Man plots to blow up 48 Oklahoma churches

Last updated on: October 10, 2012 at 10:13 am by mollie

Man plots to blow up 48 Oklahoma churches 2012-10-10T10:13:48-04:00 mollie

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Frequently when we read stories about lone wolf terrorist attacks, there’s the specter of mental illness. And this week’s story about a man held in a plot to bomb 48 churches in Oklahoma is no exception. Here’s how the Chicago Tribune put it:

By the time Gregory Weiler II was in his late teens, his family said, the Elk Grove Village native was well down a path toward destruction.

Both his mother and father had committed suicide before he was 16, and Weiler had also tried to kill himself in 8th grade. He had been hospitalized for mental illness at least six times. In between, he had become addicted to heroin and alcohol.

When Weiler, 23, left several years ago to join a religious group in Missouri, his family knew they’d eventually hear that “Greg” had again gotten into trouble.

It happened last week, when Weiler was arrested in Miami, Okla. for allegedly gathering materials to make 50 Molotov cocktails, with plans to bomb nearly that many local churches.

I can’t imagine how difficult his life must have been. And it’s pretty obvious that the man struggled with mental illness. It’s also true, of course, that he had fairly elaborate plans to bomb four dozen churches as part of a bizarre self-promotion effort. His family says they have no doubt that he would have followed through on his plans.

The mental illness issue is obvious and profound and the main gist of the interview with his family members. Is it the main point of the story? The bulk is given over to the elaborate plans and capabilities of the man. I don’t really have an answer for all this, I just find it intriguing as more and more mentally ill individuals (or seemingly mentally ill, at the very least) are charged with terrorism. How much emphasis should be placed on mental illness? Particularly when the mental illness doesn’t prevent elaborate plans from being made or executed

But what really intrigued me about the story was the way it treated the “religious group in Missouri” referenced above. We’re told that the family “couldn’t even begin to guess” why he targeted the 48 churches in the rural community of 15,000 people. We’re told about the serious mental illness that plagued each member of his family and then:

About three years ago, Weiler joined a church in Missouri that his family called “a cult.”

Is there some reason that this religious group/cult is a state secret? If the family is pointing to it and knows enough about it to call it a cult, can’t we get some more info?

Anyway, the story ends with a Facebook post from the man:

A Sept. 25 entry — apparently written from his motel room — referred to his childhood and focused on the Catholic Church, whose leaders he claimed are responsible for “hypocrisy, murder and deceit.”

He ends: “I have not opened a bible in a while, and I haven’t stepped foot into a church building in quite some time — and though I may be very lonely right now, I am hoping that someone, and maybe someday in the future, someone will take notice.”

Weiler is charged with threat to use explosives, incendiary device, simulated bomb to damage or injure persons or property, and a violation of the Oklahoma anti-terrorism act. He is being held without bail in Ottawa County Jail.

Perhaps we’ll learn more about this “cult” or more about why Weiler targeted churches in future stories.

Religion

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 9, 2012

About that Archbishop Nienstedt conversion quote (updated)

Next Post

October 10, 2012 WPost further expands borders of postmodern Catholicism

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 5Q+1 Academia Anglicanism Announcements Atheists & Agnostics Baptists Books Business & Economy Catholicism Creeping Fundamentalism Education Ethics Evangelicals Film First Person gays Godbeat Got news? Humor Interviews Islam Journalism Judaism Lutherans Mainline Marriage & family Middle East Mormons Music Nones Orthodoxy Pagans Pentecostalism People Podcasts Politics Pop Culture Race Radio & TV Religion religious liberty Same-sex marriage Science Sex Social Issues Sports Uncategorized Vatican Web/Tech What is this? World World Religions Worship

Select a Month August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 May 2010 July 2009 February 2009 October 2008 July 2008 January 2007 August 2006 July 2006 October 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What were the first man and woman’s names in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Samson and Delilah Jacob and Rachel Joseph and Mary Adam and Eve