Posted on 09/02/2014 3:36:27 AM PDT by markomalley
Columbus Police said they've never had anything like it - three churches vandalized in the same night.
Someone spray painted them on the outside. It's the words used, though, that have some people asking if this was more than a prank.
It was just one word. It said Infidels!' Father Doug Marcotte said of what was spray painted on Saint Bartholomew's Catholic Church in Columbus overnight Saturday.
Parishioners saw that, along with the word "Qur'an 3:151" on their way into mass Sunday morning.
It's certainly not a warm and fuzzy verse. It talks about the infidels, their refuge being the fire, explained Father Marcotte.
Specifically, that passage of the Qur'an reads: "We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah of which He had not sent down [any] authority. And their refuge will be the Fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers."
Saint Bartholomew's wasn't the only Columbus church vandalized.
It's really bizarre and the fact that they hit two other Christian Churches. It's not like we're all in a line. So why did they pick the three of us, asked Father Marcotte.
Outside East Columbus Christian Church and Lakeview Church of Christ, members there found the same kind of graffiti Sunday morning.
Is there somebody that really believes this that we're all infidels so they felt the need to write it all over our church? asked Father Marcote. Is this some sort of nasty prank? Is this someone that's trying to incite people against Muslims? I mean I don't know, he added.
Columbus Police said they're looking at surveillance video to help figure it out.
Until they do though, parishioners at Saint Bartholomew's have been unsettled by the defacing of their church, at the very least.
There's a lot of bad stuff being done in the name of Allah and so when people see this happening in Columbus, whether that was truly the person's intent or there's something else going on, It makes people nervous. It makes people upset. It makes them scared, said Father Marcotte.
Columbus police would not comment on whether they had alerted federal authorities to the vandalism because of its nature. The priests at Saint Bartholomew's said they've been contacted by members of the local Muslim community in Columbus who have condemned the vandalism and offered to help clean it up.
Anyone with information is asked to call police.
LOL
Sadly, he comes by it honestly:
USCCB committee reaffirms commitment to dialogue with Muslims
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs has strongly reaffirmed its commitment to engage in dialogue with Muslims.
After citing texts from the Second Vatican Council and St. John Paul II on dialogue with Muslims, the committee stated that sadly, in recent years, there has been a deliberate rejection of this call to engage in dialogue with our Muslim brothers and sisters by some in the Catholic Church and in other ecclesial families.
The committee continued:
We understand the confusion and deep emotions stirred by real and apparent acts of aggression and discrimination by certain Muslims against non-Muslims, often against Christians abroad. We, and increasingly our Muslim partners in dialogue, are concerned about these very real phenomena. Along with many of our fellow Catholics and the many Muslims who themselves are targeted by radicals, we wish to voice our sadness, indeed our outrage, over the random and sometimes systematic acts of violence and harassmentacts that for both Christians and Muslims threaten and disrupt the harmony that binds us together in mutual support, recognition, and friendship.
Still, it is our belief that the most efficient way to work toward ending or at least curtailing such violence and prejudice is through building networks of dialogue that can overcome ignorance, extremism, and discrimination and so lead to friendship and trust with Muslims.We affirm with [Pope Francis] that dialogue does not mean renouncing one's own identity nor accepting compromises on Christian faith and morals, the bishops added. Like the pope, we are convinced that the encounter and dialogue with persons different than ourselves offers the best opportunity for fraternal growth, enrichment, witness, and ultimately peace.
Talk about putting your head in the sand...
Let’s not turn this into a Catholic-bashing thread. Or if you want to, just don’t post to me, thanks.
If I'm bashing Catholics, I'm bashing myself.
It isn't "Catholic Bashing" to point out the cluelessness of the USCCB.
You know, of course, that no Catholic has to buy into this crap. If they do, more fool they. Now let’s see how fast this becomes a Catholic-bashing thread instead of looking at the muzzie problem we have on our hands.
My my my but they are getting uppity.
Somehow I don’t think our patience is endless.
Eventually, there WILL be a response...
Good GRIEF!!! NO Church going Christian would do this.
Is there somebody that really believes this that we’re all infidels so they felt the need to write it all over our church?
um...yes Father...there are...
BTW I agree with your plan, stand back and watch the secondaries.
Not only that, no Catholic should buy into this crap.
Well, a lot of church goers are forced teens. Like I said earlier, just my speculation.
Columbus, Indiana BTW.
>>It makes people nervous. It makes people upset. It makes them scared <<
How about PO’ed? Personally, I have had more than enough of the cult of hate started by a camel humping pedophile.
It just seems suspicious in the timing and methods used. Wouldn't a real Muslim extremist just blow up or burn the Church, not spray paint it?
Muslims love them some murder, child rape, and graffiti.
Columbus, Ohio ???
Didn’t this happen in Indiana too ???
columbus indiana is close to bloomington (and all those liberal p.o.s. at indiana university). Wouldn’t surprise me if it is one of them trying to make the rural folks look racist. Libs do that all the time, especally groups like peta.
-— ? Is this someone that’s trying to incite people against Muslims? -—
This may prompt a homily regarding the nature of Mohammedanism. I’m not holding my breath. I’ve been a Catholic for my entire life, and I’ve yet to hear one.
In ISIS controlled territory the muzzies have been spray painting the Arabic letter `N’ on Christian houses (Nasrana = Christian) and circling it, meaning “we’ll get back to you later”.
“Qu’ran” is a correct transliteration, BTW.
I d@mn sure wouldn’t want muzzies cleaning the outside of my church! I’d LEAVE that graffiti there, and gauge the reaction of local muzzies to my refusal to remove it.
That might reveal the real culprit!
The church’s non-profit status will be pulled immediately until thy get to the bottom of this! /s
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.