Kentucky's largest church dealing with teens who destroyed Catholic statue

Courier-Journal ^ | July 11, 2004 | Staff

[B Knotts]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky's largest church plans to focus on religious tolerance at upcoming services after several of its teenagers destroyed a Virgin Mary statue at an Indiana home.

Southeast Christian Church has disciplined a 24-year-old employee who supervised the campers at Country Lake Christian Retreat Center in Clark County, Ind., said spokeswoman Cindee Coffee. She did not identify the worker, who she described as "embarrassed and remorseful."

...

Senior pastor Bob Russell planned to address the incident at weekend services and future staff meetings. After a Bible lesson on worshipping idols, the teens went to Barthold's neighboring wooded property and smashed the statue of the Virgin Mary. The camp's director offered to pay Barthold for the statue, which he replaced.

[Stone Mountain]

After a Bible lesson on worshipping idols, the teens went to Barthold's neighboring wooded property and smashed the statue of the Virgin Mary. [...] He said he initially thought the vandalism in late June was a hate crime...

Apparently, he was right...

[gingerky]

Yeah, must have been some lesson those teens had on idol worship.

[Woodworker]

The full article contains this quote: "'Tolerance is a very important part of our culture today,' (Cindy) Coffee (a Southeast Christian Church spokeswoman) said. 'We all need to respect each other.'" Tolerance isn't the issue. Idol worship isn't a question of statues and images, but an question of your prime concern.

The idols worshiped by most modern Americans aren't the statues in the Catholic churches, but things. The concern for the things overrides concern for the greatest commandment, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

For example, I seen a few cases where people "worship" their household pets. That is, concern for the person's perception of the pet's well being overrides concern for other human beings. The enviro-wacko's worship nonhuman parts of creation to the determent of their fellow humans.

It seems Southeast Christian has a real problem when their teachings lead to destruction of property.

[Strategerist]

Boy, if the kids were Muslims instead of Fundie Christians, this thread would have 100 replies already....

[aposiopetic]

Here's a reply, then.

The church in question has close to 20,000 members. I know of no large church any more respectful of individual property rights than is this church, which many of my friends and colleagues (but not I) attend. I am shocked at what happened and wonder why the teens' supervisor has not been dismissed.

That said, the wrong-headed actions of a handful of teens -- at night, during the late springtime, and away from home -- are not IMO a sufficient basis for inferring what the attitude of the vast majority of church members would be about the incident. My guess -- based on what I know of people who belong to that church -- is that most parents in that congregation would have severely disciplined their children, had their kids participated in such a destructive act.

[beelzepug]

"The church in question has close to 20,000 members."

I find a church this size to be just a bit scary, don't you?

[aposiopetic]

I'll say -- though it's for practical, not theological, reasons.

I got caught in a traffic jam in their parking lot once after attending a commencement exercise at their facility. While everyone was quite polite, it must have taken us an hour to clear out of the place on a hot day!

[big'ol_freeper]

What a surprise.

[Wired]

""The church in question has close to 20,000 members."

I find a church this size to be just a bit scary, don't you?"

Despite the fact that I am a Methodist I actually work at this church. I grew up in a church of about 4,000 so I'm used to fairly large churches, but SECC is in a league of its own. I love it though, but I still like to attend my home church once and awhile.