Police: Teens Planned To Burn 27 Stolen Baby Jesus Statues

WNBC-TV NEWS ^ | 1-3-2005

[Gerish]

Ah, okay.....I believe everyone on this forum can express an opinion based on the article which is what I did.

I agree that no one can make a child conform to the will of God. You can lead, exhort, and compel, but some children (of any age) may reject God's grace and succumb to the spirit of the world. I am sorry for the troubles with your child, however, maybe all your hard work will pay off. Sometimes results are not evident until many years have passed.

Finally, telling someone you don't even know to "get a life" is childish.

[Aquinasfan]

Two of the suspects, who ranged from 15 to 19 years old, said they acted out of boredom, authorities said.

I actually believe them. But idle hands are the devil's workshop...

"They were looking for things to do," Detective Ken Kelly said. "They told us, 'We were going to have a baby Jesus burning party."'

One suspect told detectives, "We just wanted to see their heads burning," Kelly said.

Looks like the devil decided to take control of these drifting souls.

[Aquinasfan]

In a truly enlightened society, you would be serving a seven-year apprenticeship in a trade and every nickel you earned would be going to your parents as a thank you for providing you with a home and food.

Yup.

[Aquinasfan]

The Middlesex County prosecutor’s office considered bringing bias crime charges in the case, but decided against it, ruling that evidence in the case does not fit within state guidelines governing bias prosecutions.

Wow. You have to respect their chutzpah, if nothing else.

[Aquinasfan]

But there is a point in an adolescent's life you don't own him any more. He's owned by his peer group, if he's owned by anybody.

My Christian co-worker had a similar experience. His kid straightened out by his mid-20s, so there's hope. But the father changed the locks on the doors when he was about 20.

"Owned by his peer group" is a problem for all parents with children in school.

[Calpernia]

We are quite the bookends of the States, no?

[Calpernia]

Hate crime:

Crime of aggravated assault, arson, burglary, criminal homicide, motor vehicle theft, robbery, sex offenses, and/or crime involving bodily injury in which the victim was intentionally selected because of the victims' actual or perceived race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability.


Nope, no hate crime here. Move along.


::shakes head::

[Lorraine]

I bet they are crack heads by the time they are 20.