Suspected arson at Palin's Wasilla church

RightIsWrong

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2005
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If it is arson and it is even remotely related to anything political, whomever did it should be committed to a psych ward before their trial.

I don't like Palin in the slightest and I am incredibly happy that she is back where she belongs and nowhere near the national scene. But for someone to take their dislike of her or their loyalty to their party (assuming that if it was politically motivated it was done by a D), they need their head examined. And then they need the book thrown at them.

Source

Gov. Sarah Palin's home church has been badly damaged in an arson fire.

Damages to the Wasilla Bible Church were estimated at $1 million, authorities said today. No one was injured in the fire, which was intentionally set while people, including two children, were inside.

"This fire is definitely suspicious," said Central Mat-Su Fire Chief James Steele.

Pastor Larry Kroon declined to say if the Friday night blaze was politically based or directed at Palin, the failed Republican vice presidential candidate. He also declined to say whether the church has received any recent threats.

"There are so many variables," he said. "I don't want to comment in that direction." Palin stopped by the church this morning. Her spokesman, Bill McAllister, said in a statement that Palin told an assistant pastor she apologizes if the fire was connected to the "undeserved negative attention" the church has received since she became the vice presidential candidate on Aug. 29.

"Whatever the motives of the arsonist, the governor has faith in the scriptural passage that what was intended for evil will in some way be used for good," McAllister said.

The thousand-member evangelical church, which stresses the inerrancy of Scripture, was the subject of intense scrutiny after Palin was named John McCain's running mate. Early in Palin's campaign, the church was criticized for promoting in a Sunday bulletin a Focus on the Family "Love Won Out Conference" in Anchorage. The conferences promise to "help men and women dissatisfied with living homosexually understand that same-sex attractions can be overcome." The fire was set at the entrance of the church and worked its way in while a small group of women were working on crafts, Steele said. Two children also were in attendance, he said. The group was alerted to the blaze by a fire alarm.

The main worship area sustained some water damage, Steele said.

Kroon said he was called about 9:30 p.m. and by the time he got to the church, smoke was pouring out of the building. Sprinklers kept the fire from spreading beyond offices and classrooms. But Steele said firefighters had to break through some of the interior to reach flames trapped inside walls.

On a side note....how does a church in a town of less than 7000 people with a membership of less than a couple grand, have damages estimated over $1M? Did the Van Gogh get damaged? I wouldn't think that any property in the entire town would be valued that high considering the budget was only at $9.9M in 2007.
 

daveymark

Lifer
Sep 15, 2003
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Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
On a side note....how does a church in a town of less than 7000 people with a membership of less than a couple grand, have damages estimated over $1M? Did the Van Gogh get damaged? I wouldn't think that any property in the entire town would be valued that high considering the budget was only at $9.9M in 2007.

strange isn't it? Our neighbor's vacation home burned down and they claimed $300k, when - get this - only 4 people lived in the house at most 4 weeks out of the year!? It makes absolutely no sense.
 

RightIsWrong

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Apr 29, 2005
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Originally posted by: daveymark
Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
On a side note....how does a church in a town of less than 7000 people with a membership of less than a couple grand, have damages estimated over $1M? Did the Van Gogh get damaged? I wouldn't think that any property in the entire town would be valued that high considering the budget was only at $9.9M in 2007.

strange isn't it? Our neighbor's house burned down and they claimed $300k, when - get this - only 4 people lived in the house!? It makes absolutely no sense.

And I'm sure that they/you live in the middle of nowhere and your only source of revenue is the generosity of those that come to visit you. :roll:

Maybe it is the elegant design and architectural eye that it takes to build a square box?

http://wasillabible.org/normal_index.htm


 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
73,394
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I don't drive my Cadillac more than a few times a month so if it gets stolen I'm only going to claim 1/15 its actual value.
 

daveymark

Lifer
Sep 15, 2003
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Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
Originally posted by: daveymark
Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
On a side note....how does a church in a town of less than 7000 people with a membership of less than a couple grand, have damages estimated over $1M? Did the Van Gogh get damaged? I wouldn't think that any property in the entire town would be valued that high considering the budget was only at $9.9M in 2007.

strange isn't it? Our neighbor's house burned down and they claimed $300k, when - get this - only 4 people lived in the house!? It makes absolutely no sense.

And I'm sure that they/you live in the middle of nowhere and your only source of revenue is the generosity of those that come to visit you. :roll:

Maybe it is the elegant design and architectural eye that it takes to build a square box?

http://wasillabible.org/normal_index.htm

ah, I get it, you think the church was just four walls and a dirt floor, with nothing inside. carry on.
 

RightIsWrong

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2005
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Originally posted by: daveymark
Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
Originally posted by: daveymark
Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
On a side note....how does a church in a town of less than 7000 people with a membership of less than a couple grand, have damages estimated over $1M? Did the Van Gogh get damaged? I wouldn't think that any property in the entire town would be valued that high considering the budget was only at $9.9M in 2007.

strange isn't it? Our neighbor's house burned down and they claimed $300k, when - get this - only 4 people lived in the house!? It makes absolutely no sense.

And I'm sure that they/you live in the middle of nowhere and your only source of revenue is the generosity of those that come to visit you. :roll:

Maybe it is the elegant design and architectural eye that it takes to build a square box?

http://wasillabible.org/normal_index.htm

ah, I get it, you think the church was just four walls and a dirt floor, with nothing inside. carry on.

Ah, I get it. The church put all of the tithings into the material instead of into the spiritual well being of the community.
 

daveymark

Lifer
Sep 15, 2003
10,573
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Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
The church put all of the tithings into the material instead of into the spiritual well being of the community.

Shame on them for spending that money to provide a place for people to congregate in fellowship. Don't they realize all they need is a soap box and a street corner? Those materialistic thugs.

Don't get me wrong - I'm as much of a religion hater as the next guy, but your weak argument holds no basis in fact, your ignorance of tithes notwithstanding . You'll need to try a new angle.

Or, if you want to continue digging yourself into a hole, please provide the link to their financial statements where they spend ALL of their tithing, as you stated, solely on material for the church.

 

dmcowen674

No Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
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Originally posted by: alchemize
$1million for a church is pretty cheap.

Especially when oil & taxpayer funded:

12-14-2008 US, oil generate two-thirds of Alaska jobs

If federal funds and oil dollars suddenly evaporated from Alaska, two-thirds of the state's jobs would disappear too, according to a new analysis from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

The cash flow from the rest of the state's economic drivers -- including tourism, seafood and air cargo -- support only about a third of the state's jobs, according to the analysis.

Support is the key word.

This analysis is useful because it shows the extent to which the well-being on one person's job depends on the health of other industries and federal dollars, Goldsmith said.

Take the Alaska Native Medical Center, for example. It provides medical care to Alaska Natives and employs roughly 1,900 people. The hospital is a local employer, but "mostly federal dollars support it," Goldsmith said.

An example of how a job in one industry relies on the activity of another can be shown this way: A state worker, who is paid out of taxes on oil production, purchases a newly built house, eats at his neighborhood restaurant, buys groceries from the supermarket and shops at the mall. Multiply this by thousands of state workers and lots of construction, restaurant, supermarket and mall jobs depend on oil production.
 

Babbles

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2001
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Arson is a shame and stupid act - it would be even more iodiotic if it was politically motivated.
 

Red Dawn

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2001
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Originally posted by: Babbles
Arson is a shame and stupid act - it would be even more iodiotic if it was politically motivated.

Anybody see her ex BIL lately?
 

DealMonkey

Lifer
Nov 25, 2001
13,136
1
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A ladies' craft group was in the building when the fire broke out, but they got out safely, Kroon said.

Sounds like this so-called "craft group" *cough* might have some questions to answer about their activities.
 

L00PY

Golden Member
Sep 14, 2001
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Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
On a side note....how does a church in a town of less than 7000 people with a membership of less than a couple grand, have damages estimated over $1M? Did the Van Gogh get damaged? I wouldn't think that any property in the entire town would be valued that high considering the budget was only at $9.9M in 2007.
The church can host up to 1000 parishoners. It was completed two years ago. There's a "Family Life Center" on the lower level. I could see how a new structure like that could have damages over $1M, especially with smoke damage, the sprinklers going off, and the firefighters needing to break through the walls to put out flames inside them.

 

DealMonkey

Lifer
Nov 25, 2001
13,136
1
0
Originally posted by: L00PY
Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
On a side note....how does a church in a town of less than 7000 people with a membership of less than a couple grand, have damages estimated over $1M? Did the Van Gogh get damaged? I wouldn't think that any property in the entire town would be valued that high considering the budget was only at $9.9M in 2007.
The church can host up to 1000 parishoners. It was completed two years ago. There's a "Family Life Center" on the lower level. I could see how a new structure like that could have damages over $1M, especially with smoke damage, the sprinklers going off, and the firefighters needing to break through the walls to put out flames inside them.
It's a metal building, by the way:

The metal church building, which normally accommodates Sunday congregations of up to 1,000 people, was heavily damaged by flames and smoke, Kroon said.

Looks like a former warehouse or Moose-burger processing plant if you ask me.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/...alin.church/index.html
 

Babbles

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2001
8,253
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Are people who are bitching about the $1 million worth of damage doing so simply because it is the church that Palin attends?

I am leaning toward this being so. Filling for $1 million worth of damage is not unheard of and reasonable for a building of it's size.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
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Are you seriously criticizing the church over the value of the damage? :confused: It costs a lot of money to build a building large enough for a congregation of 1000 people.
 

herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,453
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we spent 10 mil on our 1100 seat theater about 8 years ago. 1 mil is really not that much, and i am going to guess that it costs more to build things up there because the stuff is probably all shipped in.

this was a horrible act. i hope they catch the guy.
 

alchemize

Lifer
Mar 24, 2000
11,486
0
0
Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Originally posted by: alchemize
$1million for a church is pretty cheap.

Especially when oil & taxpayer funded:

12-14-2008 US, oil generate two-thirds of Alaska jobs

If federal funds and oil dollars suddenly evaporated from Alaska, two-thirds of the state's jobs would disappear too, according to a new analysis from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

The cash flow from the rest of the state's economic drivers -- including tourism, seafood and air cargo -- support only about a third of the state's jobs, according to the analysis.

Support is the key word.

This analysis is useful because it shows the extent to which the well-being on one person's job depends on the health of other industries and federal dollars, Goldsmith said.

Take the Alaska Native Medical Center, for example. It provides medical care to Alaska Natives and employs roughly 1,900 people. The hospital is a local employer, but "mostly federal dollars support it," Goldsmith said.

An example of how a job in one industry relies on the activity of another can be shown this way: A state worker, who is paid out of taxes on oil production, purchases a newly built house, eats at his neighborhood restaurant, buys groceries from the supermarket and shops at the mall. Multiply this by thousands of state workers and lots of construction, restaurant, supermarket and mall jobs depend on oil production.
:roll:

 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
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Why would anyone jump to the conclusion that the fire was because of a political foe? An equally valid "jump to conclusions" would be that it was intentional for the insurance claim so that they could build a bigger and better church. In the present political climate, you'd be almost sure to get away with it as there would be plenty of suspicion that it was someone else.
 

alchemize

Lifer
Mar 24, 2000
11,486
0
0
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Why would anyone jump to the conclusion that the fire was because of a political foe? An equally valid "jump to conclusions" would be that it was intentional for the insurance claim so that they could build a bigger and better church. In the present political climate, you'd be almost sure to get away with it as there would be plenty of suspicion that it was someone else.
Stop trying to distract from the real issue of whether or not the church was worth $1 million.