Tag: anti-theist

Reported crimes against the church in North America this week 12/24/2021

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TEXAS GOSPEL CANADA STAFF

This is a list of this week’s reported crimes against Christian congregations and church property in North America. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list.  These are only those that have come to our attention through media reports.

MONDAY, DEC. 20, 2021

Vandals in Land Park, California have destroyed what has been a long-time annual Christmas display.  KRCA Television reports the Nativity set up by a family for the past 25 years was demolished by criminals over the weekend.

The sheriff’s office in York County, South Carolina is investigating racist and obscene graffiti at the NewSpring Church, according to a report from The Herald.

TUESDAY, DEC. 21, 2021

Provincial police are investigating after someone used an ATV to smash through doors of a church in Caledonia. CBC news reports it appears they drove the ATV inside the building causing further damage.

WEDNESDAY, DEC 22, 2021

Police in Oldsmar, Florida have not announced a motive for a man arrested after they say he broke into a church and caused more than $50,000 in damage.  Fox13 reports the unnamed suspect broke into the Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church and began marring the walls and furniture with graffiti, burning items and ransacking the building.

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021

Calgary police are looking for a person of interest in a summer church arson. CTV News has published photos of a man that may have information about an intentionally-set fire at the Calgary House of Prayer Church on July 4.

A creche depicting Jesus’ birth has been vandalized for the second time in Hillsborough, New Jersey.  Tapinto.net reports the vandalized figures at The Catholic Church of Hillsborough were a gift to the church and had been cast by an Italian sculptor. Police have not made any arrests in the criminal act.

FRIDAY, DEC 24, 2021

A Charleston, S.C. congregation is looking past the vandalism of the person or persons who targeted their sanctuary earlier this month, as they focus on serving God while they serve the community.  ABC4 reports Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church is continuing its work distributing clothing and food as they discourage drug use in the neighborhood.

Sheriff’s deputies in Shasta County, California arrested a woman for vandalism at the Community Baptist Church. The Riverside County News reports that deputies found the woman broke into the church, sprayed the fire extinguisher around the sanctuary but got no further in damaging the house of worship because law officers caught her in the act.

Police in Austin, Texas are investigating after someone smashed stained glass windows on all sides of Our Savior Lutheran Church. KXAN television reports the church boarded up the windows and proceeded with worship as scheduled.

Reported crimes against the church this week 12/18/2021

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Janet Johnson-Tremblay

This is a list of this week’s reported crimes against Christian congregations and church property in North America. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list.  These are only those that have come to our attention through media reports.

MONDAY, DEC. 13, 2021

A church in Fargo, ND has restored a statue of St. Anthony of Paduca after vandals cut the head off and caused other damage. WZFG reports the damage happened in October . No motive for the criminal act is known.

A man charged with stalking and killing a pastor in an East Texas church has been found incompetent to stand trial. Police say Mytrez Woolen hid inside the Starrville Methodist Church last year and shot the pastor when he was found. KTEK.com reports his case is on hold while he receives “restorative” care. 

TUESDAY, DEC. 14, 2021

Police in Charleston, South Carolina say a vandal or vandals smashed out stained glass windows of the Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church.  News 2 reports large bricks and rocks were used to carry out the criminal act. The church posted a video on Facebook showing some of the damage.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 15, 2021

A Pensacola, Florida man investigators believe is responsible for a string of church vandalism was involved in a shootout with sheriff’s deputies on Dec. 7. The Pensacola News Journal reports Sean Thomas Michaels was confronted by deputies after a tip came in that he had caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage to a total of six churches when he raised a rifle and pointed it at the deputies. He was shot in the leg and deputies took him into custody.

THURSDAY, DEC 15, 2021

Police in Charleston, West Virginia are working to identify the person who threw bricks through two stained-glass windows at Mount Carmel United Methodist Church.  The Post and Courier reports the vandal was caught on video and the crime is being investigated as a hate crime.

FRIDAY, DEC 16, 2021

On Dec 15 a man and woman broke into St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Beaumont, Texas.  Police say burglary appears to be the motive for the crime.  Cash and credit cards were taken and used at local stores.

Police in Seattle are investigating arson and vandalism at the St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church.  West Seattle News reports the fire did not have time to spread before it spread.  No arrests have been made.

Reported acts of aggression against Christian congregations this week

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STAFF

This is a list of this week’s reported crimes against Christian congregations and church property in North America. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list.  These are only those that have come to our attention through media reports.

MONDAY, DEC. 6, 2021

Red Deer, Alberta RCMP are asking for help identifying two people who vandalized a Church of the Nazarene building. Canada Police Report published photos of the suspects. The men are accused of writing offensive graffiti on church property.

Police in Portland, Oregon are looking for a woman they believe vandalized the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Colorado.  An Associated Press article published in the New Canaan Advertiser says swastikas and other hateful messages were painted on the church building. A photos of the damage were published by the Denver Post and The Post Millennial.

Police in Pennsylvania are investigating vandalism that included Satanic imagery left at Lititz Church or the Brethren. Lancaster Online reports the graffiti was discovered on Saturday.

TUESDAY, DEC 7, 2021

Police in Florida have arrested a man accused of vandalizing the building of Olive Baptist Church.  WEAR TV reports tips to police lead officers to Sean Michaels, 31. He’s charged with felony criminal mischief and two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. 

A statue at Our Lady of Fatima church in Washington, D.C. was vandalized last weekend. ABC 7 reports a cross was cut loose, and the nose of the statue was broken off.  Police have not determined a motive for the crime. The News Observer posted a surveillance photo of the vandal.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2021

Thieves have stolen part of a fence installed around a church to protect from those who made arson threats.  Two Row Times reports someone cut off part of the expensive barrier around the Mohawk Chapel in Ontario.

Vandals in the State of New York used large rocks to smash glass doors at Grace Lutheran Church in Forest Hills. The Forest Hills Post reports police are investigating the crime as simple vandalism and not a hate crime.

THURSDAY, DEC. 9, 2021

New Brunswick investigators have not determined the cause of a fire that destroyed a more than 100-year-old church.  A photo of the destroyed Saint TimothĂ©e Catholic church was published by CBC.

FRIDAY, DEC 10, 2021

A Cap-PelĂ© man, 26, if facing an arson charge following a NB church fire.  According to a RCMP news release, the suspect was arrested following a fire at the Saint-TimothĂ©e church. A motive is not yet known. The arrested individual is set to appear in court on Jan. 10, 2021.

A woman wanted in connection with vandalism at a Colorado church was arrested in Portland.  Fox 12 in Oregon reports Portland police arrested Madeline Cramer Thursday for vandalism at the Cathedral Basilica in Denver.

Reported acts of aggression against Christian congregations this week

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Jeff Turner, Staff

This is a list of this week’s reported attacks against Christian congregations and church property in North America. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list.  These are only those that have come to our attention through media reports.

MONDAY 11/29/2021

A database of attacks on church property is being maintained following an increase in the number of anti-Catholic arson and criminal vandalism. The B.C. Catholic reports the Church Attacks Database aims to keep, “a detailed, public record of all attacks on the Church in Canada.”

An arson investigator in the US says fire at Catholic Charities in East Tennessee has been ruled arson. WATE television reports someone forced their way into the building and set it ablaze. No motive has been determined for the crime.

TUESDAY 11/30/2021

The National Catholic Register reports a mob of feminist protesters “viciously and violently” beat a woman outside of the Cathedral of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in La Paz, Bolivia. The attack took place on Nov. 25, a date known as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women.

WEDNESDAY 12/1/2021

Investigators with the Saskatoon RCMP are investigating extensive vandalism to a rural church. CTV published photos of the damage discovered at Saron Lutheran Church in Hagen on Sunday. No motive for the attack is known.

A report released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops documents 95 attacks on congregations since May 2020. Christianity Daily reports some of the cases involve attempted murder, damage to church property and arson.

Police in Sulligent, Alabama have arrested a man accused of setting a church building on fire.  WCBI television reports Tyler McKay, 22, is charged with two counts of arson first-degree, burglary third degree, and criminal mischief first-degree for crimes committed against the Alpha and Omega Church on November 22.

THURSDAY 12/2/2021

Police in Deland Florida are asking for information about vandalism at three churches the week of Thanksgiving.  St. Peter Catholic Church, DeLand Wesleyan Church and Tacoma Christian received damage by the vandal or vandals according to a report from Fox 35 in Orlando.  The TV station reported there was no indication burglary was a motive and the churches are not affiliated.

FRIDAY 12/3/2021:

No report

Is the Genesis flood account plagiarized?

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Floyd Rogers

Let’s consider some universal things.  For example, everyone eats. When ancient people learned how to write, they recorded stories about every part of life including stories about people eating. Wouldn’t it be ridiculous to conclude that whomever was the first to make a written record of people eating must have invented eating? Is this rather absurd assumption any different than the presupposition made by those who claim the flood account originated with an author that pre-dates Genesis.

Other cultures may have written down flood stories that pre-date our oldest copies of Genesis, but this only indicates they were the first to write it down.  After all, Genesis records a flood that happened when the earliest humans walked the earth, possibly before anyone had written language. Isn’t it interesting that cultures from the Mesopotamians to the Mayans have written stories of a great flood? It’s what you would expect to find the flood were an oral tradition handed down to all descendants no matter how far apart they eventually settled.

What are your thoughts?