Perspectives
A reader sent me this today from Facebook.
A 21 year old man has been charged with arson in three of the burnings and it is being evaluated by authorities as a hate crime. He’s being held without bond.
He is not Isis or an immigrant. He is white and the son of a deputy sheriff.
St. Mary Baptist Church, which is in Port Barre, was the first church burned, on March 26/ The Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas burned a week later. On April 4, a fire destroyed Mount Pleasant Baptist Church on Highway 182 south of Opelousas.
No one was killed. This time.
I think it’s always a terrible loss when a house of worship is destroyed by accident, or by natural disasters (tornado, hurricane, earthquake, etc), but deliberate destruction by humans in war, civil unrest or by a political regime is worse…jmho.
1PBS is showing the Henry Louis Gates’ series on Reconstruction this month. After the Civil War, Reconstruction began with great fanfare, funding, and hope.
White Southerners worked in the shadows, under hoods, and in the dead of night to disrupt and undermine efforts to bring the freed slaves into American society.
Racists still work in the shadows today, even the shadows of Facebook, so three Southern black churches can burn in America and you’d hardly know it. Even our algorithms are racist.
2@Rick: Was just going to post the same thing. Part 2 is on tonight. This is in conjunction with the book that Gates wrote and is just published:
https://www.amazon.com/Stony-Road-Reconstruction-White-Supremacy-ebook/dp/B07FC71WD6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Y97BOB3IC302&keywords=henry+louis+gates+reconstruction&qid=1555437609&s=books&sprefix=henry+louis+gates%2Caps%2C543&sr=1-1
Also, another FB friend posted about the torching of the black churches in LA. I just hope that people will be as generous to those as they are to ND.
3I heard an interview with the sheriff where he expressed concern on the effects this was having on the perp’s father. It’s just what I expect from a Louisiana-Peckerwood-Sheriff (Just one word).
4Well mr newlove you are full of a pile of manure! I and many others did hear about the black churches and also saw they caught the dude! Also the hate & bigotry of the blacks by white aholes has been going on for hundreds of years and nothing being done. The ND burn is unique and a one time deal, so it is in the news media, but then so is the other!
5Agreed that a violent or criminal act that destroys a cult’s physical place should not be countenced;
6I find that every church, mosque, synagogue etc that closes because of decrease in the rubes buying into their self – enriching myths is a step forward for humanity is banishing this remant of the age when people were living in fearfully in caves and ignorant of science or reason but sought comfort in the teachings of ignorance, bigotry and surrender of personal responsibility.
So attack on places of fantasy should be condemned just as attacks on amusement centers or monuments to to story telling ( i.e. hobbitown in New Zealand) they offer the same magical thinking.
The difference is that the stories of hobbitown have never been used as an excuse for murder, genocide, lynchings and war as these homes of despair.
I was wondering how the three burned churches were doing.
7Were they insured? Do they need financial help even if they were insured? If so, I am inclined to help but I need to know an address. Anyone out there in the Beauty Salon know anything about this?
I too read about the Louisiana churches and the alleged arsonist, who was described as a fan of “black metal” (an extreme form of heavy metal) and a worshiper of Odin. In other words, he did it because he is a pagan who hates Christianity. Why he didn’t set fire to any of the state’s many white churches is a good question, but white nationalists definitely are not a threat and the DoJ is right to cease investigating and tracking them. Nothing to see here, move along, troubled individual, lone wolf, you know the song.
8I have room in my heart to mourn all of these things and to comprehend that one was an accident and the others acts of terror. I really despise the either/or stance. That said, I don’t have cable so I miss seeing or not seeing comparative coverage. I do know that our current “administration” hasn’t commented on the Louisiana church burnings.
9Although I am an atheist, I sorrow for the damage to the splendid building and history of Notre Dame, and I am angry over the bigoted destruction of the churches where the people gathered in Louisiana.
But I have to defend the Pagans I know from false impressions. Nearly all Pagans, the ones I’ve met, are fine people who are among the most tolerant and accepting I know– that’s why there are a disproportionate number of LGBT folks among them who aren’t welcome in mainstream churches. (I’m a few years out of touch, so maybe the churches are changing; I hope so.)
A couple of times, Pagans pointed out that people who claimed to be Pagan but were followers of Odin were really neo-Nazis, whose doctrine of racism and hatred is the opposite of what Pagans believe. Do not confuse Odin followers with Pagans, please!
10A lot of $$ has been raised already to rebuild ND. Who’s got a go fund me acct for the black churches to rebuild??
11Sarah O:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/church-fires-st-landry-parishmacedonia-ministry?member=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2Binvitesupporters
If the link fails, please google gofundme black churches.
12Thank you Rhea. Most Pagans were raised Christian or Jewish and left (or were forced out) of those faiths for reasons.
Those buckets of hate who call themselves Odinists DO NOT represent today’s Pagans. Those “Odinists” don’t even know the tales and legends involving that Nordic deity.
They remind me of the fundies who choose their dogmas cafeteria style from the Bible.
13The Catholic Church which owns Norte dame is either the richest, or one of the richest, organizations in the world.
14Yet to protect its wealth it would rather run a scam where many misguided poor will contribute to its bulging coffers rather then pay for anything.
Freeload on taxes yet claim right to dictate policy.
No choice for women on anything.
Endorsed racism
Opposed “liberation” theology where it could help the poor
Protected and paid pedaphiles
Condemned eduction
Yet we are suppose to give them money?
Let them surrender all claims to the cathedral with no caveats or carve outs for their holy bigotry and then we can talk
Remember no matter how much money is spent that one way or another a good chunk of it will end up further enriching the clergy, subsidizing the protection of child molesters and further funding anti choice/ anti LGBTQ political action committees.
They like demented Donnie didn’t archive their wealth by caring for others or by paying their bills.
If they do complete it in 5 years that bishop just prosecuted in australia will be out and ready for his appointment as prelate of the rebuilt cathedral
K, tithing has greatly fallen off in the U.S. catholic parishes as parishioners who are not in Trump’s 1% keep taking the economic hit below the belt and then there is the percentage leaving over the abuse scandals. The Vatican is still undergoing an audit ordered by Francis and what they have found to date is giving them grey hair. Yes, they do have one of the most fabulous art and artifact collections on the planet. They have been recommended to start selling off some of the very valuable but lesser known stuff but even the wealthiest sources are not lining up with their cash. As for the real estate they own, take a look at the deserted churches in the U.S. They close the doors when the total count in a parish reaches a certain number. Ditto for the parish schools which are just way too expensive for the average family. There are scarcely any more nuns, the very ones who were the faculties of these schools so if a school is to stay open, regular teachers on salary must be hired. Its tougher and tougher to find anyone who will teach below minimum teacher’s salary.
As for ND, despite its history it was in very visibly bad shape even before the fire. As for the fiery fate, considering all the wooden interior
15Sorry, K, my computer is very skittish this AM due to its age. Last sentence ends with “just a matter of it not when but how”.
16Tithing is down in a certain part because people finally got sick of the child molesters, their enablers and the small luxury retreats the church ran to hide those molesters outside the reach of the law.
17Just give the cathedral to the un cultural org.
Have the church Surrender any claims or any right to say anything about how it is utilized and then refurbish it.
As for the schools well it is time that those institutes of fantasy education, happy protected hunting grounds for child molesters and indoctrination were shut down the world will be better for that.
Just think of the obscene wealth stashed in the Vatican library that is kept hidden from all.
No sympathy for the church or any of its perversions of people and teachings.
Buttermilk Sky: According to a BBC report, the 3 churches were handy by the local highway.
While the jerk may be a white supremacist, it is more likely he set the fires because he’s a sex pervert.
18Harry Eagar#18
19Amazing how many who share the perversion of melatonin absent supremacist have other perversions. Ammosexuals are a common shared illness as well.
Probably because one perversion leads, or opens the door, to another.
There is a go fund me for the three churches in Louisiana, and has so far garnered about $600 thousand. I hope the French government does not accept Trump’s offer (for what it’s worth, he’s famous for impulse but not follow-through). I believe there was also some insurance on ND, and I would be surprised if Rome didn’t come though.
20Just checked. Gofundme for the black churches is at nearly $1.4 million and growing. Here’s the link.
https://www.gofundme.com/church-fires-st-landry-parishmacedonia-ministry?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fb_dn_postdonate_r&fbclid=IwAR3hsixXyhIlwJH9a0dChOuy_6krgTg-r0zqlvd9UH4k6YjRY9oFBbvqBK4
21In Paris, people are gathering by the thousands to sing hymns. The good news, there, is the fact that France, which had been coming apart at the seams, is now united. For the moment.
Can any of the above be said about Louisiana? Despite it’s French heritage?
Don’t hold your breath.
22K #18,
So, just how much do you think the auction value for the crown of thorns would be?
Not everything that’s a sign of wealth is convertible to ready cash.
23@Lind #18
Oh you mean yet another of the most likely (99% bogus probability) relics the church shilled over many centuries to fleece the gullible and insane?
As an example of a successful long term con it might be worth something to some museum of crime.
24I was speaking of the codex’s, jewels, honestly ( verifiyable ) historical artifacts and other memobelia of a crime family’s history sticky fingers over the centuries.
Don’t forget real estate? Just because a church closes doesn’t mean the church doesn’t skim some of that sweet tax free profits from leases etc.
Yes, the Catholic Church has many faults. But the story of Western civilization for the last 2,000 years pretty much IS the history of the Church. Because it was the prevailing unifying influence in Europe. And much of what we know of earlier Greek and Roman civilizations is due to the efforts to collect, translate, and preserve that knowledge in the monasteries.
The most current, gut-wrenching attack is by right-wing nationalist forces, including – get this – Steve Bannon, who’s arracking Pope Francis as a left wing radical, precisely because he’s trying to make the Church more humble and generous, instead of a bastion of wealth, power, and authoritarianism.
25People who want a better world need to support Francis at this time.
When Francis comes out for humanity instead of protecting chils molesters, frauds, crooks, anti women and anto LGBTQ then maybe we can talk.
26But as long as he offers sanctuary to tyrants, child molesters etc. he does not deserve support.
As for his so called efforts to rehabiliate the corrupt rotten institition, well remember demented donnie convinced some working class that he cred.
So it is with francis a successful pr effort with a few minor actions to absolve the church of decades of child abuse, just to name the newest crime it is responsible for.