Quoted: Quoted: Wow, the first two look happy psycho, the last two look ...well...angry stoned psycho. I guess if you have to be a psycho, it's best to be happy about it?   They did not look terribly out of place. Clearly, they were not familiar faces at church, but since we're the only church in the county, any Catholic visitors to the area end up at Annunciation of the Lord. And in my ten years in town, our church has never been a coat and tie affair by any stretch of the imagination.

Oh, don't get me wrong...I'm into "come as you are...just come" (within reason, for example: booty shorts don't have a place in general public, let alone church ), but come on & admit it... that pic of the second guy has a "manson-ish" look about him.  

And the second chick just looks plain creepy

But I guess the folks who do mug shots didn't study at Glamor shots first.  

ETA: I'm just poking fun at them because they're too far away to kick in the shin.  

But seriously -

Matthew 5:11-12

11"Blessed are you when people (A)insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.   12"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for (B)in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Quoted: In my experience, it's usually some variety of Baptist that is responsible for this sort of thing.  I had no experience with such until I went to college and attended a Baptist service with some friends.  Once the pastor found out I was Catholic, he was visibly shaken that a Papist had entered his church.  I had no idea what the hell he was talking about until someone explained his behavior later, and showed me some of the Baptist indoctrination Baptist comic books that explained how Catholics rewrote the Bible and do not follow the Word of God. Whatever.

Sounds like you've seen a few 'Chick tracts'.

Jack Chick is....a bit extreme, one might say.

As an aside, there was a Catholic in attendance at the baptist church I'm a member of, last sunday.

Best I can recall, nobody seemed visibly shaken by his presence.

How sad one's beliefs are attacked. Happens every day in many ways.
We have a eastern right catholic church here in town.Melkite Catholic.
Very nice services, just not roman I am used to, But with much reverence.
It is said in caldean with very traditional honored reverence.

Several times now, it has been the object of attack. Both during and after services. It is a small congregation...about 300. Always they pick up and start again. But their attacks have been more violent.
It is sadly, going on all over. Many don't know it.

At our roman catholic church, we have had people break in and steal the eucahrist waiting to be distributed ot the ill and dying. Our statues destroyed and our holy water stolen.

Seems no one has any respect for anything anymore....

Twire, I am glad this was dealt with so swiftly, and no one was injured.
God bless you and yours.

www.thewmurchannel.com/news/5060409/detail.html

Looks like the two moonbats that did this were from a town in NH near where I grew up.  Ugh.



Former N.H. Couple Charged With Desecrating Alabama Church
Pair Rushes Altar After Claiming They Had Vision

POSTED: 11:51 am EDT October 5, 2005

DECATUR, Ala. -- A former New Hampshire man who left the state to find God is now behind bars, accused of desecrating a Catholic church in Alabama.

Adam Turgeon, 27, formerly of Franklin, N.H., and his common-law wife, Lisa Wagner, said they were obeying a command from Jesus when they rushed the altar at a church in Decatur just as communion was ending on Sunday.

"I got a vision in my head that I was going be breaking a church," Turgeon said.

Police said that Turgeon acted on that vision at the Annunciation of the Lord Church as the 11 a.m. Mass was winding down.

"Me and Adam both had dreams about this occurring," Wagner said.

Police said that Turgeon and Wagner rushed the century-old marble altar, and Turgeon turned it over, sending the altar down the steps before it shattered. Parishioners then subdued the two.

Turgeon said he was acting on a vision from God that told him that the new pope is the Antichrist, Catholics were worshiping false ideas and the end of world is at hand.

"They must have bowed to this table at least five times, and they must have bowed to these golden crosses a good portion of times, and it's bowing to idols -- idolatry," Turgeon said.

Turgeon and Wagner have both been charged with first-class felony mischief. Also charged were Val Loughman and his wife, Emily Loughman, who allegedly stood in the back of the church shouting as Turgeon and Wagner rushed the altar.

The attack frightened some people sitting in the front pews, but no one was injured. Wagner said she remains unrepentant, saying she doesn't think she did anything wrong.

Turgeon said that he thinks pushing the altar over went a little overboard, but he said, "It's not exactly like I knew what I was doing. I couldn't see, and I can't explain it any more."

Just so people know.... there are 7 main rites within the Catholic Church; the Latin rite makes up about 90% of all Catholics, but the other 6 rites - which are definately NOT Latin, are considered fully Catholic in faith and morals.

The Chaldean (Iraqi mainly) rite is ancient and perfectly legit. Ditto with the Coptic, Armenian, etc.

This is covered as well in the Catechism. So using the designation "RCC" isn't proper. Technically I'm "Catholic of the Latin rite" not "Roman Catholic".

It's become so much part of cultural usage that lots of parishes just go with it, but should you run across a Catholic Church not called Roman, chances are it's not schismatic, but just a different rite.