5-alarm arson fire heavily damages Catholic church in Salem (Oregon)

OregonLive ^ | 08/31/2023 | Abbey McDonald, Ardeshir Tabrizian

[aimhigh]

In silence, firefighters rested in the pews of St. Joseph Catholic Church Thursday morning, watching smoke drift from a pile of charred debris that had fallen onto the altar. . . . .

The fire began in a dumpster on church property around 2:30 a.m. Thursday and spread to the building’s roof. It quickly grew to a five-alarm blaze requiring about 20 vehicles and 40 firefighters to get under control. Nobody was injured.

Police said Thursday afternoon they had arrested a suspect, 48-year-old Billy James Sweeten, on first-degree arson charges. Sweeten is lodged at the Marion County Jail, police said.

[aimhigh]

There are from 80 to 130 church arson cases every year. The Feds count them, but don't publish the numbers any more.

[joma89]

The slow destruction of Christianity goes on unabated.

[metmom]

Starting in a dumpster is always arson.

[cyclotic]

C’mon, it was just a homeless junkie illegal trying to stay warm.

[Organic Panic]

I was just there when I went to visit family.

My guess is Billy James Sweeten is a homeless drug addict. They are quite common in Oregon cities knowing full well nothing will come from their destruction.

[eyeamok]

How much does the FBI pay to have a church burned down??

[Steve_Seattle]

I wonder how many of those church arson fires - or graffiti attacks, or smashed windows - are classified as hate crimes. I bet a very small percentage are, UNLESS they are black churches.

[Fai Mao]

Things like this SHOULD teach the RCC that you cannot make nice with godless left. It SHOULD, but probably won’t.

The same is true of Protestant groups that try to conform to culture

[Twotone]

If you would like more information about what’s happening in Oregon, please FReepmail me. Please send me your name by FReepmail if you want to be on this list.

[bray]

The IBF is working on this fire.

[euram]

How many people have been sent to prison for burning or vandalizing a church? Probably not many. But, a guy a Colorado was sent to prison for 20 years for telling an informant that he was thinking about attacking a synagogue.

[popdonnelly]

Persecution of Catholics. Some people hate Christians no matter where they are.

[al baby]

I hope they are charged with a hate crime

[frank ballenger]

More stats.

VERY old statistic in U.S. Fire Administration Topic Research Series, 2001/2002.
“An average of 1,300 church fires are reported each year, causing $38 million in property loss. The leading cause of church fires is arson (25%).”

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Indeed, about half of all the fires at houses of worship in the past 20 years were intentionally set, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the ATF. Of the 4,705 reported fire incidents at houses of worship between 1996 and 2015, 2,378, or 51%, had been ruled intentional as of July.
Pew Research Center, October 26, 2015.

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Catholic ones only—
At least 273 incidents have occurred across 43 states and the District of Columbia since May 2020. Incidents include arson, statues beheaded, limbs cut, smashed, and painted, gravestones defaced with swastikas and anti-Catholic language and American flags next to them burned, and other destruction and vandalism. This list shows incidents of vandalism, arson, or other destruction at Catholic sites that have been publicly reported in news media. It excludes incidents where circumstances suggest a motive other than hostility toward the Church.

https://www.usccb.org/committees/religious-liberty/Backgrounder-Attacks-on-Catholic-Churches-in-US

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Grand Blanc, MI August 23, 2023 ABC12 News.
....the suspects wandered around the church and checked doors. They found an unlocked door and got inside, where they caused a significant amount of damage.

The vandals broke at least one crucifix in the church. Father Joe Krupp, who is the church’s lead pastor, said other sacred and non-sacred objects in the church have been destroyed, but the suspects didn’t get into the school.