Backdoor Blasphemy: Pa. County Intends To Pursue Jesus Statue ‘Desecration’ Case | Americans United

So, I wasn't going to post anything regarding this now ludicrous fiasco. What should have been, "hey kid, dumb move - don't do it again (or at least don't post it on Facebook), has now become a blatant re-election campaign talking point. This is no longer a "religious" issue per se nor is it even a free-speech issue; it is no longer about some kid acting stupid. It's about, "My motivations in prosecuting this case are based solely on the law,"

Keep that in mind a second,,,

In a previous post I referenced the attached article as a comparison to another incident playing out not too far from where I live in PA. I chose it at random, briefly scanning through it to make sure it had pertinent information and links so anyone living under a rock could get some of the back-story as to the why of my comparison. As I was skimming through, this caught my eye.

The teenager has not been charged with trespassing, vandalism or any other offense rooted in secular law. News reports also noted that Love in the Name of Christ, the organization on whose property the statue sits, is not interested in pressing charges.

So what gives? Higgins is able to bring neo-blasphemy charges against the teen because of a 1972 statute that makes “desecration, theft or sale of a venerated object” a second-degree misdemeanor. Pennsylvania law defines “desecration” as “defacing, damaging, polluting or otherwise physically mistreating” an object “in a way that the actor knows will outrage the sensibilities” of anyone who learns about it.

Now having a nephew, may he RIP, who during his teen years had to deal with some of the archaic laws still on the books in our borough, county (skateboarding on the sidewalks in the business section of town, all 2 1/2 blocks of it) and state, the date of 1972 stood out like a sore thumb. Seriously? As Brown points out, Higgins didn't have to go the blasphemy route.

So why my "sudden" interest in this case this, right here. You see some of the people rallying for the kid are friends. I don't like when my friends are threatened because some sanctimonious ass-hat that is pandering to the Reich is attempting to get re-elected.

“I guess I should take solace in the fact that the liberals are mad at me – again. As for this case, this troubled young man offended the sensibilities and morals of OUR community. … His actions constitute a violation of the law, and he will be prosecuted accordingly. If that tends to upset the ‘anti-Christian, ban-school-prayer, war-on-Christmas, oppose display of Ten Commandments’ crowd, I make no apologies.”

So Mr Higgins, what's that about your motivations again?

Backdoor Blasphemy: Pa. County Intends To Pursue Jesus Statue ‘Desecration’ Case | Americans United