CBC News has examined 33 Canadian churches that burned to the ground since May 2021. Just two were ruled accidental.

Investigators have determined that 24 were deliberately set while others are still under investigation. Some researchers and community leaders suggest Canada’s colonial history and recent discoveries of potential burial sites at former residential schools may have lit the fuse.

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    • rbesfe@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      The vast majority of churches are positive influences on their community and don’t deserve to be incinerated. I’m saying this as an atheist.

      • Yamainwitch@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Hmm are you thinking of libraries? Because libraries and books should definitely not be burned and are a monumentally positive influence on their communities. I would highly recommend checking one out near you and researching the historical relationship between the indigenous people and “the church” so you better understand the context here.

        • rbesfe@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          I didn’t realize that modern churches had time machines that allowed their congregations to go back in time and inflict horrors upon indigenous peoples

      • otp@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        I understand why you say that, and I’d like to believe it too. I still wish there were stats on that…

        Especially considering they don’t pay taxes. If the value of their social efforts don’t reach the amount of money they’d be paying in taxes, then they’re actually a net negative.

        • Kepabar@startrek.website
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          1 year ago

          The programs these churches run are typically filling in gaps in social programs that the government doesn’t have the political mandate to enact.

          If these churches were taxed you’d see their charities diminished while the funding went to some pork belly spending project, or at the very least not related to what services the church is suddenly not providing.

          Not all government spending is a net positive.

      • TK420@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Make no mistake, religion has no place in our society. I don’t give a shit how they appear on the outside, they are hateful places that harbor hateful people. They can all get fucked.

        I’m saying this as an atheist.

      • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 year ago

        I won’t argue with any of the points you’ve tried to make. I’ll simply pointy out that you’re all over this thread, apologizing for churches. All fucking over.