1 arrested in alabama church fires. copycat. mentally ill.

[seabeyond]

And now, the arson spree appears to have inspired a "copycat" crime.

Associated Press reports that the man Alabama authorities have arrested on suspicion of setting fire to an abandoned rural church, 21-year-old Jason Phelps, is not believed to be involved in setting the other ten church fires.

Rather, local law enforcement officials believe Phelps, who is described as mentally disturbed, is a copycat who lived next to the old church and who, in addition to setting that structure ablaze, also set a number of brush fires after watching news coverage about the arsons.

Area officials say Phelps' crime is "definitely not linked" to the spate of church fires that have occurred across the state over less than a fortnight. But as Beaverton Freewill Baptist Church, in northwest Alabama near the Mississippi line, was engulfed by flames this past Saturday afternoon and was ruled an arson on Sunday, that fire added to four more in west Alabama and five others in the state's Bibb County area brought the disturbing tally in this serial arson spree to ten


http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/1379111.html

personally i am seeing religous, that have gone off the deep end and pissed at god for whatever reason, ergo take down church. just my take.

[hobbit709]

1. Mentally disturbed, named Phelps?

Any relation to Fred?

[seabeyond]

3. it is going to be on msnbc.... i cant watch news. so i googled

but yes i noticed that. interesting huh.

[BR_Parkway]

5. That was my first thougth - especially considering how inbred that

clan probably is.

[Rowdyboy]

2. A "mentally disturbed" copycat ....

Aertainly your analysis could easily be correct, but nothing I saw in the article would suggest it was anything other than just a "copycat". Could just as easily have been a "mentally disturbed" atheist or, more likely, a mentally disturbed asshole with no respect for other peoples rights or property.

Regardless, I'm glad they've stopped even one of the arsonists.

[seabeyond]

4. personally i am seeing..... does that sound factual to you?

of course it doesnt. no evidence. you are right. i am just throwing out a guess. must i put an edit to more clearly put out this was merely a guess (not even necessarily opinion) of mine??????????

and certainly i clearly established copycat putting it in the subject line

[Rowdyboy]

6. No problem. Just a general comment that I disagree with your presumption

While you may be entirely correct, I prefer to wait for some iota of evidence before trying to assign blame.

[seabeyond]

7. this is my point, it is unfortunate you insist on qualifying it as a

presumption or anything more than a guess. i keep telling people things and they ignore me for their made up story i dont want to be a part in. for example, my brothers and father continually telling me i am an extreme leftist.... ergo i am irrelevant, regardless of a lifetime of evidence i am conservative, and politically independent who has united with the democratic party because of republican abuse.

i was not making a presumption of fact. i was throwing out a guess.

[Rowdyboy]

8. Again, I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just disagree with you....

If saying that I disagree with your "guess" is more accurate than saying I disagree with your "presumption" then I'll gladly accept your term. To me its rather like arguing about what the definition of "is" is.

My guess that its just an unbalanced asshole is no more or less correct than your guess that he's a religious nutcase. Based on the few facts given in the story, neither of us has a leg to stand on, but then thats why people come to discussion boards-to give their opinions and to defend them.

Again, I'm not saying you're wrong, just that I respectfully disagree.

[seabeyond]

9. i dont care that you disagree

but it isn't even to an opinion that i would in any way, shape or form, defend. you used words to define what i was saying. i am saying you are wrong on that.

i do believe we have a responsibility in conversation. unfortunately the world today is a lot of made up battles, over things that aren't even a reality. this is the most minimum of that experience in creating a battle that needs not even be......

are you a rowdy boy by chance??? just i am around a lot of people that purposely misconstrue to argue. today, i am just tired of it.

you.... have a good day