Services today moved as suspicious fire wrecks Sarah Palin's church

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, her husband Todd and up to 1,000 fellow parishioners will worship in a local school this morning after a suspicious fire virtually destroyed the Wasilla Bible Church early Saturday.

The Rev. Larry Kroon said some parishioners were in the church on Nicola Avenue at the time the fire was noticed but no one was injured. Firefighters battled for about eight hours in minus-20 degree temperatures to completely extinguish the blaze that began at the front door.

The former Republican vice presidential candidate went to the church Saturday to apologize to pastors in case the estimated $1 million fire damages, suspected as arson, were "in any way connected to the undeserved negative attention the church has received" since the governor's involvement with John McCain's presidential campaign.

The 30-year-old congregation in Wasilla, about 40 miles north of Anchorage, had moved into its new church just 30 months ago. Church officials said they expect to hold services at the Wasilla Middle School for the foreseeable future during repairs.

— Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credit: Al Grillo / Associated Press (top, church); Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images (bottom, Gov. Sarah Palin).

Comments

[jhimmi]

So, for all the cretins who use Iraq as a crutch for everything, let me get this straight. The Iraq war justifies any and all criminal acts against
- Christians
- Republicans
- Americans
- Jews
Everyone criminal will try to justify their crimes, that doesn't make it justified.

[Nan]

I'm beginning to think that all a liberal would have to do would be to walk INTO a church and it would burst into flames.

We don't know who started this fire but, because of the preponderance of vile comments posted on a wide variety of sites, we DO know how gleeful the liberals are that it happened.

We also know how ignorant they are about language use, freedom of religion, fundamental morality, and how very badly they smell...I mean spell.

[Reality Check]

To: Tyrone | December 14, 2008 at 01:13 AM

I do not understand the people like you who automatically assumes that people who are loyal to Obama has done this. Have you ever thought that it just might be someone who is a follower of McCain did this blaming her for losing the campaign? Obama won the campaign. Why would anyone go after Palin when Obama won a big time anyway? The foul smell comes more from McCain followers than Obama followers. Or it may just be another accident by kids who were building bon fires.

[RThomas]

Talk about jumping to conclusions. All the police have said is that the fire was "suspicious" and suddenly the liberal democrats as a group are responsible? Please. I know many liberals and I myself am one; none of us would burn a church.

[Hussein]

Lib Libs, NeoCon liberal Suspicious immoral Prayer Worship Community Libs Hate Terrorist Jumping Conclusion to feed your Own Agenda

[Kathy Skelly]

I think a disenfranchised , mentally unstable person committed this horrendous act. Leave the parties out of this and look at the real problem - a loose cannon walking the streets of Wassilla and stocking a public figure.

[John B.]

How can a religious congregation be allowed to perform their ritual sacrifices in a public tax-funded school building?

Even though there are no goats beheaded or sheep throats slit or chickens gutted or virgins sacrificed, it is still a ritual of sacrifice.

Although in some religious sacrifices today, congregants are encouraged to lobotomize their brains.

But please set up direct deposit of your tithe, just in case your hand can no longer remember where your wallet is.

[Disgusted]

Obama supporters are scum. It has been obvious for a while that Democrats are hostile toward Christians, but now it seems they moving past words to action. All across the country, you are seeing vandalism against churches and liberals actually disrupting church services. Plus, throw in the San Fran crowd who dress like nuns in drag, go to a Catholic Church, and take a communion host to desecrate. The media is totally silent as they support these actions.

[Anna Greene]

This woman, her family, and now her church family have suffered undue critism and torment by the media, by the people, and frankly by idiots that do such a thing as this. She has achieved everything that today's society is telling us a woman should be, except for one thing...she has morals. God forbid she actually takes a stand for things that may make others feel a little uncomfortable at times. At least we know where she stands, and what she believes in.

[LBGrrl]

Wow, such a lot of anger at "libs". You don't even know if "they" did this, yet you have already judged, sentenced and thrown away the key. You speak of tolerance, so why not try some yourselves? People like yourselves are the reason this country is divided, you don't even try to see the other's viewpoint or listen to them, let alone respect them. For all we know, someone is angry with the pastor, or feels wronged in some way by the church or is just mentally ill. But you just know it HAS to be a "lib".

[JK]

Looking at the past I would say the odds are greater than 50% that the Church was burned because Palin attended there but is not a fact.

[Inland Empire]

Like begets like. Preaching intolerance of others probably made someone mad. The really sad thing about this is why hasn't this creepy woman disappeared from the public eye completely.

[JohnRJ08]

Some of the accusatory comments here are beyond ludicrous. Despite the nature of the news report, NOBODY yet knows how this fire started, Even so, the political creatures amongst us are pointing nasty fingers at the opposition. This is what Sarah Palin did throughout the campaign, so I guess it only makes sense that the polarizing partisanship extend to this incident. This could have been a routine case of insurance fraud by church elders who wanted a new church, a deranged parishioner, or just a flaw in the building's heating system. It also could have been someone who wanted to martyr the church in order to draw more attention to Palin and make her look like she is the victim of another insidious left-wing plot against the righteous. Let's try not to get too stupid about this, folks. The election is over.

[bamacharm]

Is it mere coincidence that the September 2, 2008, liberal rag the Huffington Post ran a feature story titled "Palin's Church May Have Shaped Controversial World View"? In it, Huffington capitalized on the partisan vitriol against Palin by associating her political views with the Wasilla Assembly of God where she has attended since childhood.

[Bill Adkins]

Does Palin herself have an alibi?

[Tyrone]

This was no random act of Arson, just like Palin's personal email being hacked was no random act. The facts are going to come out and when they do then what?

[Tyrone]

This was no random act of Arson, just like Palin's personal email being hacked was no random act. The facts are going to come out and when they do then what?

[Ron]

so far, the only people known to be present when the fire started belonged to the church. most of the commenters here seem to be blaming Obama supporters or liberals which, in Alaska, are about as common as palm trees. if you look at who has the most to gain from an act like this, and SOP for the GOP is to commit crimes like these for political gain, my guess is that whoever started the fire (if it is indeed arson) will turn out to be someone from Palin's "real America".

[Danny Wilcox]

I suppose it is a shame, but thank God no firefighters were hurt putting out the blaze at this hideous building. It looks more like a commercial warehouse than a church and I can not believe it was only 30 months old. To be blunt the church is about the ugliest building I have ever seen. I also see no cross or any other features that would make one think that the facade was that of a religious building.
Yet after seeing the very ugly strip mall Alaskans call Wasiila that Palin helped plan I can clearly understand the ghastly design of the building.
I would suspect one of the congregation might have torched it out of embarrassment.
Now let us all go to our beautiful churches this morning and thank the good Lord Palin has a job tearing down this monstrosity.

[Wade Collins]

The so-called enlightened liberals, especially ugly middle aged women hated Sarah Palin. I mean hate. A lot of it was jealousy based. Anyone who thinks a Lefty couldn't have done this is living in a fairy tale.

[damon]

How could this happen? I thought Sarah and her church were protected from witchcraft.

[paulg]

regardless of who torched the church - the perp does not represent any amorphous political group such as "the libs" just as some idiot who plants a burning cross on someone's lawn does not represent southerners or white people.

Such thinking is simple minded and inherently bigoted.

It is also divisive and insulting - but I guess that's the point.

[Jason]

Where is the outrage? Change the content of the story to read Jeremiah Wright's church and this story would be all over the news.

[Susan Widdowson]

My prayers are with Sarah Palin and her congregation. I will also pray for her safety.

[JayMagoo]

A "Lib?" What the hell's a "Lib?" The use of that word indicated the writer gets his/her political opinions from the bigot known as Rush Limbaugh. It also indicates the writer is incapable of thinking for him/herself.
The fire was started by an arsonist, someone just as sick as the person who used the term "Lib' to indicate a person of a liberal political philosophy.

Please look up the definition of Liberal before you display your ignorance by using the word "Lib" a shorthand word thrown around by a loudmouth blabbermouth like Limbaugh.