Book of Mormon burned on doorstep of Arapahoe LDS church
A Book of Mormon was set on fire and left burning on the doorstep of an Arapahoe County church.
The incident happened at about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1939 E. Easter Ave., according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.
A church member found the book and brought it to the attention of other members. The incident was reported to the Sheriff’s Office at about 7:15 p.m.
Church members have told investigators that they believe the incident may be in “retaliation” for Mormon support of Proposition 8, a measure passed in California earlier this month that banned gay marriage.
Bob Meldrum, a church spokesman in Colorado, said church officials “don’t know what the motive is,” but that the church is “deeply concerned” and “saddened” by the incident.
Opponents of Proposition 8 have picketed churches in California and Utah, and some vandalism has been reported.
On Friday, more than 3,000 people marched in downtown Salt Lake City past the LDS temple and church headquarters, protesting church involvement in the successful measure.
The LDS Church got into the thick of the California battle when church officials encouraged members to actively support the proposition. Mormons are estimated to have given as much as $22 million to the ban effort, according to a report in the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Over the weekend across the Wasatch Front in Utah, windows at several LDS ward houses were shattered by rock throwing and BB-gun shooting vandals. The property crimes in Utah are being investigated.
Investigators here have not established that the book burning is in response to Proposition 8, but regardless, the incident is being investigated as arson and a hate crime.
“Anything you do that tends to intimidate or harass a person based on religion is a felony,” said Capt. Mark Fisher of the Sheriff’s Office.
Two men were seen driving away from the church parking lot in a silver sedan, possibly a Honda Civic or a similar car, at about the time the book was discovered, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The witness did not get a license-plate number.
Original article here: http://www.denverpost.com/crime/ci_10964515
jesurgislac said,
November 14, 2008 at 6:29 pm
“Anything you do that tends to intimidate or harass a person based on religion is a felony,” said Capt. Mark Fisher of the Sheriff’s Office.
Absolutely. Something the LDS church should have considered before they started their religious campaign against marriage in California.
Arson – even symbolic arson – is way further than I’d want people on my side to go. Not least because, once you set something on fire deliberately, accidents can happen/I hope the anti-marriage movement aren’;t just protesting this because it’s targeted at their side, and we’ll see them out there protesting arson attacks on women’s health clinics, too.
lee said,
November 14, 2008 at 8:01 pm
there was no harassment by the lds church. there was also no intimidation. what exactly are you referring to? people campaigned. they discussed.
the opposition to prop 8 had more money.
most people think that it’s important for society to have traditional marriage.
Scott M. said,
November 14, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Uh, mush for brains, the “campaign against marriage” is continuing, but it’s by the No on 8 folks who won’t accept the will of the people.
ditchu said,
November 14, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Book burning – No matter the material writen on the pages – is a sign of complete ignorance, or pure stupidity. It is a tactic of intollarent groups like white supreemists, but show the inability to deal with the burried fear of the knowledge contained in the pages, they put fire to it to “Change” the essance to a more maluable state so they can consume it in a form that does not confrount that inset fear. But the truth still remainds and no matter the fires that burn, no matter the ammount of Change one attempts to apply to truth it will stand to the end of days in mutable, as a shining beacon to all who will look and see.
I shall hope that it will be noted that the invlovement of the LDS Church is limmited to asking members that are not California voters to refrain from making calls to people in California. Any other action applied to “The Church” should be seen as the actions of indivisuals that may happen to be members of the church. I have yet to see any official action by the LDS Church beyond asking members that are not Voters of the states that this Propisition is being voted on to refrain from Calling thoes who are California Voters on the issue.
Good day, and God bless,
-D
jesurgislac said,
November 14, 2008 at 9:22 pm
there was no harassment by the lds church. there was also no intimidation.
You think it doesn’t count as intimidation when you try to get the government to take people’s right to freedom of religion and freedom to marry away? You think the government taking away people’s civil rights isn’t intimidating?
And there certainly was harassment: I’ve got links to examples on my blog
I also note that the first person to throw an insult on this thread is on your side: Scott’s “mush for brains”. Hm, indicative, no?
.ditchu: Book burning – No matter the material writen on the pages – is a sign of complete ignorance, or pure stupidity.
Actually, I agree with this: It makes me deeply uncomfortable that someone did this supposedly to campaign for civil rights. Book burning is wrong: arson, even symbolic arson, is wrong. Denial of civil rights and attacks on freedom of religion are also wrong, of course, but even those wrongs don’t make book-burning right.
Heather said,
November 14, 2008 at 9:33 pm
You think it doesn’t count as intimidation when you try to get the government to take people’s right to freedom of religion and freedom to marry away? You think the government taking away people’s civil rights isn’t intimidating?
Since when is marriage a freedom? Since when is marriage a civil right?
Something the LDS church should have considered before they started their religious campaign against marriage in California.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a whole did nothing except stand up for what they believe in. It was people of SEVERAL regligions that donated their money and time to support the traditional definition of marriage.
debbie said,
November 15, 2008 at 1:03 am
Book burnings and the city of SD is thinking of closing libraries, no money. I just recently finished “Alas, Babylon”. One of the characters is the town librarian. After the nuclear war starts, and eventually ends, the library becomes a comfortable place to be. Interesting what can become important when you’ve lost everything. She also becomes a sort of default teacher to the surviving children.
Burning a book is a pretty meaningful statement, especially when the book being burned is one that is so powerful to so many people.
jesurgislac said,
November 15, 2008 at 6:02 am
Since when is marriage a freedom? Since when is marriage a civil right?
In the US? Since June 1967.
lahona said,
November 16, 2008 at 2:46 am
Marriage is a civil right, and marriage is defined as a between man and woman. What is under debate at this time is not wether marriage is a civil right, it is on the definition of marriage. At this time, as of Nov. 4th, A man or woman marrying someone of the same sex does not fit the definition of marriage and therefore is not a civil right. Homosexuals have another institution that has been given to them that gives them every right granted to married status holders in california its called civil unions. In california equality exists at this time under the law for those who are married and those who are in civil unions. When it comes to rights, there is no difference between the two.
jesurgislac said,
November 16, 2008 at 7:03 am
At this time, as of Nov. 4th, A man or woman marrying someone of the same sex does not fit the definition of marriage
Well, yes, it does. All around the world, and in the US, the definition of marriage includes two men marrying or two women marrying. That’s just a fact. Marriage is not exclusively defined as between a man and a woman, despite desperate attempts to make it so. (The AG of California, furthermore, has declared that none of the couples who married between June and November will have their marriages invalidated by the state – so there are still same-sex couples in California who are legally married, whether you like it or not.
Homosexuals have another institution that has been given to them that gives them every right granted to married status holders in california its called civil unions.
Actually, they’re called registered domestic partnerships, and they’re not legally equal to marriage in California, nor legally equal to marriage across the rest of the US. Facts again.