Teens Beat Raccoon To Death While On Church Camping Trip

DES MOINES (AP) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has filed charges against four teenagers from a church in Pella who have confessed to beating a raccoon to death.

DNR spokesman Kevin Baskins said the incident happened Saturday night at Ledges State Park.

Baskins says the teens were on a church youth group camping trip with the Third Reformed Church in Pella.


http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/95012454.html

:puke:

next we will hear how the nuns supervised the beating or in related news, mercy killing of the homeless now all the rage among fundamentalists.

So fucking weird.

special people and tax free. Doesn't matter what they do, they are special, they talk to god and all of their weirdness is blessed. And they speak for Jesus. These people are the devil in disguise in their lingo and none get it...

...white girl, or missing child.

Truth is most of us with a rural or semi-rural background, can remember someone from childhood who did something outrageous to an animal (if they didn't do it themselves). Hell, for vermin like mice and rats we'd make games out of it. Larger animals we were always taught to go for the quickest and neatest kills. Cruelty did come into it, but it was as much about damage to skin and meat as anything else.

This type of story is neither unusual or new, it's just not something the media (or people) considered newsworthy in the past.

...inuendo.

sociopaths have been around a long time.

very little respect for critters in the rural midwest. See this awful story:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=231x11790

Reward Offered In Case Of Cat With Nail In Head

SIOUX CITY (AP) — A reward is being offered in the case of a cat with a 3-inch nail driven into its head.

The female calico named "Grace" was found last week in Sioux City, and under went a successful operation to remove the nail.

The Humane Society of the United States, the Siouxland Humane Society and a local individual are offering a combined reward of up to $3,500.

Officials believe the nail was driven into the cat's head with a nail gun.

Animal Control director Cindy Rarrat says Grace is improving. She's eating, walking and playing with toys.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/94917979.html

I listened to some horrifying tales of cruelty in my time living there, related by people who thought nothing wrong of it.

Many teach that animals are meant purely for human use, and are soulless lifeforms incapable of emotions. At least that's what I learned attending my friend's evangelical church a couple times when I was a kid. Torturing grasshoppers was a favorite game of theirs. I remember that little gem, and also being taught by a Sunday school teacher that the mentally disabled were that way because they had been possessed by a demon when they were born (or in the womb). Mom never sent me back.

it's been going on for time immemorial. :(

...but a need for improving bloodflow to the brain through repeated applications of leather or cane to the gluteal region when you catch them at it.

These four no less, need some sort of modern arsewarming since traditional methods are now frowned upon. However making pariahs (or worse) of them is not what I'd deem a good first choice.

Tired of all this "christian" garbage. These people do not know the first thing about being Christian. Perhaps they need to read the New Testament.

?

so they killed it. Yep. Makes perfect sense to me.....

:sarcasm:

grow older and take on more christian values.

that's all.

You know, the Roman skank of america and shitty bank? Too bad He isn't here to continue the beatings.

bored when they ran out of weed.

That's when the lack of any real values kicked in. Good job parents.

:wtf:

Why do you feel as though you have to make up shit, that doesn't pertain to the story.

Stick to the facts.

Fucking assholes- must be the "junior sociopath's club".


mark

They need to learn the scout technique of putting all your food in a bundle and hanging it from a tree limb so "varmints" won't get at it.

I wasn't sure what a "Third Reformed Church" was, so I looked it up.

http://www.trcpella.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=12286

Probably hyper-Calvinists. One of a number of reformed groups along with the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA), the Orthodox Church of America (OPC), the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of America (EPC), etc. Some of these broke away from the PC-USA in the early 1970's and had direct influence from Francis Schaeffer (of James Dobson fame), the father of Frankie Schaeffer (religious blogger and frequent fundie critic on HuffPo).

Our family used to be a part of the PCA but we left due to philosophical differences (hypocrisy, giving special favors to the wealthy & influential and ignoring the poor in our own backyard).

...

If you want to go toe to toe with a Christian, bring it on Sister. ;)

If you have spent any time at all in a church, you know very well that what they advertise on their website and brochures as what they do and what they *actually* do are quite often two different things. I made it quite clear in my post that I was talking about MY church, btw. Is reading comprehension a problem for you? I can spell more slowly if necessary.

Regardless, it makes little difference what the church says it does because their 'works' speak for itself. That's how you figure out if they are who they say they are...and something doesn't pass the smell test here. Is this a final indictment on the entire church there? Certainly not, but if that is what is making it into the media they have some very serious 'works' issues to take care of within their body.

Thanks for the clarification.

gotcha.

with all the commentary on Jesus at the page I linked to.

I think it's better now.

I mean, seriously, I am reminded all the time that I can't say a word about Christianity without being called a militant atheist. Why do you get to talk about sects without the same backlash.

Seems like those that think that there is an anti-religion sentiment on here (yeah, I'm talking to you a couple posts downthread) must somehow think that Mormons, Scientologist, and RW Christian religions somehow don't apply because y'all feel more than happy to bash them.

Double standard is glaring.

but I suspect kids raised in a theologically liberal environment with an emphasis on what they call "stewardship of creation" would be less likely to beat a raccoon to death.

I can't see a Unitarian youth group making headlines this way.

I grew up in the Catholic church and have been a part of various other denominations over the years and have never, ever heard of this type of thing happening with cruelty to animals. Child and spousal abuse, yes...but nothing like beating an animal to death. Not trying to defend this horrendous action in the least but just offering some anecdotal thoughts.

I saw one get tangled up in some plastic fishing net once. What followed was a re-enactment of the Warner Bros. Tasmanian Devil - just a cloud of fur, claws and teeth that shredded the tough plastic netting in under a minute.

Not defending them, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to get anywhere near a trapped racoon.

and yes. I have myself trapped all kinds of injured animals so they can be doctored up and then released. Raptors are the worst with their talons but it can be done safely for both trapper and trapped.

HOWEVER: what if the animal had been a rat?

They think they can do anything they fucking want to, and as long as they sit in church on Sunday they're golden.

My daughter and her camp co-workers are caring for a baby raccoon that wandered onto the grounds a few days ago. Don't know how it lost its mother. They are starting to wean it from human contact with the expectation of releasing it into the wild, but right now it's very dependent on their care.

Stories like the OP just make me ill.

I hear ya- I loved animals when I was a kid- still do.

From their website: We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. No ordinance, ritual, work or any other activity on the part of man is required in order to be saved.

In other words, those kids can do anything they feel like. In order to be "saved" all you must do is think you are. Then no act or action or deed is punishable by god. You don't have to act good, do good things, or even think good things. You have a "Get out of Hell free" card.

God save us from those who think they are saved.

I love Racoons- smart as hell, and brave, stout hearts!

They can get aggressive, but the solution is to have your campsite spic & span before dusk. You need to stake down your cooler as well. If you do that, they wont bother you much or at all, short of sniffing around after everyone goes to bed.

My guess is these idiots had a trashed campsite, food & crumbs in their tents, etc and they were attracting our masked friends.

There is no reason to harm these little fellas. I would ring those kids necks if I could.

..stupid invisible-cloud-being followers...