10th Alabama church burns

CNN ^ | February 11, 2006 | CNN

[Fzob]

(CNN) -- Another Baptist church in Alabama was heavily damaged by fire Saturday night, becoming the 10th house of worship burned in recent weeks, police said.

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A Lamar County Sheriff's Department dispatcher said police are still trying to determine what caused the fire at the Beaverton Freewill Baptist Church in northwest Alabama.

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"When we got there, it obviously was in the beginning stages of the fire," Johnson said. "It was coming from the middle of the church. Then the fire began to rage. Then it engulfed the whole church."

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Investigators have been trying to determine the causes and whether the rural church fires are linked. (Watch as church burnings are made a priority -- 2:04)

Investigators have said arson was the cause of seven fires. Arson also is suspected in the other two.

Eric Kehn, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said ATF agents were at the scene of the Beaverton fire, but they had not yet determined how it started or whether it was related to the other church fires.

Five churches with predominantly African-American congregations and four with predominantly white ones have been set ablaze in the past week in central and western Alabama. Nobody has been injured. (Map)

[American Vet Repairman]

I was told Alabama is a hotbed for satanic worshipers. Why I do not know. When I lived in that area I did not believe it but now I am starting to think it might be true.

[JustaCowgirl]

One guy on Fox News said yesterday that most of these churches are off the beaten track. But 'in the woods' sort of locations. Isolated.

Thanks for the info. I suppose that's why those particular churches were picked. The person doing this will give themselves away sooner or later, but how many churches will they destroy before then?

[SheLion]

Why atheist? Given the fixation with Baptist churches in particular I would think it more likely that the perp is/was a baptist than any other denomination or athetist. (ex-baptist turned athetist is still baptist in my book for motive purposes).

Well, either/or, they are complete nut cases, IMHO.

[SheLion]

Thanks for the info. I suppose that's why those particular churches were picked. The person doing this will give themselves away sooner or later, but how many churches will they destroy before then?

It's really sad.  9 churches so far. 

[WVNan]

I too wonder why the parishoner are not protecting these isolated Baptist churches. Seems to me the men in the congregations should "walk" to church and spend the night with their shot guns and capture the perps. Wouldn't even have to shot them. Wouldn't want blood on the carpets.

[Mamzelle]

Has to be an animus against Baptists--while there are a heap of rural Baptist churches in rural Alabama, there's also a number of others--a firebug likes a church to burn, but a particular denomination?