Wednesday, March 12, 2008

In The News

I realize it's already been discussed in quite a bit of detail, but I'd just like to add my two cents to the mormon "vandalism" story. A quick search at Google News pulls up 144 articles on the event. I'm not sure why I wasted my time, but I did end up reading more than one of them.
"Photos posted on the Internet showed three Mormon missionaries mocking a Catholic shrine and holding the broken head of a statue of a saint there, a church official said." (San Luis, CO, USA)
I certainly acknowledge that it was offensive for those Elders to do the things they did and especially to post those pictures on a public photo sharing website. But I feel like some things may be exaggerated. Most of the articles I read mention that "Mormons" were accused of "vandalizing" a catholic shrine. I haven't read one article that says there's any evidence that the missionaries vandalized anything. One picture features a missionary with the head of a statue in his hand which wasn't even noticed as being broken until almost 2 years later. It seems to me if could have easily been broken before they took that photograph.I think it's really too bad this blew up into something so big. Especially when the same days there was news from the other side of the globe about members helping clean up in New Zealand. One missionary, Elder R. Thompson was sent home and apologized while the other two were already home and are apparently facing "church discipline." The sheriff's department from the town is also investigating the incident but I really don't see how they'll be able to find any evidence. It's really sad this had to happen and it's a blow to the church especially in that region where the missionaries have been pull for some time. I guess all we can do is keep on preachin'. Haha.

8 comments:

Paradox said...

What surprises me is the level of contention that some members have shown in reaction to the subject. I saw a post elsewhere that had such a contentious tenor to it, I didn't even want to finish reading it. Isn't it amazing how quickly some are willing to throw stones?

Thanks for the comment you left on my blog by the way.

Jonathan Mahoney said...

I certainly agree with you there. I actually read your comment on another post of the same topic, perhaps at FAIR. That's why I went to your blog. Thank you for your comment, that was the first one on my blog. Thanks for kickin' it off. :-)

Papa D said...

What surprised me were the members who tried to justify it as "boys will be boys". I also was impressed by the official Church apology, but even more so by the decision of the Catholic congregation to not seek charges. It was wonderful to see people rise above the natural man and act in a Christ-like manner.

I found your blog, btw, through Paradox's.

Jonathan Mahoney said...

Thanks for your comments Papa D. The Church's apology was great, but to me inevitable and standard procedure in any situation such as this. I am pretty sure the Catholic church did vote unanimously to seek charges which I think was warranted if there was damage done. The investigation end recently with no charges. But the thing I was most intrigued with was the Catholic church urging forgiveness. That was a great and, might I say, mature thing to do. Perhaps a better word would be Christlike.

sojourner said...

Christ = forgiveness

Stephen said...

which wasn't even noticed as being broken until almost 2 years later

I think that says a lot about the shrine itself.

Old news now, and a good lesson, all in all.

Jonathan Mahoney said...

Amen.

Theist Think Tank said...
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