# Church burnings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-burnings/216784 "2003-12-03T21:11:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-burnings/216784/1 "2003-12-03T21:11:52Z")
A fews years back there was a lot of press coverage concerning the burning of churches. If I am remembering this correctly, it initially seemed that someone was targeting Black churches, but then some journalists/commentators pointed out that white churches were going up in flames as well. I was just thinking about this the other day for some reason, and I realized that there just has not been much press about the subject recently. Does any one know anything about the search for the arsonists? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-burnings/216784/2 "2003-12-03T21:26:18Z")
A lot (but not all) were the work of [this guy](http://www.anglicanjournal.com/127/01/world01.html). ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-burnings/216784/3 "2003-12-03T22:40:40Z")
I am proud to say that I helped rebuild one of the burned churches in Alabama, traveling there on the assumption that it was the work of a racist arsonist But after I worked on it, I found that it may have fallen into the category of churches burned for other reasons. While I’m happy to have helped out, I’d feel pretty much like a sap if it turned out it was burned down because someone “was hostile to Christianity.” How would I find out if “this guy” (above) was responsible for that churches demise? ---
**Author:** ![Indefatigable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9d8465/32.png) [@Indefatigable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indefatigable)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-burnings/216784/4 "2003-12-03T22:44:49Z")
Why is religious hostility any less of a good reason to help out than racial hostility? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-burnings/216784/5 "2003-12-03T22:56:35Z")
I was afraid that would be someone’s response. In a large sense, it’s not a less good reason. But it wasn’t my reason. I went in part because I wanted to illustrate to poor, rural black folk that all white folk aren’t bad. And I wanted to show the crackers around there that there were white folks who weren’t afraid to join up with that congregation to overcome the effects of localized ignorance, hatred and violence. I didn’t go for religious reasons. Now, how would I find out if “this guy” (above) was responsible for that particular churches demise? ---
**Author:** ![Indefatigable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9d8465/32.png) [@Indefatigable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indefatigable)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-burnings/216784/6 "2003-12-03T23:18:24Z")
If there were poor rural black folk in that church’s community, I’d say they still got the right idea from you, even if the crime wasn’t committed particularly for racial reasons. Some white folks turned out to help. That’s good.