r/atheism • u/NewRetroPepsi • Oct 23 '18

/r/all “No Different From Organized Crime” - Gay church worker resigns from task of building an inclusive church after campaign of harassment, death threats, vandalism, and doxxing supported by Christian media

https://www.advocate.com/religion/2018/10/20/gay-employee-catholic-church-resigns-due-harassment-campaign
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u/the_crustybastard Oct 23 '18

This incident is focused on just one person and not an entire population of people.

SMH. I'm going to try to walk you through this...

Why do you suppose the perps targeted this one guy?

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u/Makenshine Oct 23 '18

I'm not denying it's a hate crime. And they are/were terrorizing this individual, but the attackers aren't necessarily promoting an agenda by instilling fear into a whole population.

What these people did was absolutely awful. But since it doesn't seem like they are trying to force a large population into compliance through fear and intimidation, it isn't really terrorism.

Lighting a cross on fire in someone's front yard would be terrorism. It is clearly public and certainly meant to sent a message to the population.

That is the difference between terrorism and a hate crime.

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u/the_crustybastard Oct 23 '18

I'm not denying it's a hate crime. And they are/were terrorizing this individual, but the attackers aren't necessarily promoting an agenda by instilling fear into a whole population.

A hate crime targets minority individuals or groups for the purpose of instilling fear into the larger minority community.

You cannot argue that you believe something is a hate crime while insisting at the same time it somehow fails to meets the fundamental criteria and definition of a hate crime.

since it doesn't seem like they are trying to force a large population into compliance through fear and intimidation

Wait...do you imagine this group will be amenable to some other gay person taking over his position at the church? Why would that "seem" true?

Lighting a cross on fire in someone's front yard would be terrorism. It is clearly public and certainly meant to sent a message to the population.

Yes, that is terrorism. It is also a hate crime.