Sign of the times? Baby Jesus stolen on Independence Hall grounds.

[bushmeister0]

ABC 6 Action News:

"Philadelphia police are investigating a brazen crime outside Independence Hall. Ten days before Christmas, someone stole a statue of the baby Jesus - right before it was to be dedicated! (Love the exclamation point, there's some real journalistic equanimity!)

The group behind the display says they can't understand this kind of vandalism. The committee had to scramble to find a suitable replacement in time for Monday afternoon's dedication ceremony."

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6555825

First question in the local media is: "Why would anyone do this?'

First question should be, "Why the hell is the baby Jesus on the grounds of Independence Hall National Park?"

Another pertinent question is why the Philly authorities, if they're so hell bent on protecting the baby Jesus didn't equip this one with GPS?

USA Today reported just a few days ago, that:

"Churches, synagogues and other places that display holiday scenes are taking a high-tech approach to an old holiday tradition: theft. They're embedding Jesus figures, menorahs and Santa statues with global positioning system satellite tracking devices."

http://news.aol.com/article/hidden-cameras-watch-over-baby-jesus/275723

I'm thinking a certain long time citizen of Philly would be puzzled . . . or in jail.

He once wrote:

"I cannot conceive otherwise than that He, the Infinite Father, expects or requires no worship or praise from us, but that He is even infinitely above it." - Benjamin Franklin, from Articles of Belief and Acts of Religion.

Does "God" really care?

I'm thinking, if the Eagles win tonight, baby McNabb might be a suitable replacement. It would be more relevant. McNabb is way bigger than Jesus in Philly, right now.

(BTW: The Eagles ought to leave the "Wild Cat" to Pennington and the Dolphins. Go Dolphins! J.E.T.S Choke, choke, choke!)

[SoDesuKa]

1. Baby Jesus GPS

I actually think an exploding Baby Jesus would be more in keeping with the spirit of the times. You wouldn't need to put a cluster bomb in every one of them. Just an occasional maiming from time to time would discourage theft.

[Wapsie B]

2. Talk about putting the fear of God in someone.

:rofl:

[bushmeister0]

3. Well, you'd think God with his "God Positioning System" would just shoot lightning bolts.

Or exploding bubos or something.

[Mari333]

4. this happens every year n/t

[jobycom]

5. I hope they replace him with a Jesus wearing a tuxedo tee shirt. That's

how I like to think of Jesus.

[Gore1FL]

6. He's supposed to come back as I understand it. n/t

[bushmeister0]

8. Not if he doesn't have GPS!

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Note found:

LEAVE FRANKincense and myrrhor the BRAT gets IT

[elshiva]

11. ....

:rofl:

[LeftyMom]

9. Baby Jesus has lojack?

Can't we just get Q branch to rig him up to explode as soon as he leaves holy ground )or a questionably legal placement on civic property)?

[bushmeister0]

10. Holy ground, civic property, what's the diff?

Definitely worth death, though, for such a transgression.

[LeftyMom]

12. Maybe just release some knockout gas?

Forget Q branch, we need campy 60's Batman to protect our Lord'n'Savior.

[bushmeister0]

13. Maybe, that shoe-throwing dude's odoreaters?

[LeftyMom]

14. I don't know, I kind of like the idea of Plastic Baby Jesus farting toxic gas.

:shrug:

[bushmeister0]

15. OK, perhaps some of W.'s five alarm Texas chili would do the job.

Of course, it would actually be prepared by Cheney's manservant David Addington.

[happyslug]

16. Remind me of the old Dragnet episode

A church is the poor side of LA reported someone had stolen their baby Jesus:

The 1953 episodes in its entirely:
http://www.liketelevision.com/liketelevision/tuner.php?channel=103&format=tv&theme=guide

The 1967 Color Re-make:
http://www.fancast.com/tv/Dragnet/89335/696323990/The-Christmas-Story/videos

I originally saw the Color version, Jack Webb remade it in the late 1960s when he re-did the original Dragnet TV show, this time in Color. The above is the Black and White Version, where he has to investigate who stole the baby Jesus from the poor Catholic Church in East LA. The scrip was NOT changed that much, The Priest,I believe is the same, so is the pawn broker, and the hotel Clerk. Now the the Chief Suspect and the three juveniles in the case are different, but the church appears to be the same.

Notice the difference between 1952 and 1967 (Beside the color), the men all wore hats in 1952, none of them wore hats in 1967. Streetcars operated in 1952, but none in 1967. The change in automobiles is also striking. The church stayed the same so did most of the buildings. Just a comment on the changes between the two version, more based on time then the switch from Black and White to Color.

Here is the two version (1967 Color and 1952 Version) edited together to see the same scenes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5JbTit3eEk

More details on the 1952 Version and that is was the first TV episode filmed in Color:
http://books.google.com/books?id=IosyS2rjwMgC&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=Dragnet+Big+little+Jesus+Color&source=web&ots=27Pb_7wD8I&sig=Oj2wDfpOKhDI2-7I4UrpmLJdgUI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA74,M1

The story goes on that the incident was true, but the actual incident had occurred in the San Fernando Valley in 1930.

[bushmeister0]

17. Street cars in LA? Whaaa?

Amazing how the partnership between the gov. and corporate America could transform the entire landscape of the US so quickily back then, from public to private transport so effectively, but can't seem to grab their collective asses with both hands now.

Remember, Gene Roddenberry got his start in TV with Jack Webb, after his stint as a LA motorcycle cop, and then went on to create Star Trek, which some have said is the living enbodiment of neocon philosophy in space. (Nevermind the womanizing and pot smoking!)

LA Cops in space, with planet destroying weapons, which they really don't want to use, unless, said uncooperating planet dosen't step into line.



Obey. Or be destroyed!

[happyslug]

18. The really Scary part, is Jack Webb filmed the streetcar like it was normal traffic

Not like some odd thing to catch people's eyes. That in 1952 Streetcars were considered "Normal" traffic, not some odd ball thing to actual go out of your way to film. I have seen other films of that time period, where streetcars were filmed as if everyone knew what they were for they all used them at one time or another, just like the Ford's Officer Friday drove on his Color Dragnet of the 1960s.