Church was once viewed as a pillar of community, and Christianity was revered as America’s prime religion.

But times are quickly changing, and whereas liberal-lifestyle Hollywood once embraced faith in its offerings, a disrespect has trickled deeply down to the masses.

Add to that an increasing political divide, amid which the conservative side is implicated as Christian in a derogatory way.

As society works its way down the ladder of progress, we see houses of worship — of all faiths — being shot up by domestic terrorists.

Apropos, in San Antonio, a monument to Christ has been assaulted.

According to “Alamo City” outlet The Tower, Assumption Seminary’s glass front doors were recently attacked as a large crucifix was desecrated.

In a statement, the Archdiocese said San Antonio PD is currently searching for a suspect.

Alexander Jacobs, who lives at the seminary’s Discernment House, recalled the incident to The Daily Caller:

“Last night at some point between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., I was sitting in my room working on Latin homework, and I heard commotion in the hallway. I asked what’s going on, and they said the building had been attacked.”

Downstairs, he discovered the defacement:

“[I] saw the damage to the doors. It looked like gunshots at first glance, but we found it was some sort of hammer or weapon used to destroy the doors.”

Near the main chapel is a raised statue of Jesus. Alexander notes, “That’s the most important crucifix on the ground.”

Vandals crushed the effigy’s feet.

“They smashed Jesus’s feet, so his feet are broken. His head was covered with a black Spurs jersey they draped over [it].”

Here’s the Caller with more:

San Antonio Police confirmed to the Daily Caller that there is an active investigation into the incident. A police spokesperson said that someone had seen an unknown male walking through the Archdiocese of San Antonio’s property swinging an object, and then saw the suspect randomly swinging the object and hitting several doors, causing the panels to break, and then striking the statue. An officer collected a jersey possibly dropped by the suspect at the crime scene.

In light of the onslaught, Seminary Rector Father Hy Nguyen has a request:

“We ask for your prayers for this misguided person, and for the safety of the Assumption community.”

San Antonio’s not alone.

As I covered September 17th, a monument to the Christian Savior was destroyed in El Paso earlier this month. The man who confessed to nearly decapitating the 90-year-old figure told cops he did so because the likeness bore the wrong skin color.

We were saddened to announce the vandalism at St. Patrick Cathedral. Visit this link to read more: https://t.co/6x3oGkimH1 @BishopSeitz pic.twitter.com/Dg8lALkzaZ

— The Catholic Diocese of El Paso (@elpasodiocese) September 16, 2020

And on September 11th, surveillance cameras caught a man damaging the Virgin of Guadalupe statue outside a Catholic Church in Brooklyn:

A was man caught on camera vandalizing a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe outside a church in Brooklyn, NY. In El Paso, a suspect is in custody for the destruction of a statue of Jesus at a cathedral. @matthadro @cnalive looks at these attacks on churches: https://t.co/tTA4CRDCl0 pic.twitter.com/LnExvP1uAM

— EWTN News Nightly (@EWTNNewsNightly) September 18, 2020

Of course, these incidents are anecdotal. But, I believe, they’re representative of a national decline — of respect for a Higher Power, for those who believe, and for others in general.

As for the savagery in San Antonio, the crimes occurred the night before Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks asked the Justice Department to investigate “increases in Catholic hate crimes and vandalism” across the U.S.

Additionally, in a letter to the DOJ, GOP Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy penned the following:

“Catholics are under attack in America. That is a sentence I hoped I would never have to write, but it is the reality we are facing.”

In Texas, Assumption Seminary resident Alexander profoundly lamented an American trend:

“There has been a significant increase in the desecration of Catholic Churches and statues. Statues of Mary have had their heads chopped off, statues of Jesus have been destroyed, and the Lord Himself present in the Most Holy Eucharist has been desecrated. The next thing is for them to attack the clergy themselves. This is an outrage. It should be an outrage to Catholics everywhere that this stuff is happening. Although this is an outrage, I definitely feel bad for whoever did this, because they’re putting their soul in grave jeopardy. I hope and pray for their repentance and conversion.”

-ALEX

See more pieces from me:

A Church That Endured the Spanish Flu Sues D.C.’s Mayor Over ‘Selective’ Pandemic Persecution

A Brown University Researcher Demands a Refund From Airbnb Due to ‘Racist’ Trump Signs

Continuing Along Our Path: 90-Year-Old Statue of Jesus Is Destroyed Because It Was Too White

Find all my RedState work here.

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