Catholic League: For Religious and Civil Rights MANGER SCENES VANDALIZEDThere's also this, from Eugene, Oregon: Nativity vandalism probed as hate crime,December 24, 2007:December 19, 2007
Today, the Catholic League erected a nativity scene in Central Park. Unfortunately, vandals have destroyed or stolen manger scenes nationwide. Here are some of the locales:
In perhaps the sickest incident, an elementary public school coach in Marietta, Georgia drove students around the area in his pickup truck instructing them to thrash Christmas displays after dark; they also created obscene displays with some of the adorning statues.
- Foreman, Arkansas
- Rogers, Arkansas
- Antioch, California
- Glastonbury, Connecticut
- Arredondo Farms, Florida (three instances)
- Bal Harbour, Florida
- Fort Walton Beach, Florida
- Panama City, Florida (more than a dozen incidences)
- Tampa, Florida
- Bainbridge, Georgia
- Schaumberg, Illinois (two instances)
- Kearney, Missouri (two instances)
- Kirkwood, Missouri
- Bozeman, Montana
- Lattimore, North Carolina
- Westbury, New York (the homeowner was assaulted)
- Elyria, Ohio
- Sylvania Township, Ohio
- Greensboro, North Carolina
- Leesburg, Virginia
- Marlow, West Virginia
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) Two separate Eugene families whose nativity scenes were desecrated this week when a vandal replaced the baby Jesus figure with severed pigs' heads say they were targeted because of their religious faith.
The culprits left other, more secular decorations untouched and focused only on the families' religious displays.Christians worldwide have so far failed to respond by rioting, killing innocent bystanders or each other, or burning the Oregon State Flag. Maybe Christians actually are a religion of peace?"To me, they definitely wanted to make a religious statement," said David Stahl of Eugene, who discovered a pig head in his front yard Thursday. "This takes definite thought and too much anger."
