Texas church shooting

[Shaker]

There is a campaign to call such killings terrorism, sponsored by the NRA.   Sounds reasonable.

If we're supposed to start calling them terrorism now ... what were they before?

[Shaker]

Apparently he is a convert to Atheism.

Better known as deconversion, presumably. You can convert from one belief system to another, but since atheism isn't one all you can say is that he was a Christian and then wasn't.

[ProfessorDavey]

There is a campaign to call such killings terrorism, sponsored by the NRA.   Sounds reasonable.

I think we do need to be a little cautious about labelled any mass killings as terrorism - I always thought that terrorist acts were perpetrated deliberately to further some kind of ideological aim - for example political or religious.

[Nearly Sane]

There is a campaign to call such killings terrorism, sponsored by the NRA.   Sounds reasonable.

I don't see random attacks like this linked to nothing as being any sort of terrorism. Indeed some of the 'terrorist' attacks seem  more random eejits that want to claim a cause than actual terrorist attacks e.g. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Brighton_siege

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Better known as deconversion, presumably. You can convert from one belief system to another, but since atheism isn't one all you can say is that he was a Christian and then wasn't.

That smacks of you trying to avoid a conclusion in order to protect a future argument.
Or you can say he converted from a belief system to atheism.

[Rhiannon]

Breaking news is he'd argued with his mother in law, who had links to the church.

[Shaker]

That smacks of you trying to avoid a conclusion in order to protect a future argument.
Or you can say he converted from a belief system to atheism.

I thought that that was what I did say.

[Rhiannon]

I think the expression is that he lost his faith, not that he found a new one.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I'm wondering why he took it out on his in laws in church.

[Shaker]

I'm wondering why he took it out on his in laws in church.

Why do these gun nuts take it out on children in schools? I expect it's much the same reason?

[Rhiannon]

I'm wondering why he took it out on his in laws in church.

You really don’t need to, it’s pretty obvious, although it’s not the cheap point score that you seem to be after.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

You really don’t need to, it’s pretty obvious, although it’s not the cheap point score that you seem to be after.

I don't know what you mean. Why are the reasons obvious?

[Rhiannon]

I don't know what you mean. Why are the reasons obvious?

You aren’t that stupid.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

You aren’t that stupid.

Saying that something is obvious and then not being able to say what it is means either it isn't or what it is cannot be revealed to protect the safety of something.

If it is something hidden in this mans derangement then President Trump is correct.
If this man is a terrorist what or who was he a terrorist for? Had he been radicalised?

[Rhiannon]

Saying that something is obvious and then not being able to say what it is means either it isn't or what it is cannot be revealed to protect the safety of something.

If it is something hidden in this mans derangement then President Trump is correct.
If this man is a terrorist what or who was he a terrorist for? Had he been radicalised?

Ffs.

1. Churches have a regular schedule.
2. He had reason to believe his in laws would keep that schedule.
3. Churches have an open door policy (unlike trying to gain entry to a house)
4. Churches don’t usually have security (unlike a shopping mall)
5. Churches like this tend to be small - the victims are sitting ducks
6. The victims will be off guard - sitting ducks
7. By causing multiple casualties the shooter causes maximum pain to his ex, and any in laws and extended family that survive.

According to research only 6% of violence in sacred buildings in the US is linked to religion. They are usually robberies or domestics.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Ffs.

1. Churches have a regular schedule.
2. He had reason to believe his in laws would keep that schedule.
3. Churches have an open door policy (unlike trying to gain entry to a house)
4. Churches don’t usually have security (unlike a shopping mall)
5. Churches like this tend to be small - the victims are sitting ducks
6. The victims will be off guard - sitting ducks
7. By causing multiple casualties the shooter causes maximum pain to his ex, and any in laws and extended family that survive.

According to research only 6% of violence in sacred buildings in the US is linked to religion. They are usually robberies or domestics.

Parsimony would dictate I would have thought favour a street assassination.
There is a good chance this person wanted other casualties of a particular type.

[Shaker]

Parsimony would dictate I would have thought favour a street assassination.
There is a good chance this person wanted other casualties of a particular type.

Of a particular type?

Or just as many as possible?

[Rhiannon]

Parsimony would dictate I would have thought favour a street assassination.
There is a good chance this person wanted other casualties of a particular type.

What is it about your nasty little mind that wants to make this atheist v Christian? We can see the way your thoughts are going in your equally nasty thread about fictional characters.

Why do you think mass shooters choose enclosed spaces - churches, diners, schools, nightclubs? Even Vegas was a closed site, the hotels firming the walls. Horrible expression but it’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

[Humph Warden Bennett]

Apparently in Texas it is legal to sell on firearms without making checks. He wouldn't even have needed fake ID.

In my experience that is not the case, but in many private sales people don't bother to make the checks, they run the risk of prosecution if the same comes to the attention of the authorities.

It's a bit like the minor felony of public intoxication, the laws are so restrictive that many just chance it.

[Rhiannon]

http://lawcenter.giffords.org/private-sales-in-texas/

[Maeght]

So if you buy from a licensed seller you have to have a background check but yiu don't if buying privately? Makes no sense to me.

[SteveH]

If we're supposed to start calling them terrorism now ... what were they before?

Being in Texas, surely it's turrzum.

[Nearly Sane]

Moderator several posts involving a derail involving 'New Atheism' have been removed.

[jeremyp]

There is a campaign to call such killings terrorism, sponsored by the NRA.   Sounds reasonable.

Well I don't think all mass shootings are terrorism. I don't think this was. Normally I associate "terrorism" with violence aimed at achieving some sort of ideological aim.

Anyway, call it terrorism or not, I don't care. I'll call it the murder of twenty six people. The important thing is to find ways of stopping it from happening again

[Harrowby Hall]

So, if the members of that church congregation weren't terrified, what were they?