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LDS Church issues apology in missionary vandalism case
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who posted the photos?
Why would that person post such photos?
How do authorities know the photos are genuine and connected to these particular elders?
what factual evidence exists that these three missionaries did in fact do what they are accused of? This is the really interesting question. We are assuming that authorities dusted the statue for fingerprints. So did they?
"Bias induced crime -- there is a PC laugh. If the authorities prosecuted all the Bias-induced religious mockeries of Catholicism posted on YouTube Webshots and PhotoBucket, they would be busy indeed.
Incidentally, how does a major desecration of a religious icon go unnoticed from 2006 to the present day? The writers need to double check this particular item.
The church has acted quickly in this case. I was a little surprised to hear that the missionary still serving, was sent home. Good public relations are important to any organization. There is no evidence that the missionaries vandalized the statue, or just found it that way. Regarding the pictures, young men can do silly things without intending harm.
While this incident is unfortunate, good will come out of it. The shrine will be repaired, relationships mended, and missionaries will be reminded of the importance of appropriate behavior.
I think this is a great lesson for members and missionaries. It's pretty simple. Don't do stupid stuff.
There are many questions that are not answered, but that does not mean there is not guilt. The damage was not discovered until the photos actually showed the damage and it was confirmed. Read the article again more carefully.
It is best to leave it to the authorities and the LDS Church to punish the offenders.
To to rightascension,
The letter of appology referred to in the other article did not confess to decapitating the statue, but to mocking the sacred sites. This alone is enough to receive punishment from the LDS Church.
Was the statue already damaged? Could be, heck it took 1 1/2 yrs to figure out it was damaged now. However, because it appears the missionaries did this the Church will seek to make amends since they were offical representatives of the LDS Church at the time.
The LDS Church likely will not face a lawsuit because the leaders did not sanction it or give instructions to act the way the missionaries did. Also they have contacted the parish and will do all they can to make the parish whole.
The missionaries will likely face legal issues as a result of their actions.
This seems hypocritical of the Church. If the same thing had happened and the media hadn't gone national with it these missionaries would have gotten their hands slapped. So their crime was letting it go national?
If they broke the statue they should be charged, sneaking funny pictures in the Catholic Church is done by every altar boy from here to Botswana.
* D = Discouragement
* I = Idleness
* M = Murmuring
* S = STUPID THINGS. His examples were missionaries taking photos of themselves sitting on the head of a statue of Buddha in Thailand and a missionary in England punching-out the first person he encountered after receiving his "Dear John" -- a London Bobby on patrol. Mebbe we should raise the bar just a bit higher.
They have brought shame to the wonderful people of the LDS faith. I wish I could comfort all of them. Please know that I do not blame anyone for the sad action of these unthinking young men. No right thinking person of any sect will.
For my part, I also hope that the parish in Colorado can be understanding of 19-20 year old immaturity. We in Colorado are willing to try to find a way to restore our friendship. Speaking for myself, I feel terrible and hope that can have some bearing on the church's efforts to apologize as well.
Somehow I don't think it is.
These young men were in a church not of their own doing something they shouldn't be. This is tresspassing!!!!!
What they did was illegal and each of them could be convicted on 6 separate charges including several felonies. You may not consider it a big thing but I suspect that if someone vandalized your property which cost you thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars to repair you whould be upset too. At minimum they should be sent home. Let's all hope that the Prosecutors will go light on them.
Kyle ?.......I am at a loss for words......you are the perfect example of the arogance that ticks off the rest of the universe...humility my friend, practice what you preach.
Are these not people you call and expect others to call "elders"? Are they not endowed holders of your priesthood? Have you not sent them out on the presumption that they are more knowledgeable with sacred truths to share? And they behave in a way that offends any decent, civilized person regardless of their religion or lack thereof!
I'd like to hear how you react when 19 year old African Americans behave "like boys being boys". I'd like to hear how you'd react if a member of any other faith entered your temples even in a spirit of respect.
I think you should all consider this a big old mirror held up so that you can see yourselves in your reactions. NOT pretty!
I do agree with Rightascension on the point that there really wasn't enough info given in the news article. At first it was very easy to believe that it was possible that they did nothing wrong other than being in the wrong place and wrong position.
However, I do feel that they were young and didn't take into account what they were doing. I don't see this as horrific as much as just stupid. Many people make mistakes.
I do not feel that the one should have been sent home. It will disgrace him his whole life and he will have to deal with everyone being rude to him now. He will have enough punishment from this alone. The town wants legal action and many LDS members are upset as well.
President Hinckley gave a wonderful talk about forgiveness not too long ago about a women having a frozen Turkey thrown at her. I admire her level of forgiveness which is closer to what we ought to be than anything I see here.
They boys were wrong. Everyone is casting stones and few are forgiving. The public is committing the worse crime. These boys have futures!
Forgive!
these young men should be punished equally as any other, but, It all comes down the fact that it was 3 young men, not a ward, or a church leader.
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La Capilla de Todos Los Santos or the Chapel of All Saints in San Luis, Colo. is framed by a sculpture of Jesus Christ. Deputies are investigating allegations that LDS missionaries may have decapitated a statue of a Mexican martyr and mocked a Catholic shrine in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado.
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