A progressive, pro-gay marriage church
in the greater Minneapolis area was vandalized over the weekend.
Vandals threw eggs at the windows of
the Pilgrims United Church of Christ in Maple Grove and scribbled
“church of Sodom and Gomorrah” on the building's exterior walls.
The graffitists also scrawled Bible
verses Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26. Some theologians argue that
those verses condemn homosexuality.
Church staff told Minneapolis
NBC affiliate KARE that they had previously been targeted. Last
year, signs urging voters to oppose passage of a ban on gay marriage
were taken from church property. And last month, while the Minnesota
Senate voted on a bill extending marriage rights to gay couples,
graffiti was spotted on church walls.
Pastor Robin Raudabaugh called the
vandalism a “hate-filled act.”
“Violence or defaming someone's
church is not a very Christian attitude,” said long-time member
Karen Udstrand. “It's very disappointing.”