There have been some ominous arson fires in the US lately. A pattern?

[iconoclastic cat]

I was cruising around today, and I noticed that there are a lot of stories like these lately:
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UCC church desecrated with anti-gay graffiti, set on fire
Va. church also marked with message that UCC members are sinners
MIDDLEBROOK, Va. (AP) | Jul 9, 5:32 PM

A small fire Saturday damaged a church in this Shenandoah Valley community and anti-gay graffiti was found on the outside of the church.

The exterior of St. John's Reformed United Church of Christ also included a message that United Church of Christ members were sinners.

The United Church of Christ endorsed a resolution July 4 endorsing same-sex marriage. The resolution was not binding on the denomination's 1.3 million members.

(more)
also:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1614963
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FBI: Fire at mosque probed as hate crime
Burned Quran found near broken window at the Islamic Center of Bloomington.

By Rob Schneider
[e-mail]


A fire at a Bloomington mosque early Saturday is being investigated as a hate crime by the FBI and members of its Joint Terrorism Task Force.

The incident took place at the Islamic Center of Bloomington, where a ground-floor window was broken and an incendiary device was used to start a fire, an official of the mosque said.

FBI Agent Wendy Osborne confirmed that the FBI "received information on an attempted arson or some type of fire that occurred in Bloomington."

"The FBI did respond, and we are investigating and treating this incident as a hate crime, which we take very seriously," Osborne said.
(more)
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Tenn. police nab suspect in church fires
MATT GOURAS

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Police on Saturday arrested a suspect believed to have set fires that burned two black churches in Tennessee, but investigators said they had no reason to believe the blazes were a hate crime.

Sparta police expected to charge the man with arson on Monday. He was being held without bail Saturday on unrelated charges. Authorities were not releasing his name.

"At this point, we have no evidence to support in any way that it was a hate crime," detective Allen Selby said. "The only way I could characterize this was criminal activity."

Five vacant houses were burned Friday along with the two churches, all in the same neighborhood.
(more)
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Church Destroyed in Fire
"I was devested this morning. Somebody knocked on my door and said your church is on fire and all you see was smoke," says Mary Williams, a parishioner.

People who would have filled the pews tomorrow at Mount Zion Church of God are now dealing a loss.

Police say it appears someone "ran-sacked" the church, stole various items then set the church on fire.
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What the hell is going on?

[MountainLaurel]

1. Onward Christian soldiers

Marching on to war . . .

[FlemingsGhost]

2. Ever so slowly ... it begins.

America is unravelling.

[Ouabache]

3. Unfortunately black churches face this problem all the time

everywhere. I can't believe that article said they didn't think it was a hate crime for those most recent two. Two churches that close together in one vicinity and they are black churches and it isn't racially motivated? right.

[Nay]

4. The only reason why it might not be a hate crime is that the person

arrested for it was black himself, or maybe the cops have already figured out an economic reason why the churches were set on fire.

[fujiyama]

5. They need not be connected

But it is disturbing because it shows how hate filled the right really is in this country.

Just browse FR sometime - there were several posts supporting the burning of the church, and I'm sure there will be several posts (if not entire threads) supporting the destruction of mosques here in the US.

[antigone382]

6. What city and state is the Mt. Zion Church of God in?

I'm making a really rough map of where the church/mosque burnings took place. I'll try to post it here when I'm done.

[iconoclastic cat]

7. That one's in KY.