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Contentious W.Va. Jesus painting stolen
AP via Yahoo ^ | August 17, 2006 | SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER

Posted on 08/18/2006 2:26:45 AM PDT by Zeroisanumber

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. - So much for "Thou shalt not steal." Just before 4 a.m. Thursday, an intruder snatched the contentious painting of Jesus Christ from the halls of Bridgeport High School. The theft came just two days after the Harrison County School Board voted to fight a legal challenge over the portrait.

Schools Superintendent Carl Friebel said the bandit took the painting, but left behind the gilded frame and backing.

"The picture was the only thing stolen, so the deliberate intent was to steal the picture and only the picture," Friebel said.

Three security cameras caught images of the intruder, whose face was obscured. The security tapes have been turned over to police.

A custodian reported the break-in to the principal after discovering a broken window in a lab at the back of the building Thursday morning.

Friebel said the intruder exited the building through an emergency-exit door that allows exit without a key.

"Anytime there's a break-in at a school, it's a high alert, whether it's a portrait of Jesus or anything else," said Mike Queen, a school board member and proponent of keeping the portrait hanging. "It's a very serious offense."

The painting, which depicts Jesus in sepia tones on a large canvas, hung on the wall outside the principal's office and had been at the school for 37 years.

The Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the West Virginia American Civil Liberties Union sued the school board in June, saying the painting, "Head of Christ," sends the message that the school endorses Christianity as its official religion.

"Americans United for Separation of Church and State is very disturbed by the breaking and entry of Bridgeport High School and the theft of the portrait of Jesus," said group spokesman Jeremy Learning.

"The Bridgeport, West Virginia, community is already roiled over this constitutional debate, and the current illegal activity is no way to reach a conclusion in this matter."

On Tuesday, the school board decided to fight to keep the portrait hanging after an outside group, the Christian Freedom Fund, raised more than $150,000, including $6,700 raised by students at the school, to pay the board's legal costs.

Eight national groups with expertise in constitutional law have offered legal help to the Harrison County Board of Education. One of those groups will be selected to lead the defense at trial, which is set for Feb. 26, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley.

Keeley, who will decide the case instead of a jury, said the trial should last no more than two days.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: West Virginia
KEYWORDS: 1stamendment; abscondedwithsavior; art; churchandstate; fauxgod; heathenthieves; jesuspainting; kids; theft
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10 to 1 it was kids at the high school. Nice job stealing the painting. Now it's time for them to learn the subtle art of writing the ransom demand.

If it were me, I'd ask for $100 worth of beer.

1 posted on 08/18/2006 2:26:46 AM PDT by Zeroisanumber
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To: Zeroisanumber

I would be happy to defend the heathens while I witnessed to them every chance I got!


2 posted on 08/18/2006 2:32:41 AM PDT by Lawdoc (Our military is the best trained and most humane in the world bar none! God bless them)
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To: Zeroisanumber

Could have been kids. I doubt a supporter of the painting would have taken it. So it's probably someone who is against the painting. They may have feared that the ruling would go against them, and thus decided they'd take matters into their own hands and relieve the school of the painting.


3 posted on 08/18/2006 2:34:39 AM PDT by DannyTN
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To: DannyTN

The libs wouldn't do it under the cover of darkness, they would make a great production of it.

It could be a rival High School.


4 posted on 08/18/2006 3:08:25 AM PDT by Hong Kong Expat
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To: Zeroisanumber

Isn't it interesting how kids (95%) Muslim at Fordson H.S. in Dearborn, MI get time off from classes to pray to Allah? In W.VA you can't even hang a painting of Christ.

Where's the ACLU on the Dearborn case?


5 posted on 08/18/2006 3:11:15 AM PDT by kjo
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To: Hong Kong Expat
"It could be a rival High School."

Yeah but the rival would probably just get sued to take it down.

Anyone know where Bush was when this occurred?
6 posted on 08/18/2006 3:13:38 AM PDT by driftdiver
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To: kjo

"Isn't it interesting how kids (95%) Muslim at Fordson H.S. in Dearborn, MI get time off from classes to pray to Allah? In W.VA you can't even hang a painting of Christ."

Heck you aren't even allowed a moment of silence if you are a Christian. You might abuse the privledge and say a prayer.


7 posted on 08/18/2006 3:15:10 AM PDT by driftdiver
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To: Hong Kong Expat
"It could be a rival High School.

Rival high schools steal mascots or vandalize, they don't steal Jesus.

8 posted on 08/18/2006 3:36:45 AM PDT by DannyTN
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To: Hong Kong Expat

Maybe if the Rivals are the Devils.


9 posted on 08/18/2006 3:38:21 AM PDT by DannyTN
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To: Zeroisanumber

A "painting of Jesus Christ". I think I'd ask for Australia. What'd he look like by the way?


10 posted on 08/18/2006 3:44:52 AM PDT by bkepley
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To: DannyTN
Remember those three kids who burned down several churches (black and white) last year? Teenaged college students, majoring in Liberal Arts and Theater, as I recall. This case sounds just like that one...or better, the Lefties at Brown who broke into the student newspaper in the middle of the night and stole all the copies because they didn't like the David Horowitz ad? Not one single kid was ever punished for that...
11 posted on 08/18/2006 4:39:04 AM PDT by ishabibble (ALL-AMERICAN INFIDEL)
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To: driftdiver

My childrens' school still uses a "moment of silence". They also say the Pledge daily.


12 posted on 08/18/2006 4:41:56 AM PDT by Pan_Yans Wife ("Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny. "--Aeschylus)
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To: Pan_Yans Wife

"My childrens' school still uses a "moment of silence". They also say the Pledge daily."

Thats great, I just wish all schools allowed the children the same freedoms.

They will of course allow just about anything else, as long as its not related to Christianity.


13 posted on 08/18/2006 5:05:31 AM PDT by driftdiver
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To: Zeroisanumber

A portrait of Jesus hangs in the main hallway of Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, W.Va., seen in this Wednesday, June 28, 2006, file photo. The Harrison County Board of Education said Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2006, that it will fight civil liberties groups' efforts to remove the portrait, which has been there more than three decades.

14 posted on 08/18/2006 6:02:16 AM PDT by markomalley (Vivat Iesus!)
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: JacobWilsonTruthSeeker

Just curious, what is your denomination that you might object to "under God"?


17 posted on 09/12/2006 8:38:48 AM PDT by incredulous joe (“Lawyers - a profession it is to disguise matters.”)
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To: JacobWilsonTruthSeeker

Newdow??? Izzat you???

"I gave the school two choices: Drop "under God" from the pledge, or prepare to litigate the issue."

It's been tired in the courts already....you would lose.

Nice sign up date too....bye troll!


18 posted on 09/12/2006 8:44:09 AM PDT by RedRightReturn (Even a broken clock is right twice a day...)
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

Comment #20 Removed by Moderator


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