Mere Vandalism, Hate Crime, or Persecution?

Police said they will decide by Wednesday whether to press charges against three Mormon missionaries who allegedly vandalized a Catholic shrine in the San Luis Valley.

One of the missionaries working in southern Colorado was dismissed and sent home to Idaho last weekend. The missionaries were seen in photos - apparently taken in August 2006 - at the Shrine of the Mexican Martyrs at the Chapel of All Saints, across the street from Sangre de Cristo parish in San Luis.

The five photos, posted on Photobucket.com and now removed, include images of one missionary holding a head broken off a statue with the caption "Hannemann broke the head off a saint," said Alonzo Payne, a parishioner and spokesman for Sangre de Cristo, which paid for the shrine.

Another photo shows a missionary apparently preaching from the Book of Mormon at the altar inside the chapel, and a third shows a missionary pretending to sacrifice another.

The parish council voted Sunday to refer the incident to the Costilla County Sheriff's Office, Payne said.

Source

I know that I'm only getting part of the story here, but why do the police have to wait until Wednesday to decide whether or not to press charges?  Clearly a crime has been committed, and perhaps in other circumstances such behavior might even receive the label of being a hate crime.

I will allow that Mormon missionaries--though not all--are young, and certainly as such they are capable of acting on impulse and showing poor judgment.  Interestingly, I've noticed that these young proselytizing missionaries are referred to as "elders."  Certainly the expectation for an elder would not be to create havoc in a community where they are a guest.

However, I think there is more going on than simple youthful mischief.  When a member of a faith somehow misses the importance of respecting the holy places of other religions, we have have to question what exactly they are being taught about other faiths.

I recall years ago having a Protestant minister tell me that his idea of celebrating Good Friday was filling up on pork and going out with a hammer to smash idols.  I really doubt that he was serious, but we need to be aware.  Our times are filled with hatred for the Church, and whether intended or not such acts are in essence a form of persecution. 

Indeed a crime has been committed, one that transcends mere criminal mischief or even the likes of a hate crime.  In acts of persecution against the Church the true crime is committed against Christ.

Comments

[JustMe]

The greatest justice would be for us to pray for their conversion. And I'm just mean enough to do that. Yep, right into the Rosary with these fellas. Let Jesus-through-Mary grab them by the ear.

It's sad. We do know persecution's primary source. It strikes at the heel constantly. Ours is always an uphill spiritual battle.

[Sofia]

I for one am disgusted at what was done by these young men. I am a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and can attest to the fact that we believe all should worship freely, as stated in our Aritcles of Faith #11, "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own cconscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." It's not the religion that is corrupt, it's the members that need a good kick in the pants. My best friend was born and raised Catholic. I treasure her religious experience and vice versa. If only we could all just learn to get along and live what we preach.