Are Atheists Moving to Stage Five?

I started Atheist Watch by talking about the seven stage model used by the FBI to examine hate group development. All this time I have assumed that the hate group segment of the atheist community (which is by no means the only form of atheism in the that community)is stuck on stage four. Stage four is pre violence, stage five is the introduction of violence. We may now have reason to believe there's a transition to stage five.

Stage 4: The Hate Group Taunts the Target

Hate, by its nature, changes incrementally. Time cools the fire of hate, thus forcing the hater to look inward. To avoid introspection, haters use ever-increasing degrees of rhetoric and violence to maintain high levels of agitation. Taunts and offensive gestures serve this purpose. In this stage, skinheads typically shout racial slurs from moving cars or from afar. Nazi salutes and other hand signals often accompany racial epithets. Racist graffiti also begins to appear in areas where skinheads loiter. Most skinhead groups claim turf proximate to the neighborhoods in which they live. One study indicated that a majority of hate crimes occur when the hate target migrates through the hate group’s turf.15

Stage 5: The Hate Group Attacks the Target Without Weapons

This stage is critical because it differentiates vocally abusive haters from physically abusive ones. In this stage, hate groups become more aggressive, prowling their turf seeking vulnerable targets. Violence coalesces hate groups and further isolates them from mainstream society. Skinheads, almost without exception, attack in groups and target single victims. Research has shown that bias crimes are twice as likely to cause injury and four times as likely to result in hospitalization as compared to nonbias crimes.16

In addition to physical violence, the element of thrill seeking is introduced in Stage 5. Two experts found that 60 percent of hate offenders were “thrill seekers.”17 The adrenaline “high” intoxicates the attackers. The initial adrenaline surge lasts for several minutes; however, the effects of adrenaline keep the body in a state of heightened alert for up to several days.18 Each successive anger-provoking thought or action builds on residual adrenaline and triggers a more violent response than the one that originally initiated the sequence.19 Anger builds on anger. The adrenaline high combined with hate becomes a deadly combination. Hard-core skinheads keep themselves at a level where the slightest provocation triggers aggression.


Two men were arrested for starting chruch fires in east Texas. The two were arrested in connection with several fires. Investigators have not revealed a motive yet.



Dallas Morning News, March 11, 2010

"We're not going to get into motive at this time," said Steven McCraw, director of Texas Department of Public Safety. "The investigation is ongoing. But we have evidence to believe that they're also involved in the other fires and the break-ins. These are the two responsible for the 10 church fires and three break-ins."

Chron:

The outbreak started with a blaze at a church in Athens, and Crowley said another New Year's Day fire not far away has been added to the list of 10 suspected arsons in East Texas.

A fire in the Central Texas town of Temple brings to 11 the statewide total of fires authorities think are attributable to arson.

Authorities have said the federal investigation kicked in after two churches burned Jan. 11 in Athens. Less than a week later, four fires in five days were reported. The two most recent fires included the one that resulted in charges against Bourque and McAllister.

“This investigation is not complete. But today marks a significant milestone,” said Robert Champion, ATF agent in charge in Dallas.

David Mahfood, pastor of one of the Tyler churches that burned, said word of the arrests “puts a period on the paragraphs of our lives” but that residents still think they must remain vigilant.

“We're blessed that no lives were lost and no one was injured, but I don't think we let our guard down,” Mahfood said.

Several of the early accounts show that one or both were reading a book called Atheist Way. There were other books on atheism and demonism.


Meanwhile a chruch in North Dallas has been Vandalized with spray painted slogans of hate on the building an don vans and cars.

Police Chruch Vandalism a Hatecrime

DALLAS - Hateful vandals attacked a north Dallas church Sunday evening, police said.

When Pastor David Wilson arrived at Greater Cornerstone Baptist Church Monday morning to start the ministry work week, he found satanic symbols and ugly words spray painted across the building’s walls and windows.

“I was like, ‘Oh Lord, after all the good we try to do, the Devil is trying to kill us,’” Wilson said. “Anybody would be so disrespectful towards people and especially the things of God, it hurts my heart.”

Visual images on local news reports show slogans suggestive of atheist sentiments such as "Religion sux." "God is a lie" others reflected possible satanic involvement.

In the past I've argued that atheism has been stuck on stage four of the FBI profile of hate group development. Stage four is the one just before violent acts began. Stage four invovles gather in specific locations to verbally assault the target of hate (message boards). But stage five is where violence begins. It may be that this is a move to stage five. It may also be that these acts are fueled by satanist groups working among atheist. I have good reasons for suspecting the latter.

I have talked about the website  Holysmoke.org before.It's a pro Wicca website that boasts itself as a "skeptical site" and opposes religion. It's extremely hateful. In past encounters I've demonstrated their willingness to work atheist up into anger. The thing is atheists are so quick to try and calim all Buddism I even found an atheist the other day on CARM who tried to list Hindus as atheists! Atheists are so anxious to boost their numbers they try to include almost all non Christians as atheists in one way or another. They are so undiscriminating about who is an atheist and who is not, but I am looking forward  to seeing how quickly they move to disassocate thsemvles from these kinds of groups.