A Pennsylvania teen faces two years in a juvenile facility for simulating oral sex with a statue of Jesus.
Teenagers are stupid, but the venerated objects statute in the state of Pennsylvania is more stupid.
The teen is charged with desecrating a venerated object, citing a 1972 statute that criminalizes “the desecration, theft or sale of a venerated object” as a second-degree misdemeanor.
Pennslyvania law defines desecration as the “defacing, damaging, polluting or otherwise physically mistreating in a way that the actor knows will outrage the sensibilities of persons likely to observe or discover the action,” according to Americans United.
Oh, you’re a violent offender? House arrest for you. You did what to a statue of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ? To prison, heathen.
This has to be a violation of something in the Constitution. And, yes, actually, it is.
The establishment clause: no laws shall be made respecting an establishment of religion.
If the same boy simulated oral sex with, I don’t know, a statue of Budha or Muhammad this venerated objects statue wouldn’t apply. Not a chance.
These objects are still venerated by some people, though, namely, Buddhists and Muslims. So, by all intents and purposes, this statute should apply. But it wouldn’t.
Because Christianity is the religion practiced by the majority of Americans that practice religion, it takes precedence over others. Unconstitutional precedence, but precedence nonetheless.
The Hobby Lobby case, gay marriage bans, overtly Christian Hollywood movies — the list goes on. We can’t escape the influence of the Almighty machine.
They’re saying that America is more secular than it’s ever been. Where, exactly? I don’t see it. Individuals may be more secular than they used to be, but the country itself sure isn’t.
This country’s obsession with all things holy is ?holding it back.
A statue of Jesus is just that: a statue, a mere symbol, something that can’t be described by mere language, according to Christians. I’m pretty sure it was God that said something like “there shall be no idols before me.”
Isn’t a statue kind of like an idol? Treating a statue as a venerated object is ?idolizing the statue itself.
If one is confident in the heavenly being that one worships, a kid pulling a stupid prank involving a symbol of that being shouldn’t bother one.
So maybe that’s why this kid faces juvenile time: because Christians are losing confidence in a growing secular world. Maybe it’s some kind of last-ditch effort to stay relevant.
I’m not trying to bash Christians here, but maybe they need a reality check.
Maybe we all need a reality check. If American citizens are going to have the right to believe whatever they wish, as they should, any one of these beliefs should not take precedent more than the others.
In an ideal country, the government shouldn’t even acknowledge their ?existence.
But until then, heed this advice: keep your teenage boys away from any and all statues.
zipperr@indiana.edu
