Posted on 12/31/2005 11:32:36 PM PST by presidio9
Father Peter Pomposello holds a decapitated baby Jesus as he talks about the vandalism of the nativity scene outside Saints John and Paul Catholic Church.
"It's not only theft, it's not just vandalism," Father Pomposello says. "It has, really, all the marks of a bias crime."
Baby Jesus is now missing his head, hands and his left toes. The vandals also stole four sheep.
"This is an image of the whole Christmas season," Pomposello said. "As Christians we venerate the baby Jesus this season. This was part of the procession for midnight mass and for the vigil mass on Christmas.
"It's awful. It's just awful," he added.
The church's caretaker discovered the damage and missing lambs this morning when he was adding the three wise men to the display.
"I'm 26 years here and I've never seen that happen, and I’m really shocked," Jerry Lopez said.
Baby Jesus will not be laying in his manger until he's repaired or replaced. For now, he'll stay wrapped up in a towel. Late Friday, a parishioner found three of the little lambs a few blocks from the church, but they're also badly damaged.
"To see it destroyed, it really makes me nauseous," Father Pomposello said. "It's really awful."
Police are investigating, while the church is considering enclosing the nativity scene in Plexiglas next year.
Father Pomposello is absolutely right, it is awful and does smack of a hate crime.
I can imagine what your thought were and would probably ditto them.
I can't imagine what gets into thugs to do such things.
Sounds like a "hate crime" to me.
So......the Secular Taliban strikes again. Seems the Christian-haters are pretty well organized.
Maybe they hold Christian-hating sessions, and printed up a handbook on how best to bedevil Christians?
The decapitation MO sounds mighty familiar.
Recall the Christmas-hating lunatics in Manhattan who displayed Santa holding a bloodied, decapitated doll.
These violence-prone crackpots demonstrate a visceral hatred of Christians, Christmas, and its sacred meaning to billions of people around the world. There's a place for sickos like this: a padded cell, in straitjackets.
Better yet, if they don't like the way we celebrate Christmas, then let 'em GTH out of our country.
It's more revealing that these self-absorbed individuals reside in a country where Christmas, and its icons, in all of their permutations, is celebrated by 90% of the population.....and that these Christian-haters show so little respect for other people.
The Christ Child is associated with the joy of Christmas, so that the vandalizing of the creche is more horrific when one discerns the mindset of these individuals who would scandalize believers in such a horrific manner.
Only seriously deranged minds would engage in this kind of atrocity.
More than its moral vacuity, the Secular Taliban exhibits its stupidty by declaring war on Christians.
It is a war they can only lose.
I can't say what I am thinking, just would NOT be considered "Christian". So I will just say the Heavenly Father and Christ know who did the dirty deed, and one way or another a finger in the eye of the Heavenly Father does not go unpunished.
But destruction of the Nativity pisses me off! I may be leaning agnostic, but this is just disgusting.
The (lack of) media coverage begs the question: would the media promote this if it were a black Church, or do they only care about non-Christians (in particular TROP).
BTW: Any folks who may accuse me of being a hypocrite for other comments I have made should remember that I am anti-clerical, NOT anti-religious.
If it was a mosque, no doubt....but there has been so much vandalism of synagogues that it just isn't news anymore.
Liz, well said, with one footnote about your last statement: indeed evil shall prevail for a season. Then God shall show Himself omnipotent and Christ shall reign Forever. Woe unto those who have defied the Living God.
Psalm 2
But the little Harry Potters have their little bit of power for the moment. Fifteen minutes of fame but eternity in Hell. There is yet time for their repentance, until the moment they meet their Maker.
John 3:16
I remember a Christmas sign in Merrifield, Virginia, outside DC, about three years ago--"Christ is born," it said, and someone spraypainted over it (I hesitate even to type such words): "Pilate sodomized Christ".
Lookit, decapitating and bloodying up Santa is not the way to express one's opinion......the maniac could have done any number of things, including written a letter to the editor, for God's sake.
"Commercialization" was just a gambit to pull of a savage act against Christians.
Violence-prone acts as these reveal much much more of the perpetrators than they would be willing to admit.
Whatever precipitated your anti-clericalism may be entirely justified. However, remember that their actions, are between them and God----- and so are yours.
You're not serious, are you?? I really hope not, because the "hate crime" is an invention of the left. A crime is a crime.
These types of incidents upset me on two levels. First, there is the open war on Christ and symbols of Christianity. Other posters have already commented far more eloquently than I could on that.
Then there's the issue of the criminals who committed this crime. It makes me wonder what kind of violent savagery the perpetrators will commit in the future? Note the level of anger and violence perpetrated against the baby Jesus figure. It makes you wonder whether the individual or individuals involved will later decide to do that to a living, breathing human being.
In recent years, police have learned to take a very keen interest in people who torture animals. The crime is bad enough, but there's an additional reason that compels the police: these same individuals who torture animals tend to start doing the same things to people somewhere down the line. Today's animal torturer is all too often tomorrow's child torturer. Or worse.
Yes it does...
These types of incidents upset me on two levels. First, there is the open war on Christ and symbols of Christianity.
Then there's the issue of the criminals who committed this crime. It makes me wonder what kind of violent savagery the perpetrators will commit in the future? Note the level of anger and violence perpetrated against the baby Jesus figure. It makes you wonder whether the individual or individuals involved will later decide to do that to a living, breathing human being.
In recent years, police have learned to take a very keen interest in people who torture animals. The crime is bad enough, but there's an additional reason that compels the police: these same individuals who torture animals tend to start doing the same things to people somewhere down the line. Today's animal torturer is all too often tomorrow's child torturer. Or worse.
RKBA, we all need to remember that forever---and have it inscribed on every statehouse, courthouse, and town hall in Christian America.
Yep 'Hate Crime' is an invention of the left. Regardless, what was done to the Nativity Scene goes beyond vandalism and does appear to be a 'Hate Crime'. Someone or ones obviously hate the Christ. So, call it what you will, I am a stanch Conservative and to me it appears to be a 'Hate crime'.
I soooooo miss Walters!!
Isn't that the school they showed?
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