Tag: Christian

Cause of fire at Winston-Salem NC Church building unknown, congregation had no insurance

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2018-05-01 Church Fire

A Winston-Salem church is looking for a place to worship after fire ripped through its building a few hours before sunrise Monday.

A representative of the New Gospel Tabernacle Holiness Church told the Winston-Salem Journal they are thankful that no one was hurt.

“We’re devastated…But we will work to rebuild. You can’t stop the church. Keep us in your prayers,” Pastor Wallice Harrison told the paper.

Investigators have not yet determined a cause of the fire, according to The News & Observer.  A spokesperson of the Winston-Salem Fire Department told Erie News Now the investigation is still in the “cause and origin phase.”

The church did not have insurance according to a report from WFMY.

Church building donated to Ohio biker church

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Donated church
A dedication of the new building was held April 29

An Ohio congregation made up of motorcycle enthusiasts has a church building to call home.

The Whitehorse Biker Church held a dedication ceremony and picnic to celebrate the donation of a church building located at 303 South Adams St., Middle Point, Ohio. The building, constructed in 1853, was donated by the congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church.

“You kind of look at it, like you are looking at a big mountain.  Hey, we need a bunch of land and a bunch of money to put a building up.  And God did the unthinkable and allowed somebody to come and bless us with a church,” “Lil” John Haskins VP of Whitehorse Biker Church told the local Fox affiliate.

The congregation held its first gathering two years ago according to the church’s Facebook page.

Vandals cause around $3,000 damage to Texas church building

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2018-04-24 Damage to church statue
(Statue damaged by vandals in Edinburg, Texas. Photo A. Rios)

Police in Edinburg, Texas are investigating the destruction of Catholic Church property.  Vandals damaged a statue of Jesus, broke a stained glass window and damaged the front entrance. The criminal act was discovered Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, according to a report from the Brownsville Herald.

This is not the first time vandals targeted the church’s statue. The pastor, Father Gregory Labus, told KRGV TV, “Several years ago, one of the fingers of the statue was broken off, that was before my time.”

Assistant Police Chief Orlando Garcia said the vandal or vandals did around 3,000 in damage. Anyone with information is asked to call the Edinburg Police Department at 956-383-7411 or the Edinburg Crime Stoppers at 956-383-8477.

OPINION: All men are sinners, even atheists

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2018-04-17 Crowded street.png

It’s not uncommon after a Christian leader is accused of some indiscretion to hear non-believers claim this demonstrates that religious people have some flaw.  That is, some claim it is religion that caused the individual to do whatever it is they are accused of doing.  But some of those same non-believers abandon this standard when it is applied to other groups.

For example, BuzzFeed reports that the board of  American Atheists terminated David Silverman as president of their organization earlier this month because of financial conflicts and sexual assault. This happened within weeks of the American Humanist Association’s removal of Lawrence Krauss, a winner of the Humanist of the Year award, from its speaker pool because of alleged misconduct.  The Freedom from Religion foundation removed Krauss from its honorary board citing, “Well-documented allegations of sexual misconduct” according to an article on patheos.com. What, if anything, does this prove?

I don’t mention these men as part of an effort to demonstrate that atheists are bad people; quite the opposite.  I don’t accuse all atheists for the actions of individuals, but some non-believers condemn all Christians for the actions of individuals. It would be wrong to assume that something about atheism makes people do things like these atheist leaders have done.  It is equally wrong to assume that there is something about religion that makes religious leaders do wrong.  Individuals are responsible for their choices.

I think a good example is the way some non-believers react when a priest is accused of a crime against children.  If I am going to assume that religion causes some priests to assault children; then by that convention I should assume that education leads school teachers to assault students.  Making this assumption in either case is a sort-of composition fallacy; they are assuming what is true of a member of a group is true for the entire group.  In this case, they add on an assumption of cause. This type of reaction to individual actions is assumption based on personal bias.

Terrible acts are committed by religious and atheist leaders; therefore, a researcher should look for rival causal factors.

What are your thoughts?

Teens arrested months after church Vandalism in Houma, Louisiana

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2018-04-16 Church vandalism

Police in Houma, Louisiana Friday arrested two teens for vandalism and attempted arson at the First Assembly of God Church building in Houma, Louisiana.

The vandalism happened in June. Police determined the teens were responsible for vandalism of the church while building investigating vandalism at another structure in the city, according to a report from Houmatoday.  Officers say the teens set multiple fires in the church building, but firefighters were able to put them out without major damage.  Later the same morning the teens returned and spray painted threatening messages, vulgarities and “God is dead” on the building, according to a report from WDSU.

The names of the teens have not been released because of their age.

The case was investigated by the Houma Police Department, Houma Fire Department, State Fire Marshal’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives