Posted on 2/7/2006, 9:58:36 PM by Dane
February 7, 2006
Five Santa Cruz churches target of 'hate crime' By Cathy Smith sentinel staff writer
SANTA CRUZ — Vandals struck five Santa Cruz churches, a Christian bookstore and the historic Santa Cruz Mission Adobe on Saturday night in what police are calling a hate crime.
The vandals used a stencil to leave specially crafted messages and images about a half-foot across. One depicted a cross with an equal sign followed by a swastika. Church leaders said another stated "Abort Christ," a message one minister called "stunning and distressing."
The targeted churches included Holy Cross, Messiah Lutheran, High Street Community, First Congregational and Calvary Episcopalian. Also struck was the Agnus Dei Christian bookstore on Cedar Street and the Santa Cruz Mission Adobe park, which is near Holy Cross.
The Rev. Mark Stetz of Holy Cross said the messages seemed so general that it is not clear what the person or people were upset about. He said the church reaches out to all members of the community and tries to promote social justice.
"There is nothing constructive about what they did," he said. "It's just damaging and destructive, and the resources needed to repair those things could have been used to help people in other ways."
Santa Cruz police Lt. Rick Martinez called it a calculated act that included designing stencils.
"We're very concerned," he said. "We're definitely investigating this as a hate crime, and it is definitely prioritized as such."
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At least two churches had the disturbing messages painted on entrance steps, presumably so members would see them on the way to Sunday morning services.
The Rev. Nancy Miller, interim pastor at Calvary Episcopalian Church, called the "Abort Christ" message "awful."
"I rather presume it was a stupid prank, but I'm fearful it might be something else. I just don't know," she said. "I'm grateful it was found before the first service. It's very stunning and distressing."
Both the historic adobe and Holy Cross were tagged with similar graffiti in October, and Stetz is concerned it's becoming "habitualized." In the earlier incidents, however, the words were drawn using marker and spray paint.
Martinez said officers are "taking a hard look" at whether the damage was done by the same person, as the messages are similar and the crime fairly rare.
Restoration of the lime-washed mud walls of the historic adobe is costly and time-consuming, State Parks officials said; October's damaged wall remains covered with white fabric, as does Saturday's vandalism on at least one additional wall.
"We are exploring our options," Supervising Ranger Todd Allen said. "It hasn't happened a whole lot in the past. We can't just go in and sandblast it off of there."
Parks officials are exploring security options, he added.
At First Congregational, associate pastor Shannon Spencer said she hoped the vandal finds a better way to communicate: "It's sad this is the only way they feel they can be heard. We are an open community that welcomes people's perceptions of God and faith, and we are OK with disagreement. I would hope we could build a bridge and come to some reconciliation."
Graffiti is a problem countywide, but officers said graffiti and gang "taggings" are rarely placed on church buildings.
Investigators asked that anyone with information on the crime call 420-5820.
Rev., JMO, but a Cross being equated to a swastika and a message saying "abort Christ" is the work of militant leftists that hate Christianity.
Santa Cruz is a den of radical leftists.
more attacks on churches??
I wonder how many others have been attacked that we don't know about?
Can't say. I noted that these aren't Southern Baptist churches either..like the ones in Alabama.
These actions are related to the towel head outrage, I bet.
Doubtful See Dane's post:
a Cross being equated to a swastika and a message saying "abort Christ" is the work of militant leftists that hate Christianity
Santa Cruz is full of the leftist of the left types.
It is appalling.
"These actions are related to the towel head outrage, I bet."
That's possible, but I doubt it. I suspect it's a sicko with some sort of wierd grudge against Christianity. I also suspect it's not related to the Alabama church burnings.
They'll probably catch this one pretty quickly, and then we'll find out.
Yet Santa Cruz Christians are NOT rioting..
There are Christians in Santa Cruz?
Who knew???
Has anyone listed those burnings as "hate crimes" yet?
The radical leftists believe that if only religion were done away with, the world would be a better place, more peaceful, less to fight about.
Now this is not an example of Freedom of Speech. This is vandalism.
Well, they can at least be grateful they weren't burned down. Looks like quite a collection of mainstream, liberal theology, PC "faith traditions" that got hit. Most of which approve of abortion. Aah, Holy Cross is Catholic, but, this is Kullyfohnia so who knows how they stand on abortion privately.
I guess that not everyone in Santa Cruz is going to The First Church
of The Banana Slug.
(the mascot of Univ. Cal. at Santa Cruz)
I'm out here in Santa Cruz and will look into this.
Yeah, likely the usual nihilism run amok. The churches out here are likely as insipid as the one I attended a couple of weeks ago--no match for lefties or muslims.
Ach, it give us Christians something else to feel persecuted about. It's good for us. Adds urgency to our mission.
It's also arson, a federal crime.
It's only a hate crime if the church's congregation is black, brown, or Muslim.
(/sarcasm)
abortion advocates? Homosexual "act up" advocates?
Seems to match their mantras...
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