Christmas Day/Arizona Another KH is torched

by blondie 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  blondie

  http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dallas/tsw/stories/122703dntexchurchfire.4e03.html

  Worship hall fire was arson

  08:23 PM CST on Friday, December 26, 2003

  Associated Press

  PHOENIX ? A Jehovah's Witness congregation hall was torched Christmas Day, resulting in a huge loss for members of the northwest Phoenix congregation.

  Fire officials said the Kingdom Hall had an estimated $1.2 million in damages.

  Without disclosing details, Bob Khan, an assistant fire chief for the Phoenix Fire Department, said investigators have determined that the structure was intentionally set afire, but no motive has been established.

  Investigators for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will assist in the investigation, Mr. Khan said.

  "You take it personal because it's your building; it's your house of worship," said Bob Reyna of Sun City. "It's something depressing, but at the same time, we look at it as a chance to grow and rebuild. It makes us stronger."

  There have been a few problems in the past, some in the parking lot behind the Kingdom Hall where people gather to party out of sight from the road. Vandals also scribbled graffiti on the front door this year.

  But there never was anything to prepare the more than 500 congregants for the gaping hole on top of their worship hall created by roaring flames.

  Volunteers built the cream-color stucco building about two decades ago.

  "A lot of the friends are hurt and upset, but we look at it as a sign of the times," Mr. Reyna said. "We'll rebuild. We'll go back to meeting there again. We're not going to let this get us down."

  ---

  Online at: http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dallas/tsw/stories/122703dntexchurchfire.4e03.html
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  DanTheMan

  Oh man, who would do something like that? What a shame.
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  shamus

  I certainly do not agree with anyone who does that.

  One thing that I can say is why in the hell should we care, though. Did they ever care when a church got burned? No. They would just call it "Babylon the Great" and be glad that it burnt. I have actually witnessed people talking like this.

  Now they know what it's like... not that they give a damm what us pagans think.
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  Wolfgirl

  I agree with Shamus. I remember what JWs were saying when a church in the area was burnt down. It was sort of a "Christendom getting its just reward" type scenario to them.

  I'm glad no one was hurt, and I don't agree with arson. But...

  we look at it as a sign of the times

  Bring on the persecution complex!
• 

  gumby

  A sign of what times? Churches have been burning since churches began. The early christians did more burning of buildings and literature of the "pagans" than modern day disgruntled ones.

  How many pictures have we seen in the societys literature that show churches going down in armaggedon with witnesses having smiling faces in the same picture? Lots of them! However....they think it is evil for anyone to clap at one of their own buildings going up in flames. What hypocrits!

  Sun city eh? I have given talks in that hall before when I lived in Arizona.

  Gumby
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  mouthy

  I do not agree with arson..But as some has said on here there was a Church ( a very old one) that was burning in Cambridge Canada & four Pioneers sat in the car laughing. saying " Isnt it wonderful that Jehovah allows us to see Babylon fall. "Is this what some of you call Karma???/
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  stillajwexelder

  I do not agree with arson..But as some has said on here there was a Church ( a very old one) that was burning in Cambridge Canada & four Pioneers sat in the car laughing. saying " Isnt it wonderful that Jehovah allows us to see Babylon fall. "Is this what some of you call Karma???/ Arson is disgusting and so was this attack . I wish people would realize that JWs will be saying -- see we are being persecuted -- we are deep in the last days - -Armageddon is just around the corner -- the best way to let the WTBTS crumble for the people in Arizona is just to let them be -not burn their halls down. But I do agree with the previous comment -- if it had been a church that had burnt down the witnesses would have been saying "Isnt it wonderful that Jehovah allows us to see Babylon fall?"
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  Funchback

  Kind of off subject but I dislike that expression "the friends" (the elder mentioned that phrase in the last paragraph of the article).

  Me and badwillie were discussing that terminology just the other day and it's another catch-phrase that cunningly makes you believe that your only friends are other JWs. I didn't realize how non-JWs can be WONDERFUL, TRUE friends until I left the BORG myself.

  To get back to the subject, there are lots of drawings in the JW literature that depict churches getting destroyed. No religion is exempt from vandalism. They'll get over it. I'm just glad no one was killed.
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  Litebriterstill

  KH torched ! I do not subscribe to Arson, someone was realy mad. I'm glad none were injured. I was out in service years ago when some laughed because a minister took off with the money to finish his own Church. The JW's laughed at the Catholic Priests being found molesters. Laughing at deprivity! Today there are many JW molesting cases in the Newspaper and on this chatboard where disgusting behavior is being hidden or denied. I sat in KH where 2 couples were answering when they had admitted to Elders they had an affair with the other ones mate. "He who lies down with dogs gets up with flees."
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  Gerard

  They sure seem happy this church is burning...