++ relapsed catholic ++ religion politics culture blog

Yep: New Jersey.:

"Hossam Armanious, 47, who along with his wife and two daughters was found stabbed to death in his Jersey City home early Friday, would regularly debate religion in a Middle Eastern chat room, one source said.

"Armanious, an Egyptian Christian, was well known for expressing his Coptic beliefs and engaging in fiery back-and-forth with Muslims on the Web site paltalk.com."

(...)

"The heartless killer not only slit [16-year-old] Sylvia's throat, but also sliced a huge gash in her chest and stabbed her in the wrist, where she had a tattoo of a Coptic cross.

"Also found murdered were the wife, Amal Garas, and the parents' other daughter, Monica."

Now let's take a deep breath and consider two things:

First, the danger of leaping to huge, socio-political conclusions based upon isolated incidents, a la the Montreal Massacre. Or making insulting historical comparisons; Chaney, Goodman & Schwerner came, unbidden, to my mind, and I'm sure you'll all have your own "turning point" frames of reference.

Second, this is the New York Post.

But.

You know, I just don't feel much like blogging anymore today. I'm off to see whether or not this story gets any play beyond Little Green Footballs. But that's not why I don't feel like blogging. I'm not afraid. I'm frustrated, disgusted and furious.

UPDATE: Newsday is stressing a burglary/"former tenant" angle. Typing "Armanious" into Google News turns up the latest stories.

UPDATE: thanks to the reader who sent in this news story from the NJ Star Ledger