stranger than heaven: Local Man Sues Neighbor for Growing “Disturbing” Topiary Resembling the Seven Deadly Sins, Claiming It’s a Satanic Signal That Corrupts the Youth
A quiet suburban community in upstate New York is divided after a homeowner filed a lawsuit demanding the removal of a neighbor’s elaborate hedge sculptures, which he claims represent “a living monument to moral decay” and are “stranger than heaven” in their depiction of sin. The topiary, featuring figures representing pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth, has sparked a bitter feud that local religious leaders say is a “symptom of our society’s loss of shame.” Critics argue the lawsuit is an overreach, but the plaintiff insists the art is a “dangerous temptation” that will lead children astray and erode the town’s values. “We’ve gone from picket fences to celebrating the seven deadly sins in broad daylight,” he told reporters. “It’s a sign that we’ve lost our moral compass—something stranger than heaven itself.”