A Baptist church in Palermo, Maine, is asking for forgiveness for the culprits responsible for vandalizing the building with pro-abortion graffiti.
Second Baptist Church was vandalized Saturday night with phrases including “Abortion is our Human right” and “Queer love 4 eva” spray-painted onto the walls. A church sign that read “Abortion is Still Murder” was covered in red paint —which unintentionally appears to further enhance the idea that abortion brutally ends a human life.
“This is an escalation of violence against the church,” said State Representative Katrina Smith, who is a member of the church. “[T]o me, it’s a hate crime. This is a group of young children, families, just local people, and they have done nothing to speak out against any of the issues right now.”
Pastor Joshua Barnes told the congregation that he doesn’t think there will be much that law enforcement can do. “They parked out of camera range and walked in in the dark,” Barnes said. “That’s typically what cowards do. We’ll find out who it is. I’m sure it’s somebody local.”
Despite the description of the attack as a hate crime, in his morning prayers, Barnes asked the congregation to extend forgiveness to the vandals.
Since the leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, violence towards the pro-life movement — including pregnancy centers and churches — has massively increased. FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed in testimony before Congress that 70% of abortion-related violence since Dobbs has been at the hands of abortion activists, directed towards pro-lifers.
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Barnes also gave a statement on the church’s Facebook page. “Our church once again was the recipient of vandalism and destruction. At least two vehicles occupied by more than one accomplice used the cover of darkness to destroy property at the church along with nailing up signs to the building and defacing the property with paint,” the statement began, concluding, “We simply ask those who continue to commit such acts of vandalism and property destruction against our church to extend to us the same tolerance and acceptance that they demand. They are welcome to live their lives as they choose as well as believe whatever they would choose to, and we simply ask to be given the right to engage in the same thing.”
He added, “We continue to be a church where anyone is welcome to attend, but also will continue to remain a church that will stand uncompromisingly upon the teachings of scripture.”
