Christian woman demands removal of Buddhist statues in S. Australia

MELBOURNE - A woman has demanded a Hope Valley nursing home in South Australia to remove decorative Buddhist statues, saying that they are “stressful” for Christian residents including her 89-year-old father-in-law.

Ruth Thompson, of Vista, has lodged a complaint with the ACH Group’s Highercombe aged care home, which opened late last year.

At least half a dozen statues of Buddha, about 60cm tall, adorn communal areas, Thompson said.

“We’re so agitated and annoyed about it … that leading up to Easter they’re still there,” she told the Leader Messenger last week.

“It’s very stressful for the older people to see this sort of thing. We are committed Christians and we don’t want Buddhist statues in our faces all the time,” News.com.au quoted Thompson, as saying.

Thompson said she was told that several others had made similar complaints when she raised the issue with staff at the home.

However, ACH Group general manager of residential services Greg Adey said there had been no other complaints from the more than 60 residents or their families.

Adey said the statues were purely decorative and would not be removed. “She’s confusing decorative Asian items with a religious message,” he said. (ANI)