I always thought lightning rods were especially ironic! Lightning burned down many churches a short time ago prior to the rods. Must have been punishing them like he does all the modern flood victims

God is tired and has a day off now and then.

It really is quite remarkable. But they occur across the board-entertainment, government, business, restaurant. As long as dicks stick out I guess, and people think they have the violent right to violate someone who is vulnerable, it will persist,unfortunately. (Not to say some abusers can’t be women)

Subscribe to Freedom From Religion Foundation. There are two sections that I love in their periodical. "Crank Mail" that makes me laugh so hard I choke, and "Black Collar Crime" which consists of dozens of snippets of bad behaviour and other un-godly shit. The amount of god-fearing criminals listed in this section is stupifying !
Subscribe to FFRF, you'll love it.

Never has been, never will be, unless it’s a Quaker Meeting House! (Then I suspect they have their own sets of challenges)

Sure is. So many televangelists and other clerical leaders have been repeatedly exposed for corruption, drug use, sex scandals, and other abuse's.This is considered commonplace and even typical and some Churches Catholics in particular. In my opinion religion is increasingly seen as a mild form of mind control, mental conditioning and emotional manipulation.

Interesting comment linxmix. Currently the Jehovahs Witnesses are under fire for their handling of abuse and their shunning of the victim! Hang in there, there are many others asking the same questions! God-lovers hate humans and women in particular.

When they say peace and protection, they don't mean from the world. They mean from what ialdabaoth will do to you, if you don't seek his peace and protection. Which, I'm pretty sure, is a textbook example of racketeering and extortion.

It’s what happens when people trade their values for a fictitious reality.

Yes, but it was an all natural sin. It wasn't like tobacco or anything.

I heard a church member say that one time.

I see nothing ironic about this - violence occurs in court rooms, homes, hospitals, schools and in many other places that would be considered places of peace, protection and safety. A--holes take advantage of whatever opportunity before them that allows them to cause the most damage. The fact that violence occurs in church is meaningless.

i look at churches as a dangerous place to be in any scenario. will never find me being killed in one for sure. in a country that runs off of fear and hate, these things do not really surprise me at all.

Religions give people a false sense of superiority, which in turn begets violence in protection of that false pretense, or from those who feel scorned by such false ideals. Either way it all happens in the name of a fictional character in any place it occurs, only solution I see is to get them to acknowledge their fakery, but that won't happen so I guess they can keep praying that no one will shoot at them for being self righteous.

It is quite amazing to me as well. But, what better place to hide, than behind the gospel and the Bible? Not too many people know how to dispute another person’s behavior, in the church setting...that person may have powerful friends there! But, we also must realize that there are people in every walk of life with stunted emotional and mental development! It seems that we do not have a strong sense collectively...what is not acceptable and why it is not acceptable! We just have laws on the books, for people who get caught! Otherwise, don’t make a big deal out of broken boundaries and blatant disrespect.

That’s the biggest point of it these people know that they’re socially camouflaged and for decades people were conditioned to never ever question the church let alone show the public what was behind their veil of deception.

Hate to say it, but anywhere there's a real or perceived power imbalance is a likely place for abuse of some sort, at least by some percentage of people: schools, businesses, offices, churches, prisons, police, politics, etc. I wonder if abuse is more common among people in a position of trust, like police or clergy, as opposed to those with lesser expectations?

It is disgusting what they get away with.