Neighbors: Accused shooter everyone's friend, hated Christianity

[gatorboy]

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/27/neighbors-accused-shooter-everyones-friend-hated-c/

The man accused of a mass church shooting this morning was described by his Powell neighbors as a helpful and kind man, but one who had issues with Christianity.

Jim D. Adkisson, 58, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, which killed one and injured eight others.

He is being held on $1 million bond.

"He had his own sense of belief about religion, that's the impression I got of him," said neighbor Karen Massey. "We were talking one day when my daughter graduated from Bible college, and I told him I was a Christian, then he almost turned angry.

"He seemed to get angry at that."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ColbertWatcher]

1. I call shenanigans.

This is the first day, there will be more coming out in the days to come.

[yardwork]

24. I'm right there with you. But watch out for the media whitewash.

When a brown person hurts somebody it's terrorism. When a right-wing white guy kills people suddenly it's all hushed up and we need to remember that only a crazy person would do such a thing and this has nothing to do with our culture and nobody could have predicted...

[ColbertWatcher]

28. Or, that he had a "perfectly reasonable explanation" for his actions. n/t

[spoony]

49. Why's that?

No true Scotsman, anyone?

[kestrel91316]

2. Why would someone who hated christianity attack UNITARIANS???

Conservative christians don't recognize Unitarian Universalist churches as Christian. Heck, I'm not sure Unitarians consider themselves Christian.........

[gatorboy]

4. That's what I was wondering as well.

But who knows. Perhaps to him a church is a church, regardless. :shrug:

[baldguy]

5. There's no requirement to believe in the divinity of Christ.

Some do, some don't.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. I'm a Unitarian

. . . and I am not a Christian. I believe neither in the Trinity nor in the divinity of Christ.

[kestrel91316]

11. Heck, some Unitarians are pagans. And some are from the

Jewish tradition........

[Jack Rabbit]

13. As we like to say . . .

. . . We have room for all traditions, like yours.

[LiberalEsto]

64. Ditto

But I know there are some UUs who do


I suspect this guy hated himself, hated churches, hated liberals, hated gays, hated Christianity .... basically a person filled to the brim and overflowing with hate, and looking for an easy target to take out his hate on.

[Demeter]

25. A Few Do. We Have Buddhist UUs, Jewish UUs, Agnostic, Atheistic

it's an inclusive congregation. There's no orthodoxy, no truth, just basic principles:

There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote:


The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.


http://www.uua.org/visitors/6798.shtml

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

26. Exactly what I was trying to figure out

Unitarians are the most peaceable and reasonable of religious folks. If this guy hates Xtians so much, why not hear for some Freeper-style/fundymentalpatient gathering.

[awoke_in_2003]

77. Long history of killing people who talk about peace:

Jesus (supposedly), JFK, RFK, MLK, and John Lennon, just to name a few.

[Kitty Herder]

50. That's what I was thinking.

Unitarians aren't specifically Christians. I've gone to a UU church. There were atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, Wiccans, and yes, a few Christians, in the congregation.

Maybe the dude was confused and thought the UUs were Christians.

[Posteritatis]

51. Some folks equate *anything* other than strong atheism with Westboro-esque fundamentalism (nt)

[Odin2005]

54. Yep, I'm a UU and I'm an atheist.

[awoke_in_2003]

78. As an atheist

can I ask why? Not trying to be a smart ass, just curious.

[tpsbmam]

59. Bingo....doesn't add up at all! n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

71. I worked at a Ren Fair at a Universalist Church and most of its congregation were Wiccan! :)

[supernova]

3. So, he shot up a UU church?

odd.

Why not Assemblies of God or an SBC church, which is probably more in keeping with what he was angry at.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. More in keeping with what he was ALLEGEDLY angry at.

He's still alive, they can ask him what he was "thinking".

[supernova]

12. How do you figure?

There's no mention in the article about his "beliefs."

I get your use of the word "allegedly," but that still doesn't explain the crime. It seems to me that if he wanted to shot up a xtian church, he missed on that score by a country mile.

[Island Blue]

14. Most people have no idea what

UU's are, or what they believe (or don't believe). This guy probably just saw the word "church" on the sign in front of the building and figured it was the same as the Baptist or Methodist churches down the road.

[ColbertWatcher]

15. One guy said the shooter was angry at Christian churches, but it wasn't the shooter. n/t

[slackmaster]

57. You're challenging the rationality of someone who was obviously irrational

Why is that, supernova?

[Progressive_In_NC]

60. lower chance of meeting up with an armed member of the congregation?

SBC in Tennessee probably has several weapons either on folks or in cars on Sunday morning.

[Gold Metal Flake]

8. A person who walks into a church, a rest home, a cafe or a school...

...and just starts shooting strangers is INSANE. There is no reason to this, it is the action of a mad man.

[Care]

9. Help, Not Punishment

I hope this poor, troubled man gets help rather than punishment.

[exothermic]

10. Both would be better.

:shrug:

[Care]

16. Why Punish Someone Who Needs Help?

I have never understood that thinking. It seems like blaming the victim.

[Island Blue]

22. So the guy who committed murder

is the real "victim" here? I'm gonna have to disagree with you there.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TexasObserver]

34. "Everyone is a victim" is the kind of slogan right wingers wrongly attribute to liberals.

It's not true, and it's not true in this instance. Everyone is not a victim. The guy who killed them is not a victim. He's probably a guy who steamed and stewed with hatred for many years, and in one act of cowardice let all that steam go.

[Vickers]

35. Ding! Ding!

:thumbsup:

Amazing what some folks post.

[stray cat]

19. Do you feel the same compassion for child molesters? Some people who murder are not just troubled..

[Care]

30. Do You Believe The Man Was Not Troubled?

I believe he was. I have compassion for troubled people.

[TexasObserver]

37. Most people in society are troubled.

I'm troubled that you think you're fooling anyone here.

I have compassion for a dangerous dog, but if he's dangerous, I still want him removed from society, and I don't want him returned to society. When a person walks into a church and blasts people for no reason, killing some of them, they never get out of prison, no matter how troubled they may be. And that is as it should be.

[yardwork]

21. If we had a decent health care system in this country he might have gotten help before he killed.

I'm all for giving him help now, but it's a bit late. I'm not in favor of letting him out of prison or a mental hospital so that he can kill some more people.

[Care]

31. He Should Never Be In Prison

He should be in a health care facility until it is safe to return him to society.

[TexasObserver]

36. I don't believe a word you've posted.

You're posting the kind stereotypical slogans that many Republicans use to falsely characterize liberals and progressive. We don't talk like that. We don't use those terms. People like Rush Limbaugh pepper their rants with such falsehoods, always trying to paint us as merely thoughtless bleeding hearts who lack any sense of rationality when it comes heinous crimes.

I don't buy a word of it.

[Vickers]

38. Holy crap dude, are you reading my mind?

You've posted everything in this thread that I've been thinking (albeit eloquently, and without all the cussin').

:thumbsup:

[TexasObserver]

42. No, just giving voice to what I know many have to be thinking.

In my view, those kind of posts stick out like a sore thumb.

[AllieB]

63. Needless to say, he's gone now.

Subtle as a sledgehammer...

:eyes:

[alphafemale]

52. No kidding.

This seems like someone peddling an insane stereotype knowing that people will be browsing these types of threads today.

[TexasObserver]

68. the Pizza was delivered!!

[awoke_in_2003]

79. Damn, wish I could get a pepperoni

without being banished. I love Tombstone.

[mitchum]

40. Why don't you just drop that "handwringing liberal" bullshit pose?

It's not fooling anyone

[TexasObserver]

43. Every liberal I know is ball buster.

As you say, that stuff ain't foolin' anyone.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nam78_two]

69. Uhhh...

Try harder... :eyes:
Edit: Oh noooo...you are already gone :cry:...

[RedCappedBandit]

39. His chances of getting out are far lower if he were sent to a hospital.. nt

[TexasObserver]

44. I believe you. Know why?

You sound so sincere.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JerseygirlCT]

17. If that's true, then how sadly, horribly ironic that he chose a

UU church to attack.

I can't think of many other places where his particular beliefs or non-beliefs would be so comfortably accepted.

[devilgrrl]

18. Forgive me for not buying this...

Sorry. My bullshit detector is getting a reading.

[blueatheart]

27. same here

"He had his own sense of belief about religion, that's the impression I got of him," well, doesn't everyone, seriously. Sort of like, well his did not match mine so he must be a heathen attitude. I will wait and see how this develops before assuming the neighbor is not full of it. Kind of reminds me of the "if she believed in god" Columbine story that proved false.

[nam78_two]

56. Yeah I don't buy it either.nt

[Pavulon]

20. Who fucking cares. Like it is a political issue.

the guy is a murdering fuck. He killed people because he is insane. Insane like evil not the insane where the state refuses to sentence him to die.

I bet there is a list of tells on this guy that should have red flagged him as a danger.

[BlooInBloo]

23. (cough)bullshit(cough)

[libnnc]

32. makes no sense at all

not buying it


:armsfolded:

[Lost-in-FL]

33. Maybe he went to Catholic school. n/t

[Breeze54]

41. "There must be Religion. Otherwise the poor would murder the rich." - Napoléon Bonaparte -

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful."

- Seneca the Younger, Rome, 4 BC-65 AD

;)

[Sanctified]

48. Interesting, He also made a comment to a nieghbor that the Bible was full of contradictions.

I think this guy most likely had a problem with organized religion period, not just Christians.

[Odin2005]

53. Moron. He definitly picked the wrong denomination to shoot up.

I'm an Atheist and I'm part of a UU congregation. it includes Christians, Jews, Deists, Wiccans, Buddhists, Atheists, etc.

[Freddie Stubbs]

70. Maybe he just wanted to cover all of the bases

[nam78_two]

55. So he decided to attack Unitarians??

It is one of the most progressive churches out there-I love the Unitarian church. They are all about accepting everyone, supporting gay and minority rights, helping the homeless.

[raccoon]

58. My guess is that he hates gays and that's why he chose a UU church

for a church where he could go kill people.

JMHO. :-)

[devilgrrl]

61. As usual, the intial report has it completely wrong...

so typical....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3688345

[slackmaster]

66. Ugh

What a pile of shit.

[Stinky The Clown]

62. If he had a problem with "Christians" why did he go to a non Christian church?

The nooz I'm hearing is that he hated liberals even more than he had 'issues' with the bible.

[Marie26]

65. Fanaticism isn't limited to the fundies. nt

[TexasObserver]

67. Press Conference: He hated the Liberal bent of this church.

[slackmaster]

72. Well, that sucks

I tried to give the guy the benefit of the doubt for being mentally ill, but it turns out to be political after all.

Domestic terrorist.

[TexasObserver]

73. He wrote a 4 page letter, so we will get to read his thoughts eventually.

The sheriff would only say that the guy was saying some really hateful things as he shot. We will have to speculate, but this church was highly visible in the area of gay rights.

[Pale Blue Dot]

74. What a shock. He wasn't a murderous atheist after all.

:eyes:

I wonder what the neighbors' motivation was? If he was such a "good friend" surely they knew his views on liberals and gays.

[ProfessorGAC]

75. They Probably Bought His Shells For Him

The Professor

[TexasObserver]

76. Yes, it appears that his friends were likely prejudiced assholes, too