The state picks the wrong time to get involved

Oh no! Someone smeared black shoe polish all over the Virgin Mary's vagina! Unscrewing the Inscrutable asks a good question:

How is the words "big lie" painted across a salt runoff stain under an underpass considered "criminal damage to state property", but the gigantimongous collection of (Dangerous! Fire hazard!) candles and other religious paraphenelia isn't?

In other religious news, the East Waynesville Baptist Church in North Carolina has asked several members to leave because they don't support George W. Bush. As Atrios points out, I hope this means that particular church will immediately lose its tax-exempt status, but I'm sure the Justice Department has more boobies to cover instead.