Worshippers robbed during church service

[Hum]

HOLYOKE, Mass. ?  Holyoke police are looking for a man they say interrupted a church service and robbed several members of the congregation at gunpoint.

Lt. James Albert says the masked suspect entered the Pentecostal church at about 2 p.m. Sunday, announced the robbery, and took personal items, including cellphones, from several of the roughly 20 worshippers.

One of the congregants called police after the robber ran off.

The suspect was described as a thin, Latino man wearing a black T-shirt, pants and hat.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call police.

source

[The Evil Overlord]

/facepalm

 

Honestly, some people.

[Torolol]

church are easy target:

churchgoers mostly don't carry guns to to the church,

churchgoers usually carry some cash for the usual 'donation'.

 

monetary gain with almost no risk.

[Hum]

I guess the Lord didn't see that coming ...

[techbeck]

Church goers...supposed to turn the other cheek.  Easy pickings.

[KingCracker]

The church robs people every Sunday and what they get is tax free.

[compl3x]

This will precipitate what George Carlin was always looking forward to: guns in church.

 

 

bull**** aside, this is a horrible thing to do. People are there with their family and friend, entirely defenceless and some scumbag comes in robs them. I hope justice finds the perp quickly.

[Xerino]

and now Im thinking of the diner scene from pulp fiction... (at the beginning of the movie)

[FloatingFatMan]

This will precipitate what George Carlin was always looking forward to: guns in church.

 

 

bull**** aside, this is a horrible thing to do. People are there with their family and friend, entirely defenceless and some scumbag comes in robs them. I hope justice finds the perp quickly.

 

It's no different to robbing people anywhere else.  Easy pickings are easy pickings. Frankly, I'm surprised it doesn't happen a lot more.

[Growled Member]

 Frankly, I'm surprised it doesn't happen a lot more.

 

I imagine you will see more of it as since people have lost more and more respect for religion. 

[compl3x]

It's no different to robbing people anywhere else.  Easy pickings are easy pickings. Frankly, I'm surprised it doesn't happen a lot more.

 

True, but even as an atheist (staunch, militant, outspoken, arrogant, which ever anyone wants to call me) robbing people in a place of worship leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It seems like a pretty vulnerable place to me.

 

 

I imagine you will see more of it as since people have lost more and more respect for religion. 

 

For all you know the perp might be religious himself. And this crime very well may have simply been opportunistic, not a social commentary on society attitude towards religion.

[Growled Member]

For all you know the perp might be religious himself. And this crime very well may have simply been opportunistic, not a social commentary on society attitude towards religion.

 

Maybe, but I'm doubting it. A generation ago this would have been unheard of. Religious houses was thought of as untouchable, even by the most vile of criminals. 

[compl3x]

Maybe, but I'm doubting it. A generation ago this would have been unheard of. Religious houses was thought of as untouchable, even by the most vile of criminals. 

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but people have been destroying and desecrating places of worship for thousands of years.

[Draconian Guppy]

The bible saidth, "provide for your family"   It doesn't say how :P

[Growled Member]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but people have been destroying and desecrating places of worship for thousands of years.

 

Not in America.

[compl3x]

Not in America.

 

 

Pretty sure white racists burnt down more than a few black churches.

 

Regardless, people moving away from religion, becoming more secular, doesn't result in an attack on religious institutions. Many highly secular countries around the world don't have high rates of attacks on religious places of worship. So I reiterate my initial point: this seems like a opportunistic attack.

[Phouchg]

Not in America.

 

Oi! What about Walmarts built, among other things, on Native American burial grounds then?

[Growled Member]

Regardless, people moving away from religion, becoming more secular, doesn't result in an attack on religious institutions. Many highly secular countries around the world don't have high rates of attacks on religious places of worship. So I reiterate my initial point: this seems like a opportunistic attack.

 

Things have changed. It's not just a move to secularism, at least not from what I see. Our society is rapidly changing from a religious society to a strong hatred of religion in general and Christianity in particular. Plus, when something like this reported on the news it tends to spread via copycats. I may be completely wrong about this, but I see this just as a start of many more to come. In a few years people will either stop going to church or start carrying guns.

 

And btw, we've had several reports in our area in just the last few weeks of robberies occurring on park cars in the church parking lot during services. Some were even vandalized.

[compl3x]

I don't think people "hate" Christianity or religion in general, I think people are becoming more critical of religion. It is dishonest to suggest increased criticism is equal to persecution.

 

 

I have no doubt that cars are targeted curing church services, but surely you don't think this is the result of disbelief? People probably just view it as easy pickings while the faithful are inside. Look at the rather massive gap between the obscenely wealthy and the abjectly poor to understand the desperate measures some people find themselves going to.

 

I think Jesus spoke about things like this. I don't think the folk in those Mega Churches are listening.

[Hum]

Things have changed. It's not just a move to secularism, at least not from what I see. Our society is rapidly changing from a religious society to a strong hatred of religion in general and Christianity in particular.

All part of the preparation for a new Christ-inspired 'religion'. ;)