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Arson investigators were looking Tuesday into two fires in three days that destroyed the Orlando Bahá'í Center in Orlando. The first fire in the one-story wood building on Hillcrest Street was reported at 4:48 a.m. Sunday. When the Orlando Fire Department responded to the second blaze at 12:55 a.m. Tuesday, flames were shooting through the roof. "It is unusual for something like that to happen, especially this much down time between the two," said Orlando Fire Department Commander Vicki Robles. A spokesperson for the Bahá'í Center said the fires are baffling to the members, who number about 300 in the...

Note: Photos included. Note: The following text is a quote: Friday, October 16, 2009 Nationalists target Calvary Chapel Kaharlyk in Ukraine with firebomb attack By Peter Wooding Special to ASSIST News Service KAHARLYK, UKRAINE (ANS) -- The pastor of Calvary Chapel Kaharlyk, just south of Kiev in Ukraine, is thanking God for His protection, after their church building, where his family lives, was hit by a firebomb attack by suspected nationalists. In the early hours of Wednesday October 14th the attackers sprayed painted on the church wall: “Out with Sects” “ОУ�” an abbreviated name for a Ukrainian Nationalist movement. Pastor...

ORANGEVALE, Calif. -- A 15-year-old girl who allegedly worships Satan was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of lighting a fire at her Orangevale church. The blaze occurred at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at the corner of Hazel and Cherry avenues. Christian Pebbles of Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said the teen made it clear why she started the blaze, which damaged church pews. “She hates the church and she worships the devil,” Pebbles said. “That’s the reason why.” Pebbles said the teen was taken into custody on suspicion of felony arson. “Well, you know, kids sometimes don’t always...

SNIPPET: "The flames broke out around 11 p.m. in the mosque on East 166th Street in Morrisania and then spread. It took several hours to get it under control. Three firefighters were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. "The whole place was gone. The fire started inside the store and it was burning for like two hours and then everything started blowing, exploding," said local resident Lenroy Carr. The cause is still under investigation."

ORANGEVALE, Calif. -- A 15-year-old girl who allegedly worships Satan was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of lighting a fire at her Orangevale church. The blaze occurred at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at the corner of Hazel and Cherry avenues. Christian Pebbles of Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said the teen made it clear why she started the blaze, which damaged church pews. "She hates the church and she worships the devil," Pebbles said. "That's the reason why." Pebbles said the teen was taken into custody on suspicion of felony arson. "Well, you know, kids sometimes don't always...

In a continuation of the ongoing wave of arson attacks on Coptic places of worship, the Church of St. Abaskharion Kellini, in the village of Ezbet Bassilious, Beni Mazar, was burnt down at noon on July 11 by Muslim village inhabitants. No one was injured. A source in Bani Mazar Diocese told Free Copts advocacy the fire was instigated and directed as usual by State Security, aiming "to prevent prayers in new churches throughout both the Upper Egyptian provinces of Minya and of Beni Suef." Reverend Abraham Phillobos, pastor of the torched Church told Coptic News Bulletin that the Security...

On the night of December 12, 2008, the Wasilla Bible Church was set ablaze by arsonists. At the time, several women and children were inside working on a craft project. They were alerted to the fire when the alarm began sounding, by that time, the front of the church was engulfed in flames. Firefighters began arriving shortly after 9:40 p.m. It took crews from several local communities until 5 a.m. to fully extinguish the blaze. The fire caused close to $1 million in damages. It did not take long for investigators to determine that the fire was an act of...

A massive Easter fire has damaged dozens of buildings on the grounds of a Christian center in New Hampshire. Fire Marshal William Degnan says 40 cottage-type seasonal homes believed to have been unoccupied burned at the Alton Bay Christian Conference Center, 30 miles northeast of Concord.

Early Saturday morning, someone crept into the New Fellowship Baptist Church, walked past thousands of dollars worth of audio equipment and computers and set fire to the balcony and altar, then fled as the Dorchester building went up in flames, fire officials and the church's pastor said yesterday.

The information comes through blogger Kevin "Coach" Collins, who writes the Collins Report. Reports have confirmed that Senior Pastor Larry Kroon is expecting services to resume at the building on Sunday, following the Dec. 12 blaze that affected offices, classrooms and the main entry. The blaze is under investigation as a suspected arson and it is Palin's attendance at the church that has suggested a motivation, although investigators say they have not confirmed any links. The church has set up a special website to update members on the restoration process. "Clearly this was an attack caused by Governor Palin's connection...

Arsonist intended murder at Palin's church? Report: Alarm, phone wires cut, fire set at entrance © 2009 WorldNetDaily A leader at Wasilla Bible Church in Alaska suspects the arsonist who started fires that left $1 million in damages intended murder and possibly targeted the church because of the attendance of Gov. Sarah Palin, whose Christian faith became an issue during her 2008 campaign with Sen. John McCain. "Clearly this was an attack caused by Governor Palin's connection to this little Christian church," writes blogger Kevin Collins in his Collins Report. Collins said a church elder, Tom Ryan, confirmed the case...

An exclusive interview with a church Elder has provided The Collins Report with sobering new facts about the arson fire at Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s home church, the Wasilla Bible Church (WBC). WBC Elder Tom Ryan revealed never before reported facts about this vicious crime. FACT: The crime was a six count attempted Murder 1, not a simple arson of a coincidently occupied building. There were 5 adult women and a 17 year old girl in the church during the arson. The old media never reported this crime as attempted murders. Instead they have smothered the truth of this story....

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Wasilla Bible Church has not had an easy year. The vice presidential nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin, who is a fellow church member, put the church's beliefs under national scrutiny. And just as things started to settle down, a fire last month sparked more headlines. But with one visit to the church, one can learn that from all the bad, comes some good. Wasilla Bible Church is moving forward and is counting its blessings. Fire damage is still visible, especially in the back corner, where Pastor Larry Kroon remembers watching the destruction of the blaze from outside....

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/January/09-ag-052.html Arrests Made in Springfield, Mass., Church Arson WASHINGTON – Three individuals were arrested this morning in relation to a church arson on Nov. 5, 2008, in Springfield, Mass. Benjamin Haskell, 22, Michael Jacques, 24, and Thomas Gleason, 21, all of Springfield, Mass., were arrested early this morning on a civil rights violation, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Grace Chung Becker; U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Glenn N. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Boston Field Division; Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge...

Just saw on Greta's show--a clip of Letterman getting big laughs out of Sarah Palin's church being torched by "Joe the Arsonist". I'm posting this in chat, I have already searched youtube for it and nothing yet, have also visited Gretawire.com and not seen it posted. If anyone sees it, please ping.

Sarah Palin’s church was badly damaged by a fire the authorities are treating as an act of arson. The fire, which comes after a heated presidential campaign where Mrs. Palin’s church was ridiculed by major media outlets, has some Christian activists contending secular intolerance and bigotry directed toward Christians remains a serious problem in America. “It’s a scare tactic,” proclaimed Bishop Janice Hollis, pastor of Progressive Believers Ministry. “It is a ploy to make Christians more docile and timid, less likely to fight for their rights.” While it is unclear whether or not the fire at Mrs. Palin’s church was...

Hear the silence? An arsonist tried to burn down Wasilla Bible Church, the congregation of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin late Friday evening. But not a word of concern – much less of outrage - has appeared thus far on the editorial pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post, or The Los Angeles Times concerning a despicable act, regardless of the motives of its perpetrator. All that is known at this point is that Alaska authorities view the fire as an act of arson, and that church officials decline to say if they have received any recent threats. Now...

The congregants from the Wasilla Bible Church were not looking to cast stones in the wake of the fire that nearly destroyed Gov. Palin’s house of worship. With an investigation in progress, the authorities will not comment or theorize. Given the criticism of the church by the forces of political correctness and the historical background of the election, is it possible that this arson is the work of the Anti-Prop 8 Mafia?

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are aiding the investigation of a fire that caused a reported $1 million in damages at the Alaska governor's church. . Federal officials say an accelerant was poured around the exterior of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's church, including by entrances at the 2 1/2-year-old building, which was partly gutted by a costly fire Friday night. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) joined an arson investigation at the Wasilla Bible Church Monday, where church officials say a fire caused $1 million in damage. The blaze was...

FRIDAY NIGHT BLAZE: As many as 40 volunteer firefighters helped out; single service scheduled today. WASILLA - A Friday night fire at Gov. Sarah Palin's church caused an estimated $1 million in damage, and investigators say it could be the work of an arsonist. Firefighters were called to Wasilla Bible Church about 9:40 p.m. and found flames and smoke coming out windows at the back of the three-story structure, said James Steele, chief of the Central Mat-Su Fire Department. Five women, and possibly a couple of children, were inside the church working on crafts, but everyone got out safely after...

CNN) -- A "suspicious" fire devastated the church attended by Alaska Gov. and former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Friday night in her hometown of Wasilla, the church's minister said.

Wasilla Bible Church 1651 W. Nicola Avenue Wasilla, Alaska 99654 907-376-2176 church@wasillabible.org The Wasilla Bible Church will meet at Wasilla Middle School, 650 E Bogard Road, at 11:15 am only on Sunday, December 14th. It is likely there will be limited or no child care or programs this Sunday. Our building was damaged by a fire Friday evening, and will need repairs before we can resume worship there again. Praise God that no one in the building was injured, and pray for us as we rebuild. We will likely meet at the Middle School for a while until the building...

The September 2, 2008 edition of the Huffington Post features an article titled "Palin's Church May Have Shaped Controversial Worldview". In it, Palin's political views are attributed to the beliefs she developed while attending the Wasilla Assembly of God since her childhood. The article (FR will not allow it to be linked) includes an "UPDATE" that when accessed describes the church fire.

WASILLA - An overnight fire at Gov. Sarah Palin's church caused an estimated $1 million in damage, and investigators say it could be the work of an arsonist.Firefighters were called to Wasilla Bible Church about 9:40 p.m. Friday and found flames and smoke coming out windows at the back of the three-story structure, said James Steele, chief of the Central Mat-Su Fire Department.

Most readers are probably thinking that this happened in the Middle East. But the hate of Islam is now across Europe as this was a Dutch Church. Is there a reason that we still allow Muslims to come into our countries?

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/023624.php November 24, 2008 Moroccan "youths" firebomb church in Netherlands High-spirited "youths" at it again in Europe. "Gouda: Church firebombed," from Islam in Europe, November 24 (thanks to John Doe): Four teenagers of Moroccan origin were arrested Saturday evening for setting fire to the Vaste Burcht Reformed church in Gouda. A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the door of the church, according to the police. The bottom part of the door and the doormat were damaged. The four Gouda residents, three aged 14 and one aged 15, are suspected of arson. The fire...

It's an AP story but you can go to www.kansascity.com to read article, if interested.

The three men accused of painting symbols of hate on a Columbia mosque and then setting it on fire face federal charges Tuesday. Eric Baker, Michael Golden and Jonathan Stone are charged with unlawful possession of a destructive device. They are not charged with committing a hate crime. Investigators said the three used Molotov cocktails to set the Islamic Center of Columbia on fire early Saturday morning. The U.S. Attorney said the investigation is ongoing and at least one of the men belongs to a dangerous organization, aimed at spreading hate. Stone told investigators he's a member of the Christian...

Jake Miller admitted it was difficult to separate his emotions from doing his job as a newsman for WGEM once the station found itself in the middle of a investigation involving a fire that destroyed a Northeast Missouri church. Details were made public Friday about the station's role in providing authorities with information that led to the apprehension of a Marion County, Mo., juvenile. "This is a perfect example of how everyone can work together for the betterment of the community," Miller said. "This was truly a team effort." WGEM reporters and editors ended up playing key roles Thursday in...

ALBANY, GA— The pastor of an Albany church was jailed Friday, charged with paying a man to set fire to his church, authorities said. The Rev. Joseph Howard III, 45, of Albany was charged Friday morning with one count of first-degree arson stemming from the New Year’s Eve fire that caused more than $150,000 in damage to the Trinity Metropolitan Baptist Church. Thursday, investigators charged Curtis Lee Jones, 41, of Albany with first-degree arson and said they believed he was responsible for actually igniting the church sanctuary. Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine flew to Albany Friday to...

Two car bombs have exploded outside two churches in the volatile northern city of Kirkuk, police say. The bombings are the latest in a wave of attacks on Christian targets in Iraq this week. Police said three people were wounded in the attacks on the churches in central and northern Kirkuk, a multi-ethnic oil-producing city 250 kilometres north of Baghdad. The buildings also suffered minor damage. The spiritual leader of Iraq's Catholics said on Tuesday that a recent wave of bomb attacks on churches in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul was aimed at showing Iraq was not at...

Nine people are dead and dozens of churches and hundreds of Christians' homes have been torched during a surge of Hindu violence in India, according to reports from organizations working there. Compass Direct News reports that the deaths and damage have been reported since Christmas Eve, when members of the extremist World Hindu Council launched their assaults on the faithful belonging to Christianity. "Orissa state's Kandhamal district remains tense 10 days after the series of anti-Christian attacks began, and thousands of Christians whose houses have been burned down are facing hunger and fear," the Compass Direct report said.

NAIROBI, Kenya - International pressure mounted on Kenya's leaders Wednesday to end postelection violence that has killed more than 300 people, including dozens burned alive as they sought refuge in a church. ADVERTISEMENT The killing of up to 50 ethnic Kikuyus as they sheltered in a church in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret fueled fears of deepening tribal conflict in what has been one of Africa's most stable democracies.The Kikuyu, Kenya's largest ethnic group, are accused of using their dominance of politics and business to the detriment of others. President Mwai Kibaki, who won a second term in the...

A pastor from the church, Jackson Nyanga told the BBC that many of the people were beaten before the building was set on fire. "After torching the church, children died - around 25 in number - four elderly people. And our men and our people who tried to confront them were injured," he said. Eldoret, in the Rift Valley, has witnessed some of the worst violence since last Sunday's controversial poll and has a history of inter-ethnic tension.

When San Francisco performance artist Paul Addis was arrested two months ago for prematurely setting Burning Man’s iconic wooden structure ablaze, some mused that Addis may have been trying to simply shake things up at the 21-year-old festival of radical self-expression. But as Addis, 35, remains behind bars in San Francisco after being nabbed Sunday night for the alleged attempted arson of The City’s historic Grace Cathedral, investigators, “burners” and churchgoers were hard-pressed to come up with a possible motive. Grace Cathedral spokesperson Brent Andrew said members of the Episcopal congregation had no idea why a man with no known...

SAN FRANCISCO - The man accused of setting the Burning Man on fire four days early has been arrested for allegedly planning to set Grace Cathedral ablaze, San Francisco police said today. Paul David Addis, 35, was arrested on the cathedral steps at 11:40 p.m. Sunday by police who said they had been tipped that someone intended to set fire to the Episcopal church, police spokesman Sgt. Steve Mannina said. Addis was wearing an old ammunition belt that carried small explosives, Mannina said. He was booked on suspicion of attempted arson, possession of an incendiary substance, possession of explosives and...

Rome (AsiaNews) – Police of Pingtan (Fujian) have destroyed a church in Yutouchang village and have sworn to demolish another in a neighbouring village. Around 500 policemen and local officials appeared at 8am (local time) on 1 September to destroy a church of the unofficial community of Fujian. The church stood in Yutouchang village on the islet of Pingtang off Fuzhou (Fujian). For some time, the island, not far from the Chinese coast, has hosted at least 10,000 unofficial Catholics. AsiaNews sources in China revealed that the police arrived with bulldozers to destroy the building – illegal according to Chinese...

Fire in Troitsky cathedral in St. Petersburg is localized at about 08:00 p.m. Moscow time, a REGNUM correspondent is told by a spokesman for Russia’s Emergency Ministry in St. Petersburg. Fire brigades have continued working on the site. The big and small cathedral domes have fallen down, the second small dome is partially destroyed by the fire, the REGNUM correspondent is informed at St. Petersburg emergency ministry press office.

EL CAJON A fire ripped through an Islamic center early Thursday morning, causing $2 million in damages before it was put out, officials said. The three-alarm fire at the Kurdish Community Islamic Center was reported just after 2 a.m. and burned for more than an hour before firefighters from 15 different crews extinguished it, said Monica Zech, a spokeswoman for the El Cajon Fire Department. "When they got here, there was heavy smoke coming from the building and then the fire broke through the roof and flames were shooting through the roof," Zech said. "It's pretty much a total loss."...

The San Francisco Police Department has identified a man charged with causing over $500,000 in damage after setting fire to a Roman Catholic Church in the Mission Terrace neighborhood. Hours after the fire started at the Corpus Christi Church, officers arrested Michael Wiegand, 30, near the intersection of Alemany Boulevard and Congdon Street, according to police. A witness confirmed Wiegand's identity and he was taken into custody and questioned. About an hour later he confessed to starting the fire, Fire Department Lt. Ken Smith said today. Police then booked Wiegand into jail on charges of burglary and arson. According to...

Investigators are trying to find out if anyone had a beef against a southwest Topeka church that was damaged in an arson fire early Sunday. The entry hall at Hillside Community Church was destroyed and the rest of the building sustained extensive damage in the blaze, which was reported around 6:30 a.m. Sunday. Church members say fire walls that separate the lobby from the sanctuary and other areas might have prevented the rest of the building from being destroyed. Local, state and federal investigators, using an accelerant-sniffing dog, determined later Sunday that the fire had been intentionally set. Church secretary...

It is being reported on KOOL FM and KFYI AM that 10 churches have burned in the Phoenix area since the beginning of the year. The FBI and BATF have been called in to investigate. It is not known whether the blazes are related.

Hundreds of radical Muslims who converged on a church filled with Christian worshippers in West Java on March 26, causing distress to many with their hostile demonstration, were convinced to disband only after police were called and the pastor of nine years agreed to close the church and cease all its Christian activities, reports the Voice of the Martyrs, a leading monitor of Christian persecution. According to the report, a mob numbering around 200 came to the Church of Pentecost in Gunung Putri, Indonesia, during the Sunday morning service to protest the property being "misused" as a church building. The...

Fire destroyed a church in Blount County Friday night. The cause of the fire at Faith Church of the Nazarene in Hayden has been labeled as suspicious, said Ragan Ingram, spokesman for the Alabama Fire Marshal's office. Blount County Sheriff Danny Morton told The Birmingham News the fire apparently started in the back buildings of the church. A truck driver reported the blaze - which was visible from Interstate 65 - around 2 a.m., Morton said. No one was injured. The roof of the sanctuary and main building collapsed. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was on the...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Three college students suspected of a string of Alabama church fires may have been out drinking when they began their spree, authorities said. Benjamin Nathan Moseley and Russell Lee DeBusk Jr., both 19-year-old theater students at Birmingham-Southern College, were arrested this week along with 20-year-old Matthew Lee Cloyd, who was studying pre-med at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Throughout the monthlong investigation, authorities said alcohol could have led to a warped bravado that sparked the arsons, and initial interviews with the suspects bore out the theory, according to one officer. However, deputy state fire marshal Ed...

Church arsonists tied to Satanism College boys had dark side, dabbled in occult, say friends Posted: March 11, 2006 6:30 p.m. Eastern © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com While the "all-American college boys" arrested for a series of church arsons claimed they had committed their crimes for the fun of it – with no religious or political motivation – new reports from friends say the students dabbled in the occult and Satanism. Benjamin Moseley, Russell Debusk, Matthew Lee Cloyd Benjamin Moseley and Russell DeBusk, 19, were theater students at Birmingham-Southern College. Matthew Cloyd, 20, lived in the same dorm as DeBusk, an academic...

Three college students, including two aspiring actors known around campus as pranksters, were arrested Wednesday in a string of nine church fires that spread fear across Alabama last month. Federal agents said the defendants claimed that the first few blazes were set as "a joke" and that the others were started to throw investigators off the track. Gov. Bob Riley said the fires did not appear to be "any type of conspiracy against organized religion" or the Baptist faith. With the arrests, he said, "the faith-based community can rest a little easier." Benjamin Nathan Moseley and Russell Lee Debusk Jr.,...

WASHINGTON - Federal law enforcement officials believe they have scored a big break with the arrests of two people believed responsible for the string of church fires in Alabama, NBC’s Pete Williams reported Wednesday. Officials have not yet said who they are, but authorities believe they have solved the case, Williams added. The two were arrested Tuesday night.

Speculation is still rampant about the perpetrators and the causes of the recent rash of church burnings in our state. Ten churches torched can hardly be accidental. The fires are the apparent work of arsonists. What they hope to accomplish by their twisted and foul deeds, only the arsonists know at this time. One thing the fires made evident, however, is the ability of Alabama Baptists to respond to emergencies, even the burning of church buildings. The first five fires burned during the early morning hours of Feb. 3. Within a week, Alabama Baptists were providing assistance. Rehobeth Baptist Church,...

Two college students arrested Wednesday in a string of nine rural Alabama church arsons told authorities that the first fires were set as “a joke” and later blazes were intended as a diversion, federal agents said. A third college student was arrested later Wednesday in the serial arsons, according to WVTM-TV of Birmingham. Benjamin Nathan Moseley and Russell Lee Debusk Jr., both students at Birmingham-Southern College, appeared in federal court Wednesday and were ordered held on church arson charges pending a hearing Friday. Matthew Lee Cloyd, reportedly a student at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, was arrested midday, the...