, but instead, a theological lesson to teach apostates the right thing to believe?

[Guyin4Os]

So, you wouldn’t consider this damage to be vandalism, but instead, a theological lesson to teach apostates the right thing to believe?

Vandalism, yes. It is inappropriate and a violation to destroy someone else's property. The perpetrator should be caught, tried and punished for the crime of vandalism. If he had wished to make a theological statement, he should have purchased the statue from its owner and then destroyed it.

My earlier argument was with the individual who said this was an "attack on all Christians." It clearly was not. It was an act of vandalism, nothing more.

[Judith Anne]

I wish you could see what your post sounds like.

[blackpacific]

This could make a good skit for SNL.

So what is the appropriate punishment for one who makes a “graven image”? Maybe when you are done telling us what it is, the person who beheaded the statue should get a medal?

By the way, from the looks of it I didn’t think it was a very good statue, but I am sure it meant something to that parish.

Now in the near future I plan to carve a statue of the BVM out of oak and one of the Holy Family out of poplar. Maybe I should I go to Confession in advance? Here is what it would sound like:
Me: “Bless me father for I will carve.”
Rev: “Oh no, not the graven thing again?”
Me: “Yes father, I can’t help it.”
Rev: “Can’t you stick to water colors, pastels?, keep it 2D, and you’ll avoid having to confess about engravings.”
Me: “Would an isometric view be okay, or maybe one of those Italian paintings that looks 3D?”
Rev: “Yes, as long as you’re not carving another deity.”
Me: “What if I just printed a statue, with one of those 3D plastic printers, there would be no carving involved.”
Rev: “I suppose that would be alright...now for your penance...”