[churchillbuff]

Notice that this article from the Graham Leader mentions nothing about the writing on the wall. Hmmm.

Episcopal church fire suspicious By Kim Gibby

grahamleader.com

Holy Spirit Episcopal Church parishioners will agree, God works in mysterious ways.

A complete disaster was narrowly averted Wednesday morning at the church on Hillcrest Drive when Michael Glenn, church treasurer, and handyman Troy Thomas arrived to repair an electrical outlet.

The pair discovered a lock had been broken off a storage building behind the church, and the back door leading into the office had been forced open.

The chapel had also been invaded, with damage noted to candle holders. Three candles were discovered inside the priest sanctuary, according to Thomas ­ one still burning, one partially burnt and another that appeared to have burned itself out, leaving a pool of wax on the floor, but causing no further damage.

First reported as vandalism, the incident soon escalated into an all-out emergency when the pair smelled smoke in the parish hall and called in reinforcements.

OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS SECTION 8/12/2003 - Stenholm to 'meet, greet' in Graham - Council denies rezoning request - Annual teacher breakfast set - Fort Belknap Water Supply Corp. downsizes workforce - New law requires schoolchildren to recite Texas flag pledge - VATA tabs GISD head as ag leader - Extension sets swine program in Abilene - Estes named to states' southern ag committee - Graham CoC honored for HOSTS program - Hybrids will be showcased at Aug. 26 field day - Rising temperatures draw out cicada killers, cicadas - State, West Texas fair livestock entries due - USDA releases trends on natural resources in NRI - WF couple busted on drug charges - By Alex Mills Special to The Leader - Commission sets monthly allowables, releases statistics - Commissioners get 'scoop' on community service - Extended tax deadline approaches - GHS lists important dates, school info - Graham loses coach, mentor, friend - Registration set Thursday at GJHS - Top doctor: 'Unconscionable' not to immunize - Tour de Pants bikers loop through Graham - Wilson arraigned; bond set at $100,000 - Gear up for Community Health Fair - GEDC bows to MHMR requests - Authorities name suspects in three-county car chase - Special patrolmen cruise on 2 wheels - Abbott files friend of the court brief - Graham Junior High School announces new student registration - GISD offers special programs - Remember Space Shuttle Columbia - KidCop applications due Wednesday, Aug. 6 - RAWHIDE symposia will address ranching viability - Alfalfa workshops set at three Lubbock-area sites - Search on for Miss West Texas - U.S. ag exports slightly up - 'Oklahoma' ready for center stage at GMA - County commissioners pull plug on fuel consumption - Crude oil, natural gas prices spark industry expansion - Graham man chases gun-toting ATV rustler - Jurors summoned to 90th District Court - Suspect killed in high-speed pursuit - Young County jobless rate higher in June

According to City Fire Marshall Joey Parker, the fire itself was contained in the father's office; however, the rest of the building suffered severe smoke damage.

The cause of the fire is considered suspicious and is under investigation.

"People are confusing the candles versus the fire, but I don't think that the candles started it There were no candles in the father's office in the parish hall," Parker said.

"The fire started in the father's office. I found a plastic container of charcoal lighter fluid sitting on his desk. I don't know if it spilled or was poured out. I'm trying to figure that out."

According to Parker, the church was last occupied Monday evening which narrows the timeframe for investigators a little. He said they are treating the vandalism and fire as one incident.

He added that at this point in the investigation, nothing has been found missing, although, according to Thomas, an expensive sound system ready for installation was left untouched.

Criminal investigator Charlie Parker, Graham Police Department, is looking into the vandalism aspect of the incident.

"We can't release any information right now," Parker said. "We still have a couple of people to talk to."

The Rev. Scott Wooten is rector of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. Dollar loss to the church and its contents is listed at $15,000

[Clint N. Suhks]

I hope they can rebuild it bigger and better. This was a hate crime all the way. Homosexuals need to justify their perversion as right and good, they will not stop until this country puts their pathology back in the DSM.

[Onelifetogive]

Notice that this article from the Graham Leader mentions nothing about the writing on the wall. Hmmm.

You are implying that there is some kind of media bias here!!!

I feel quite certain that if the vandalism had been at the headquarters of a "gay" organization and the message on the wall had been "God and Jesus HATE homosexuals," the media would have left it out, too....

Right???? Don't you agree???

[bayourod]

This reminds me of watching churches burn in Arkansas when I was a child.

[boycott]

I guess you could say that the fire was set by a flaming homosexual?

[B-Chan]

Persecution time again -- and nothing could be better. Persecution benefits the Church. The harder they hit us, the more we'll come to trust in Christ. The more they attack us, the greater our faith in Christ. After all, He told us to turn the other cheek; he warned us that men would hate us for His sake. The fact that the persecution is directed primarily against Catholics and orthodox Episcopalians should be even more encouraging; the Devil always gets the right address.

So let the apostates bring on their lions and their crosses! They failed to kill our Lord two thousand years ago; do they think they can kill Him now?

[r9etb]

Just a guess, but I'm gonna speculate that this fire was set by one of the "God Hates Fags" nutjobs, or somebody of that ilk, and the message on the wall will turn out to have been an attempt to throw off investigators.

That said, prayers for God's peace and healing, for Fr. Wooten and his congregation.

[Timesink]

Why did the newspaper not mention the hate speech written on the wall?

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[al_c]

Graham, TX is my dad's hometown. Not a whole lot of people there. I'm surprised there's that kind of support for the liberals there. I'd think they'd all be conservative.

[King Prout]

I'll reserve judgement and/or condemnation until the investigation yields some fruit. no pun intended. It is just that so many "hate crimes" have turned out to be hoaxes perpetrated by the victims, I cannot avoid being a little hesitant to jump to the obvious conclusion that rabid anti-christian gays did this.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Holy Spirit Episcopal Church parishioners will agree, God works in mysterious ways.

They may have overlooked the scrawled message, but you can usually count on the media working this cliché into news accounts on religion.