Atheists desecrate country church

[peasporridge]

The perpetrators drew vulgar graffiti on the wall of the church an also wrote "God is a lie".
They also desecrated about 40 gravestones.

This is particularly distressing because a wedding is scheduled today (Easter Saturday)

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/sickening-blasphemous-cowardly-church-gravestones-140717226.html

https://www.blogpreston.co.uk/2025/04/police-investigating-after-st-james-church-and-over-40-graves-defaced-ahead-of-good-friday/

This clearly demonstrates that Christianity is under threat.from the secular lobby.

Cross posted with OP.

I think "God is a lie" is an atheistic statement by definition, isn't it? When you say "they aren't atheists", what you really mean is "they're the wrong sort of atheists".

More teenage nihilism for me.
My guess is a group of pissed up goth/emo types.

I don’t know whether there are any Muslim or Jewish cemeteries close to that one, but my guess is they are smart enough to know not to deface those graves.

I do think it is vile, but it doesn’t strike me as being an anti-Christian hate crime.

Obviously this is horrible vandalism, which is a crime, but I don't see how, for example, putting up a sign saying 'God is a lie' would any more be an attack on Christianity than putting up a sign e.g. about Jesus being the way, the truth and the life would be an attack on atheism by Christians. Atheists believe god doesn't exist, Christians believe he does. Saying either of those things is not an attack.

Obviously nothing to do with any "secular lobby" but also if people wrote the same sort of thing on a mosque or a synagogue I don't think we'd be writing it off as "just kids being idiots", we'd all be treating it as a targeted attack against the religion in question (even if the targeters were, in fact, idiotic kids).

The OP immediately blamed one group over all others, without evidence, now you are defending them because they are Christian? Nah.

Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, all religions do not escape criticism. Blasphemy laws were binned in 2008. Having faith does not give you certain rights or privileges.

Oh god not this, Goths wouldn’t do this kind of thing! More likely chavvy little twats who call themselves ‘road men’.

This is a Christian place of worship and burial, extensively defaced with vile images and a particular slogan which indicates an anti-Christian pov on the most holy weekend in the Christian calendar.

What would it take for you to recognise an anti-Christian hate crime?

So basically people challenge your views and they must be evil criminals willing to commit large scale property damage 🙄

As afar as I am concerned all religions are equally pie in the sky, but I would never do anything like these people have, they are criminals, you just sound like you are bigoted against atheists.

It's just paint and words, it can be fixed and cleaned. An actual Christian wouldn't pass judgement, let he who is without sin cast the first stone and all that.

Why is it "unChristian" to not want my Poll Tax to be spent on keeping other peoples' bored teenagers amused?

There are plenty of meaningful activities available in the area already.

I'm not sure what point you’re making. Surely you can see the difference between acts of vandalism targeting minorities (ethnic as well as faith minorities) versus those targeting that state religion and established church?

It's not just paint and words. Imagine if that was your place of worship or sanctuary. Imagine if those were your loved ones' graves? It's a hostile and damaging act. I don't know who did it or why, but it's vile, and beyond just mindless graffiti and vandalism.

You don’t think this was an attack? Seriously?

Which is a long way from vandalism.

God is a lie is just as likely from someone abused by the church, the Magdalene laundries etc.

Your supposition about the level of damage undetected is ridiculous. A small gang of vandals could do that very quickly without being seen in the middle of the night.

Stop trying to stir.

All the atheists on this thread, some of whom may well regard belief in any god akin to fairies, are horrified by what has happened.

@ArtemisiaTheArtist "The OP immediately blamed one group over all others, without evidence"

The obvious evidence was written on the church wall - next to the drawing of a giant willy.

I’m going to repost a reply I made to another poster who minimised this.

This is a Christian place of worship and burial, extensively defaced with vile images and a particular slogan which indicates an anti-Christian pov on the most holy weekend in the Christian calendar.

What would it take for you to recognise an anti-Christian hate crime?

@SnakesAndArrows The article does say atheist, it's doesn't say anything about who did this. Could just be some village teenagers that are bored and misguided.

FFS I am a life long atheist. How dare you say it’s the fault of atheists. I give no fucks about the building in which you want to worship your imaginary friend.

I imagine it’s someone local with a grudge that is part of your community.

Not if that's what they've heard at home or seen photos online from other prats doing the same thing.

@BangersAndGnash "Stop trying to stir"

Stop trying to minimise..

Careful now.

You're beginning to show a deep ignorance of teens, what they enjoy doing, what’s happened to their services and how much money most of them will have access to.

Saying that there are plenty of local services is laughable going by the links you’ve provided. The first 5 things in your first link include a market, an antiques centre and a walled garden. Truly laughable.

I benefited from going to the local Youth Centre at a time when I was beginning to fall in with the wrong crowd. It was a couple of older kids that encouraged me to hang out with them instead and kept an eye on me. That’s just one example of how they can help.

When I was growing up it was also normal for only one parent to be working fulltime, now it’s usually both with little or no spare cash.

I’ll say this again, what has happened is awful but please don’t use it to stir up division within your community. See it as an opportunity to assess what your Church can do for local Teens.

Ah yes - atheists, a group traditionally defined by their lack of belief in deities and their enthusiasm for willy art.

Slater Lane isn’t some isolated little village in the middle of nowhere. It is easily accessed from the large housing estates surrounding it. While what little police presence there is in South Ribble is concentrated in other areas it would be easy for a gang of bored little scrotes to access St James’ Church. I hope CCTV and door cams around it will provide some evidence as to who did this and that they are prosecuted. I do believe it to be a hate crime against a faith and with a bit of luck the perpetrators will find out that this carries a slightly harsher penalty than merely tormenting, harassing and vandalizing the town centre and surrounding areas.