The Spa Shooting Suspect Was a Born Again Baptist Who Was "Big into Religion"

[NeoGreen]

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2021/03/17/the-spa-shooting-suspect-was-a-born-again-baptist-who-was-big-into-religion/

The Spa Shooting Suspect Was a Born Again Baptist Who Was “Big into Religion”
By Hemant Mehta, March 17, 2021

Last night, Robert Aaron Long was named as the suspect in a series of shootings at Georgia massage parlors that left eight people dead, most of whom were Asian.

It’s still early. There’s a lot we don’t know. But among the details coming out about Long, here’s one that unfortunately isn’t shocking at all: He attended a Baptist church.

The Daily Beast spoke to someone he attended high school with, who let reporters know Long was always into God:

“He was very innocent seeming and wouldn’t even cuss. He was sorta nerdy and didn’t seem violent from what I remember. He was a hunter and his father was a youth minister or pastor. He was big into religion.”

A neighbor of the family added: “They come across as a good Christian family.”

Emphasis added.

To paraphrase (poorly) a quote from the character Forest Gump: "christian is as christian does"

[Diamond_Dog]

1. Uuugghh

Lock him up.

[samnsara]

2. God, Guns and Art Bell...the makings of a nutter..

[brewens]

3. At my blood center job, two of the laziest most untrustworthy people I worked with were

evangelical Christians, and you didn't get to know them very long at all before they told you how religious they were. That's a red flag for me. It's like a disclaimer they put out there right away to tell me how wonderful they are to offset the sleaziness that is to come.

If at some point someone is talking about their church picnic or something like that, that's every day normal shit. I don't come out right away and say I think they made all that religious crap up. I have no reason to do that.

[Warpy]

20. In 25 years in nursing, I only ran actoss 2 nasty Evangelical nurses

Most were smart enough to park it at the door along with their politics, prejudices, and love lives.

One of them told a gay coworker he was going to hell. She didn't like the result. The other one spread lies about her coworkers to anyone who'd stand still enough. She didn't last long.

As for this kid, I think his main problem was having a sexual screw loose. Old time religion and living in MAGAt territory certainly didn't help, along with listening to Dumdum's tirades against China for over a year. However, his problem is all his, people around him in the same religion and listening to the same MAGAt propaganda didn't go out to commit mass murder.

That stuff only justified what this deadly crackpot would likely have done, anyway.

[progressoid]

4. "They come across as a good Christian family."

[lagomorph777]

5. Another pro-life mass-murderer

[AZ8theist]

6. The narrative that atheists are not moral...

Is UTTER BULLSHIT.

Atheists in America don't commit mass shootings.

The prison population is something like 98% religious.

Secular societies world-wide have less crime and are deemed healthier and happier.

Like Hitchens wrote: "Religion poisons everything".....

America is fucked up BECAUSE we are the most diverse religious society on Earth.

Roast me if you'd like, but that's my opinion and fervent belief.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

7. +1

[Ferrets are Cool]

10. +1

[NeoGreen]

13. +1...

... however, I would caution an over reliance on the claim that 'The prison population is something like 98% religious'. It seems that the original evidence for this claim is of dubious character. While I don't doubt the reality of it (i.e. Atheists are under represented in prison populations relative to general public), it apparently hasn't been proven with sufficient scientific vigor.

https://centerforinquiry.org/blog/mehtas_not_too_friendly_to_pierce_prison_religion_info_embargo/

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2015/08/21/atheists-now-make-up-0-1-of-the-federal-prison-population/

Edited to add original link.

[AZ8theist]

16. Sorry, I don't make "claims"...

I make emotional outbursts not necessarily based in fact. In fact, I have ALTERNATIVE FACTS that support my fantasies...

While my sarcasm is FAKE NEWS, my grounding in other than fact-based content is well known.

**The entire previous statement can be disregarded as the incoherent drivel of a purely partisan hack who should seek professional attention. That is all..****

[NeoGreen]

17. Touche'...

... I am defeated, and maybe a wee bit too serious.

[StClone]

8. Poster Boy hit all the buttons for Con/Repugs idealism

He bought a gun hours before the murdering spree (but voting is made more difficult in Georgia!).
He is evidently a Conservative Christian and the characteristics are typical of Conservative Republicans:

-sexual repressed/frustrated
-violent
-gun involvement
-Misogyny
-racism
-blaming the victims
-white
-blaming his addiction on others
-religion...

[Ferrets are Cool]

9. Big into religion...except that part....

here is where you choose anything in red in the Bible.

[Walleye]

11. Radical extremist Christian terrorism

[Claire Oh Nette]

18. THey're not really CHristians.

THey're Christianists.

Extremist christian fundamentalist terrorist.

The only difference between this religious gun nut and those in Muslim countries is accident of birth.

Terrorists gonna terrorize.
Yes, it was a race based hate crime. The shooter is not a reliable source for an accurate characterization of his actions.

[bucolic_frolic]

12. Religion breeds self-righteous ego too big for tolerance

Grab control of your own mind rather than let others exploit you for their greed

[Squinch]

14. Blech... the creepy beards on these assholes. They're like a neon sign.

[magicarpet]

15. They wear their freakishness and oddities as a badge of honor,...

.... then they wonder why the ladies reject them and they are relegated to being incels, (involuntarily celibate).

[RussBLib]

19. I just KNEW he would be a Christian

maybe it was the vacuous look in his eyes

or his beard

and, of course, since he's white, they captured him alive

the white supremacists (I am assuming here) are really coming out of the woodwork. thanks, Trump!