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Evanston Police were searching for suspects who vandalized three churches early Tuesday -- 6-6-06 -- with symbols often associated with Satanism and evil in the Christian faith.
The houses of worship that were desecrated were the Church of God of the New Testament, 1332 Davis St., Malankara Catholic Mission, 1208 Ashland Ave., and Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 1401 Oak St. -- all within a six-block radius.
Several red spray-painted "666s" were discovered on the outside on some of the buildings, according to an Evanston Police source.
The numbers "666" are commonly known as the mark of the Beast as referenced in the Book of Revelation.
Two of the buildings were also desecrated with a red spray-painted devil pentagram, an encircled five-point star and upside-down crosses, police said.
The neighborhood was quiet Tuesday night, and there were signs the churches had tried to wash off the symbols.
Emmanuel United Methodist Church's pastor, Rev. Timothy Rathod, thinks teenagers were probably responsible for what he believes is a prank. He did not think the vandalism was racially motivated. The majority of Emmanuel's and Malankara Catholic Mission's congregations is of South Asian descent.
"I was a little bit upset," said Rathod, a native of the Indian state of Gujarat. "I don't know, maybe these people did it for fun.
"We don't have a grudge against anybody. We are praying for the people who did this."
http://suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-deface07.html
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