# Palin's church burned; suspected arson (RO) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 14, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136 "2008-12-14T18:03:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/21 "2008-12-14T20:43:35Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Well we know it wasn’t witches; it had been protected against them. I can’t reveal how I know this, but I heard that a witch asked a mummy to burn the church down. Obviously, the anti-witch spell would do nothing to protect the church from mummies. P.S. Ok, it was a very wise genie who told me about the witch and the mummy’s nefarious scheme. P.P.S. The witch was a republican! ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/22 "2008-12-14T20:44:16Z")
Is **Joe The Arsonist** a person of interest? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/23 "2008-12-14T21:18:52Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Well we know it wasn’t witches; it had been protected against them. “Craft group” is witch-speak for “coven”. They were allowed to hold an illegal summoning in the church and GAWD took his ven-jance-ah. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/24 "2008-12-14T22:17:11Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > How do you know what the intent was? So far, I don’t think we have any indication at all as to motive. I see no reason to automatically assume it had anything to do with Palin or politics. Pretty sure **Duckster** was talking about the noose incident, not the fire. Honestly seems a little premature to even say this was arson, nvm what the motive of the arsonist was. The quotes in the article were along the lines of “we’re not ruling it out”, there wasn’t anything to the effect that they had any physical evidence that the fire was set on purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/25 "2008-12-14T22:21:16Z")
As long as no one died, sometimes you just gotta start a fire to get your point across. Its not always great, not always right, but its a form of argument. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/26 "2008-12-14T22:30:04Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > I remember people getting all worked up about the noose at Columbia University. Now it seems more likely than not it was a hoax. Come now, as if a plagiarist would ever do anything dishonest. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/27 "2008-12-14T23:00:48Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Hoax or not, the intent was to inflict fear upon people. > [@](#): > > By whom, for what purpose? I don’t want to hijack this thread by answering those questions here. I would be happy to debate the Columbia noose incident elsewhere. Shall I start a new thread and attempt to answer your questions there? ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/28 "2008-12-14T23:26:20Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Oh man. > > Folks, I’m sorry about the fire. I realize now that the priest was saying to get to Heaven we have to embrace our Son… I laughed out loud. Nice one! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/29 "2008-12-14T23:26:24Z")
As soon as I saw this it quickly brought back a few other memories from recent news… Specifically [Ashley Todd](http://www.asianamericansforobama.com/tag/backwards-b) and [Justin Zatkoff](http://www.michigandaily.com/content/alleged-political-hate-crime-not-what-it-seemed). Where are all these liberal 20 somethings out beating themselves up? I mean, even the dumb ones would be OK, you can’t do an “M” for McCain backwards… It was my first thought. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/30 "2008-12-14T23:42:09Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Well there’s your answer. Ladies’ craft groups are a recipe for disaster. Those bitches would crochet a nuke, if you gave them the right ingredients. Crochet indeed. Such ignorance! Nukes are knit, IEDs are crocheted. Please make a note of it. I thought that t.p.ing the house came just before the arson–I must update my list of escalating harassments. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/31 "2008-12-14T23:45:21Z")
The RNC must’ve gotten tired of politely asking for those clothes back. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/32 "2008-12-14T23:49:28Z")
If it’s arson, it’s a despicable act under any circumstance. If it’s coincedence, then **maybe** it isn’t coincidence. Get my drift? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/33 "2008-12-15T00:20:00Z")
> [@clayton\_e](#): > > I mean, even the dumb ones would be OK, you can’t do an “M” for McCain backwards.. You can do a J backwards, though, which is a better comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/34 "2008-12-15T00:35:56Z")
I can’t think of any legitimate reasons to set a church on fire. That said, that’s one ugly looking church. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/35 "2008-12-15T00:42:17Z")
Is there any actual, you know, _evidence_ it was arson yet? Ad hoc Xmas decorations do have a habit of bursting into flames this time of year. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/36 "2008-12-15T00:50:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I can’t think of any legitimate reasons to set a church on fire. > > That said, that’s one ugly looking church. I had the completely opposite thought. I have trouble thinking of reasons NOT to set churches on fire, other than, “It’s a crime and I don’t want to go to jail”. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/37 "2008-12-15T01:08:34Z")
You know people, I loathe Palin as much as the next person, but if this was arson, that is absolutely, undeniably hideous. Think about it-if this happened to Obama’s church, I would imagine that plenty of people here would be screaming about it. And I’m as left as they come-so I’m not pulling the whole-“oh, lefties are hypocrites!” More like, I think this is really fucked up. And after all, it’s not just her church. And they’re damned lucky no one was hurt. I hope IF it was arson, that they find whoever did it. (However, I will agree-that was one BUTT-UGLY church.) ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/38 "2008-12-15T01:30:36Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Wow…I didn’t even know Great White was playing Wasilla! win. They must have been pretty hard up to have been playing churches. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/39 "2008-12-15T01:58:54Z")
Arson huh? Is that the son that Sarah gave up for adoption 25 years ago? ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136/40 "2008-12-15T02:50:38Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I had the completely opposite thought. I have trouble thinking of reasons NOT to set churches on fire, other than, “It’s a crime and I don’t want to go to jail”. Well, this one not included, there are some rather lovely church buildings that could be well used as homes and stores. Back home in NZ there are regularly church buildings for sale - and they often get turned into homes or craft shops. Probably the best use they’ve ever had [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palins-church-burned-suspected-arson-ro/477136.md?page=3)