A running theme of Glenn Beck's recently canceled Fox News show has been outrage over the supposed lack of attention paid to persecution of Christians at home and abroad. He hit on that theme last night, asking us if we'd heard that “four people from an anti-Christian group attacked two pieces of religious artwork in France” on Palm Sunday:

You'll note the onscreen text directing viewers to the Guardian's website for more information. Well, the Guardian has only one report about four people vandalizing two pieces of artwork in France on Palm Sunday, and it doesn't quite conform to Beck's description of events:

When New York artist Andres Serrano plunged a plastic crucifix into a glass of his own urine and photographed it in 1987 under the title Piss Christ, he said he was making a statement on the misuse of religion.

Controversy has followed the work ever since, but reached an unprecedented peak on Palm Sunday when it was attacked with hammers and destroyed after an “anti-blasphemy” campaign by French Catholic fundamentalists in the southern city of Avignon.

The violent slashing of the picture, and another Serrano photograph of a meditating nun, has plunged secular France into soul-searching about Christian fundamentalism and Nicolas Sarkozy's use of religious populism in his bid for re-election next year.

The defacement of art is a horrible thing and the offending parties should be punished to the extent that French law allows. However, the vandals are reportedly Christian fundamentalists, not “anti-Christian” activists, as Beck claimed.

And “Piss Christ” is not exactly an obscure piece of art. In fact, to American conservatives it became an icon of immoral government spending after the piece won an art competition sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and Serrano took home a $15,000 prize, prompting Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) to propose defunding the NEA. And Beck, something of a conservative culture warrior himself, has raised a stink over “crucifix[es] in urine,” even as recently as two weeks ago:

BECK: I see that there are only three kinds of people. Three kinds of people in the world: there are dopes, you know, idiot dopes like the pastors. You know, I put them into the category of book burners, you know, these crazy people. Wasn't it great when we all got around the campfire and some burned books? No, no. So, dopes and they are usually idiots and dangerous.

Then two, there are the political dopes. You know, people, people who don't have a problem with crucifix in urine or burning the Bible, but when it comes to the Koran -- now, hang on just a second. We have Harry Reid looking into it and we have Lindsey Graham saying this. [Glenn Beck, 4/4/2011]

It's possible that Beck's views on crosses submerged in urine have evolved over the past two weeks and he now sees it as legitimate artistic expression. The more likely explanation is that he didn't actually read the story he so badly mischaracterized on the air. Either that or he lied. Regardless, it's refreshing to see Beck stand up for freedom of expression, even if it was by accident.