Michael is the head of Angelic armies. He is a servant of God who, in the Bible, fights demons and Satan.
This is THE LAST message that police officers need.
They do not serve God, they serve the community. They are not infallible. They are supposed to serve and protect, not wage war. They solve crimes and the people they arrest are not minions of Satan.
Police officers already see themselves as warriors, thanks to a few decades of militarization. (Thanks, Bush!) They roll out each day with the attitude that they are at war and the people they encounter are the enemy. Adding a religious dimension turns it into a holy war, and the ones who would have questioned whether or not they were enforcing the law properly would stop doubting.
I can only wonder at how stupid these people had to be to assume putting these statues up in front of a police station would be okay. Things like this do not fill me with hope for the future of our species.
They are enculted and putting up these expensive statues is an act of faith and now they can claim to be being persecuted... Win - Win. But if the SJC ultimately rules against the statues, I think this mayor needs to cough up the cost out of his own pocket to make the Taxpayers of Quincy whole.
Putting these things up in front of police stations/HQs just reminds people what a close relationship cops and Catholics (especially clergy) have with one another.
Its the priests who have avoided the police blotters that worry me the most. Oh, but wait - I hear the Church now reports all abuse. Perhaps someone wearing a collar and robes to work needs a confessional.
Catholic statues with a secular purpose? Gee, where have I heard THAT one before? Oh, yeah, just about every time someone tries to insert their belief system into government or some other public space. I don't know who Mayor Koch thought he was kidding with that noise, but he clearly didn't fool the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
They rendered a correct decision. The question now becomes whether Thomas Koch learned anything from all of this.
I doubt that Mr Koch learned anything other than Massachusetts courts won't treat his beliefs as the default. It wouldn't surprise me if he cries "persecution" and tries to move it to the federal courts, with hopes of getting the Catholic supermajority on SCOTUS to give him what he wants.
They had Halloween things out earlier this summer around where I live. It appears that Halloween, Christmas and Easter are the holidays where things start showing up months and months before they're due.
I passed a house last Halloween that had 2 pillars on either side of their driveway entrance and had replaced the balls that are usually on top of either pillar with skulls from those gigantic skeletons you see lately. It looked pretty cool.
I can understand your choice. You'll pay a lot less at Home Depot than the city did for those statues. But, I think that they are a lot scarier and will definitely come as a surprise to the little trick or treaters especially if they're non-Catholics. LOL!
“”It might help them,” he added. “They might say a little prayer before they go out on duty.”
If cops and firefighters need prayer to do their jobs well, perhaps the city should be investing more in their training instead of advertising for the Catholic Church.”
I’m sorry, but if the cops and firefighters need a statue to remind them to pray, how devout can they be? And this was just an admission that these gentlemen *cough* are intending for the departments to be fully Catholic, which is a huge problem constitutionally. These statues are direct reminders of what is expected within the community and this government safety organization. This isn’t a gentle reminder that this job is dangerous and you should be careful, it is a blatant order to pray the correct way.
Demons don't exist and have never existed, and the whole point of being a police officer is to deal with or help prevent in the first place REAL crimes.
Want to put up a Catholic statue with a secular purpose? OK then, I propose we construct and install statues dedicated to that Catholic warrior Stephen Colbert. And I suggest they be placed at the several Catholic churches near CBS Television City as well as at CBS Television City itself.
Cops put In God We Trust decals on their cars but don't go on duty without body armor and weapons up the wazoo. What a shallow testament to their "faith."
"...St. Michael is a figure common to Christianity, Islam and Judaism."
Mikey is an archangel. A fictitious being. Might as well put up a statue dedicated to Warren Worthington III, the mutant X-Man known as Angel/Archangel.
What the courts have done in this situation is good news! There's no valid reason for government to spend any money let alone hundreds of thousands of dollars on religious statues which send the wrong message to anyone not of that particular faith.
Michael is the head of Angelic armies. He is a servant of God who, in the Bible, fights demons and Satan.
This is THE LAST message that police officers need.
They do not serve God, they serve the community. They are not infallible. They are supposed to serve and protect, not wage war. They solve crimes and the people they arrest are not minions of Satan.
Police officers already see themselves as warriors, thanks to a few decades of militarization. (Thanks, Bush!) They roll out each day with the attitude that they are at war and the people they encounter are the enemy. Adding a religious dimension turns it into a holy war, and the ones who would have questioned whether or not they were enforcing the law properly would stop doubting.
I can only wonder at how stupid these people had to be to assume putting these statues up in front of a police station would be okay. Things like this do not fill me with hope for the future of our species.
Blind faith is the final sign of true stupidity. IMHO.
The mayor hiding it from the public and at least some of the councilmembers is a pretty clear indication that even he knew it wasn't okay.
They are enculted and putting up these expensive statues is an act of faith and now they can claim to be being persecuted... Win - Win. But if the SJC ultimately rules against the statues, I think this mayor needs to cough up the cost out of his own pocket to make the Taxpayers of Quincy whole.
Putting these things up in front of police stations/HQs just reminds people what a close relationship cops and Catholics (especially clergy) have with one another.
ESPECIALLY in Boston. I still remember Spotlight all too well.
People always need to be reminded how often Catholics wind up in police blotters for their...private activites.
Its the priests who have avoided the police blotters that worry me the most. Oh, but wait - I hear the Church now reports all abuse. Perhaps someone wearing a collar and robes to work needs a confessional.
Catholic statues with a secular purpose? Gee, where have I heard THAT one before? Oh, yeah, just about every time someone tries to insert their belief system into government or some other public space. I don't know who Mayor Koch thought he was kidding with that noise, but he clearly didn't fool the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
They rendered a correct decision. The question now becomes whether Thomas Koch learned anything from all of this.
I doubt that Mr Koch learned anything other than Massachusetts courts won't treat his beliefs as the default. It wouldn't surprise me if he cries "persecution" and tries to move it to the federal courts, with hopes of getting the Catholic supermajority on SCOTUS to give him what he wants.
Entirely too likely. 😝
What puts me at ease?
A. St. Michael stomping on a horned demon
B. The police
C. Catholics
D. None of the above
E. None of the above, but instead going on a peaceful walk in nature where there’s no Christians around.
The answer is obviously E. And most of us here would join you.
You are most welcome 🤗
Good! Put 'em churches or even private homes.
I sure as hell wouldn't want either of those monstrosities in MY home!
I could probably use them as trellises in my garden. Let the cuke vines crawl over them.
Why not keep them in the garage and bring them out on your porch for Halloween?
UGH! I'd sooner buy a skeleton or werewolf from Home Depot!
Speaking of which, those things are already on display at HD.
And it isn't even September yet! 🤪
They had Halloween things out earlier this summer around where I live. It appears that Halloween, Christmas and Easter are the holidays where things start showing up months and months before they're due.
I passed a house last Halloween that had 2 pillars on either side of their driveway entrance and had replaced the balls that are usually on top of either pillar with skulls from those gigantic skeletons you see lately. It looked pretty cool.
I can understand your choice. You'll pay a lot less at Home Depot than the city did for those statues. But, I think that they are a lot scarier and will definitely come as a surprise to the little trick or treaters especially if they're non-Catholics. LOL!
“The bottom line doesn’t change.”
Except for the extra $850,000 dollars that won't be going to fix roads or fund schools.
“”It might help them,” he added. “They might say a little prayer before they go out on duty.”
If cops and firefighters need prayer to do their jobs well, perhaps the city should be investing more in their training instead of advertising for the Catholic Church.”
I’m sorry, but if the cops and firefighters need a statue to remind them to pray, how devout can they be? And this was just an admission that these gentlemen *cough* are intending for the departments to be fully Catholic, which is a huge problem constitutionally. These statues are direct reminders of what is expected within the community and this government safety organization. This isn’t a gentle reminder that this job is dangerous and you should be careful, it is a blatant order to pray the correct way.
Demons don't exist and have never existed, and the whole point of being a police officer is to deal with or help prevent in the first place REAL crimes.
Want to put up a Catholic statue with a secular purpose? OK then, I propose we construct and install statues dedicated to that Catholic warrior Stephen Colbert. And I suggest they be placed at the several Catholic churches near CBS Television City as well as at CBS Television City itself.
Bari Weiss would LOSE HER MIND! [which is no great loss!]
Storage? Let's hope they get accidentally lost or damaged like video of cops doing illegal things.
Cops put In God We Trust decals on their cars but don't go on duty without body armor and weapons up the wazoo. What a shallow testament to their "faith."
OT: Dropping this here again for good vibes ✨
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcHjJomtp5S/?igsi=MWU0MG8yNnd4a3l3ZQ==
"...St. Michael is a figure common to Christianity, Islam and Judaism."
Mikey is an archangel. A fictitious being. Might as well put up a statue dedicated to Warren Worthington III, the mutant X-Man known as Angel/Archangel.
What the courts have done in this situation is good news! There's no valid reason for government to spend any money let alone hundreds of thousands of dollars on religious statues which send the wrong message to anyone not of that particular faith.