Vandals defecate on pulpit, bust church windows

[rug]

Multiple congregations hit in church vandalism spree in rural part of North Carolina

http://media.wcnc.com/images/11-15+church+vandals+2.jpg

msnbc.com and NBC News
updated 11/15/2011 12:00:27 PM ET 2011-11-15T17:00:27

ANSONVILLE, N.C. — Vandals spray-painted "House of the Devil" on a wall, defecated on the pulpit and broke every stained-glass window at a church in North Carolina — the worst-hit of several churches that were vandalized in the area.

The Anson County and Stanly County sheriff’s offices along with the State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the string of vandalism, which occurred early Monday, NBC station WCNC in Charlotte reported.

The hardest-hit church — Cedar Hill AME Zion Church in Ansonville east of Charlotte — was in ruins Monday night as Ansonville Volunteer Fire Fighters and church elders tried to clean up a mess so devastating it left many church members in tears.

Spray painted on the building were phrases “God is a lie” and “House of the Devil,” as well as racial slurs and swastikas. The church's congregation is predominantly black.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45303711/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/#.TsQGkYBW5oB

Looks like there's plenty of hate to go around.

[trotsky]

1. You think atheists did that, rug?

"Graphic images and '666' were spray painted on the outside of the church."

Obviously, I guess. I mean, atheists all revere the number 666, right?

[rug]

2. I think some racists did that, one of whom at least proclaims god is a lie.

What does the evidence suggest to you?

[trotsky]

4. Stupid racist Christian kids.

I'm fairly sure rural North Carolina is not home to a lot of roving atheist gangs.

[rug]

30. Got any evidence that "racist Christian kids" wrote "God is a lie"?

Frankly, if the definition of an atheist is simply one who does not believe in a god, and if there are Buddhist atheists and Randian atheists, there are doubtless stupid racist atheists.

[trotsky]

32. Got any evidence that atheists wrote it?

Along with "666" and "House of the Devil"?

I'll let the local police do their work. I suggest you do the same.

[rug]

33. "God is a lie" is a clue.

[trotsky]

34. It sure is.

It could also be a clue that someone who is not all that smart is attempting to deflect suspicion. Someone else who isn't very smart might fall for it.

[Deep13]

10. and "House of the devil"

So it is someone who accepts the reality of the devil, but not God.

[rug]

31. Apparently.

Satanic atheists do not brook the definition of atheist used in here, provided they do not consider Satan to be a god.

[humblebum]

3. "Show ridicule, hatred, and contempt for religion" - C. Hitchens nt

[deacon_sephiroth]

5. I do that every day without spray-paint

[Goblinmonger]

6. Well Hitchens is our Pope, so...

wait...no he isn't. I don't have to agree with fuckall that he has to say.

What was your point again?

[cleanhippie]

12. And you make it so easy to do.

Perhaps you don't realize it, but your posts do more to enable that then Hitchens ever could.

[humblebum]

13. Very similar to the church burnings in Texas last year involving atheists. nt

[Iggo]

14. Except for the fact that they are completely different, yes...

...very similar.

[humblebum]

16. Yes, you are right. They are different churches. nt

[Iggo]

17. Yes, I am right.

:P

[cleanhippie]

15. You think atheists are responsibe for this event?

Maybe in bizarro world, but here in reality, atheists wouldn't paint "house of the devil", but you know that.


Say Hi to bizarro Jerry for me.

[humblebum]

18. And atheists "wouldn't paint 'house of the devil' " because hippie

says they wouldn't. Makes sense to me. From what I have seen of militant atheists, there are no limits to what they will or will not do.

[cleanhippie]

20. And the carousel goes around again.

:boring:


Dude, really. Get a new act.

Let me know when you do, until then, adios amigo.

[dmallind]

27. Can you name a known atheist who believes the devil exists to have a house at all?

[rug]

36. Anton Szandor LaVey

"What should be remembered, however, is that while not all atheists are Satanists, all Satanists are atheists."

http://www.atheistrev.com/2009/11/satanism-atheism-and-anti-theism.html

[LeftishBrit]

37. Many Satanists , e.g. 'Luciferians', would disagree on that

'Satanism' means lots of different things; and there are forms that are atheistic (e.g. LaVey's) and others that are theistic.

[rug]

38. May be but I was just answering the question.

[LeftishBrit]

40. No problem; I just happen to know one or two people who are interested in the more unusual religions

and belief systems, including Satanism.

[Mariana]

43. LaVey did not believe the devil actually existed.

He believed both God and Satan to be characters of fiction.

[darkstar3]

44. A funny quip, but inaccurate.

An atheist simply cannot, by definition, be a Satanist.

[Prophet 451]

47. That only applies to LaVeyan Satanists

Satanism comes if four distinct flavours. LaVeyan Satanism is the biggest and best organised. They're an atheistic philosophy which can be described as Objectivism with neo-mystical knobs on. The Tample of Set don't consider themselves Satanists at all but everyone puts them in with us anyway. They don't worship as such but seek to emulate Set as an example of intellectual self-improvment. Luciferian Satanists (which includes me) are the smallest and least organised. We worship Satan (Lucifer) as the justified rebel against a tyrannical god. Finally, there the loose collection of posers that Diane Vera describes as "black circle boys". The rest of us loathe them for obvious reasons.

[trotsky]

48. "We worship Satan (Lucifer) as the justified rebel against a tyrannical god."

Of the many religions out there, that is one of the few that is reasonably compatible with the universe we see.

[Prophet 451]

49. Thank you n/t

[dmallind]

50. Did NOT believe Satan existed! LaVeyan Satanism is based on a concept not a being. Try again.

[LeftishBrit]

29. How would you like it..

if someone said, 'from what I have seen of militant Christians, there are no limits to what they will or will not do'?

There are *some* militant anythings who will do extreme things; but for someone who complains about Christopher Hitchens' 'hatred' for religion, your seemingly-infinite HATRED for atheists, at least as expressed in your posts, is extremely worrying. This is not a comment on Christians in general or on DU in particular. Most Christians think atheists are wrong, and sometimes impolite; but that does not amount to hatred. But your posts truly drip with hatred; and if I didn't know lots of tolerant Christians, probably *would* by now make me start to be suspicious of Christianity and religion,.

[darkstar3]

45. Prove those fires were set by atheists. The 2010 arsonists haven't been caught yet.

[LeftishBrit]

23. 'Poverty? It's just a lie invented by the Left to destroy the middle classes' - P. Hitchens

Strongly Christian brother of the above.

Not that he is reluctant to show ridicule, hatred and contempt for *liberal* Christian leaders:

'The poor old Ayatollah of Canterbury doesn't actually deserve all the slime now being tipped over his modernised mitre. Just some of it....Of course it is absurd for the chief of the Christian Church in this country to cringe publicly to Islam. But at least Archbishop Williams is open about his unwillingness to defend the faith – as is his colleague, the wretched Bishop of Oxford, who recently announced that he was perfectly happy for loudspeakers to blare the Muslim call to prayer across that city.'

(I have never noticed any loudspeakers blaring the Muslim call to prayer across Oxford, where I live; but that's another matter.)

And there's plenty more where that came from.

Do I think that Peter Hitchens is typical of Christians? Of course not. Similarly, I don't think Christopher Hitchens is typical of atheists. Rather, I'd say that an aggressive, confrontational, dogmatic style is common among some British polemical journalists, and seems to be common to members of this particular family.

[humblebum]

25. And he is directly calling for a show of hatred where? That's

the difference. Christopher Hitchens is openly endorsed by the American Atheists, and Atheist Alliance International, among other orgs.

[LeftishBrit]

28. He shows hatred, and encourages it, whether he uses the word 'hate' or not.

He blames the poor for their poverty; e.g. 'The middle classes are not good because they are better off. They are better off because they are good. This is the fundamental truth that socialism has always hated.' (Note: 'middle class' in British usage corresponds to 'upper middle class' in American usage). That is hateful. And it is not unique; he is constantly dismissing the problem of poverty; and implying that it is basically a moral failing.

He says, 'We show tolerance to 'gays' and get tyranny in return...We are forced to say that we think homosexuality is a good thing, that homosexual couples are equal in all ways to heterosexual married couples. We cringe to the new Thought Police, like the subjects of some insane, sex-obsessed Stalinist state, compelled to wave our little rainbow flags as the 'Gay Pride' parade passes by.' That is hateful.

He says, 'Women who get drunk are more likely to be raped than women who do not get drunk. No, this does not excuse rape...But it does mean that a rape victim who was drunk deserves less sympathy.' That is hateful.

You don't have to *use the word 'hate'* to be hateful.

All right-wing journalists, and some left-wing ones, are pretty good at hatred, ridicule and contempt!

[jeepnstein]

8. I'm going with drunk kids on this one.

I just can't see your average roaming band of militiant atheists pooping on a pulpit. The ones I know just don't roll that way. And for that I thank God almost every day.

[MarkCharles]

7. I do know that atheists do shit about once a day, so...

this MUST be the work of atheists. :sarcasm:

Then again, so does every other human being on the planet, except those that are ill or too poor and don't eat much food.

Seriously, I think it is disgusting to deface any property anywhere.

Is this thread trying to make a point about people being stupid and destructive? Or is there any other message we are suppoesed to gather from the OP?

[Deep13]

9. white supremists.

"God is a lie" and "House of the devil" are contradictory. They're were trying to desecrate, not necessarily make any larger theological point.

Why don't we wait to see what the police come up with before jumping to conclusions.

[NMMNG]

11. Looks like they have some racist assholes on their hands

I don't imagine the WNC Atheists drove three hours (give or take) just to target this church. If they wanted to mess with a church I'm sure they had several dozen in their own city. It's NC after all...

[cordelia]

26. Yet more region bashing from you.

You should be ashamed.

[NMMNG]

39. Where did I bash religion?

Methinks you're a might oversensitive.

[Mariana]

41. No, no, you bashed the REGION, don't you see?

I mean, bloody hell, EVERYBODY knows that to point out that a place has lots of churches in it is to BASH that place. Clearly, you should be ashamed of yourself for suggesting such a thing about North Carolina.

[NMMNG]

42. Oy

Some people really are allergic to facts. I'm so ashamed I stated one. I'll now go flagellate myself with a wet noodle.

[beam me up scottie]

46. It appears you have a fan.

Creepy.

[cleanhippie]

19. Meh. Looks like an inside job.

"House of the devil"?

And you think an atheist painted that?
:rofl:

[LeftishBrit]

22. Probably a bunch of white thugs who wanted to upset and intimidate the black congregation.

I doubt that either religion or atheism had much to do with it; any more than I think that the sort of thugs who paint swastikas on synagogues are really interested in a debate about the finer theological points of Judaism vs other faiths.

[cleanhippie]

24. I think you may be right.

[trotsky]

35. Sounds like the most probable explanation.

Based on how past incidents like this have played out.

[LeftishBrit]

21. Disgusting, racist behaviour