Pastor attacked by Atheist

[OakWood]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/pastor-attacked-church-police-say/nbTNt/

 

NORTH HAMPTON —

A self-described militant Atheist with a criminal past faces multiple charges after an attack on a pastor who, after his sermon, had asked the man's girlfriend if she felt safe.

 

James Maxie, 28, of Springfield, is charged with second-degree felonious assault and misdemeanor resisting arrest after an incident Sunday at The Bridge Community Church, 105 N. Main St., in North Hampton.

Police Chief Jarrod Campbell said in his 11 years with the department, he's rarely dealt with "an incident this brutal."

 

The Rev. Norman Hayes, 57, said he feared for his life and begged for the attack to stop. Hayes suffered a broken nose, bruises and three long cuts that required stitches across his face.

"I questioned his girlfriend in his presence if she felt safe," Hayes said. "He was very, very upset that I'd even suggest that he would hurt her. Then he turned around and hurt me very badly."

Hayes said Maxie was argumentative and confrontational during the service.

 

"It looked like he was looking for an argument," Hayes said.

 

Maxie and the girlfriend, who attends the church, approached Hayes after the service. She told police that Hayes asked her if Maxie was abusing her, and Maxie became furious, striking pastor several times in the face in the church hallway.

 

"He came from nowhere and hit me ... and knocked me down, and then he got on top of me and just kept hitting me over and over," Hayes said. He pleaded for the beating to stop, stating he thought Maxie would kill him.

"It was fortunate he did stop," Hayes said. "I really believe my life was in danger if he hadn't stopped hitting me in the face over and over."

 

Maxie and his girlfriend left the church on foot, and Maxie ran into a cornfield after he was spotted by two North Hampton officers who were responding to the scene. The Clark County Sheriff's Office assisted in the search for Maxie, and a deputy located him hiding behind a home in the 100 block of South Main Street. He was booked into the Clark County Jail.

 

It's not believed Maxie used any sort of object or weapon in the attack, just his fists, Campbell said. Injuries on Maxie's right hand were consistent with repeated punching. The brutality of the beating in addition to the location are why police charged Maxie with a felony, Campbell said.

 

"Churches are somewhere where people go to worship their particular religion, and violence is usually the last thing you see," he said.

 

Campbell is working with the Clark County Prosecutor's Office to see if additional charges should be filed.

 

Maxie served two years in prison after being convicted of felonious assault. He's also a convicted sex offender, charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Clark County, and was sentenced to five years of probation, beginning in October 2008, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. In 2004, Maxie was charged with four counts of cruelty to animals in Springfield.

 

A self-described militant Atheist, according to his Facebook page, a day before the assault Maxie shared a photo from another page titled, "I'm proud to be Atheist." Hayes said Maxie made comments about Hitler and religion prior to the church service.

 

In a statement Maxie wrote to police, he said he was "trying to regain my faith in God," and went to hear Hayes' sermon. He said he "asked questions about science and faith," and claimed the statements offended Hayes. Maxie said Hayes said his girlfriend was "going to hell for dating me."

 

"That's when I made the worst mistake ever," Maxie wrote.

 

The assault left Hayes with 3-inch to 6-inch cuts over his left and right eyes, and his right eye was bruised and swollen shut, the report said. He had an inch-long cut behind his left ear, and his nose was bruised, bloody and swollen. Hayes said he broke his nose in two places. At Maxie's arraignment Monday, Hayes' right eye was still swollen shut. Hayes said he will need to revisit doctors to check for brain bleeding.

 

Hayes believes "the best thing" for Maxie is to be in a place where "he is not going to hurt anyone else."

 

"We believe there is hope for everyone," Hayes said, "but we also believe that regardless of that, people need to pay for what they have done, and I hope he has to pay for what he has done. Get put away for a while and not hurt anyone else. In my opinion, the next person won't be as lucky as I was.

 

Hayes requested a protection order against Maxie, which was granted by Judge Denise Moody. Maxie is being detained in jail in lieu of a $51,000 bond.

 

"I think he probably was sorry for the situation he was in. I think it is very easy to be sorry in that environment in front of a judge. Hopefully, he will be able to find forgiveness and new hope and some answers for his life."

[missmuffet]

I think we are going to see more and more of this.

[JDavis]

There are crazies everywhere

[OakWood]

I remember a time when all Christian clergy were respected, even by non-believers and those who were fallen. Even the Italian mafia were respectful towards Catholic priests. Even during the brutal Middle Ages, places of worship and monasteries were often places of sanctuary as they were respected and left alone during times of war.

When I was growing up, vicars and bishops were given respect even by those who did not believe and did not attend church.

Nowadays, things have changed so much that people of faith, especially clerics and ministers are targets of abuse.

Could you blame this merely on the growth of secularism? Possibly, but not quite, because if you use this logic, then Atheists would equally target Muslim Imams, Hindu priests and so on, but unfortunately they seem to reserve most of their hatred for Christianity and for Judaism, the only faiths that recognise the one true God..

This is the sign of something more sinister than a mere 'falling away'. This is the sign of the End Times. Satan is behind this.

[Sevenseas]

 

 

Maxie served two years in prison after being convicted of felonious assault. He's also a convicted sex offender, charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Clark County, and was sentenced to five years of probation, beginning in October 2008, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. In 2004, Maxie was charged with four counts of cruelty to animals in Springfield.

 

 

If you read the article, you'll note that Maxie was pretty much off the charts.  IMO, this was not really athiest vs Pastor, but actually a psychopath waiting for an excuse 

 

psy·cho·path  (sk-pth)

n.

A person with an antisocial personality disorder, manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior without empathy or remorse.

 

 

The guy has committed various acts of anti-social behavior having nothing to do with church, God or Pastors.

 

I don't see this as a sudden rise in attacks on Pastors.  I see this as one person, with already establishe bad behavior patterns, doing what that person has already exhibited upon others.

 

Note the torture of animals.  Stage one.

[Sevenseas]

 

 

This is the sign of something more sinister than a mere 'falling away'. This is the sign of the End Times. Satan is behind this.

 

Bit flamboyant perhaps?  The man has a history of anti-social behavior.  IMO, he was not exhibiting a plan of satan.  To be sure satan has plans and I am sure

this fellow does not need further instruction.  However, I would hardly describe the incident as a sign of the times.  The NT has many episodes of those spreading

the gospel being attacked, put in prison, publically flogged and so on.

 

This is one isolated incident...not a nation-wide rash of beatings.  The police have him locked up and are aware of his criminal past.  It's not like they condoned the

beating.  If you see the police condoning the beatings of Pasors generally?  Then, IMO, you assume the worst

[Matthitjah]

I remember a time when all Christian clergy were respected, even by non-believers and those who were fallen. Even the Italian mafia were respectful towards Catholic priests. Even during the brutal Middle Ages, places of worship and monasteries were often places of sanctuary as they were respected and left alone during times of war.

When I was growing up, vicars and bishops were given respect even by those who did not believe and did not attend church.

Nowadays, things have changed so much that people of faith, especially clerics and ministers are targets of abuse.

Could you blame this merely on the growth of secularism? Possibly, but not quite, because if you use this logic, then Atheists would equally target Muslim Imams, Hindu priests and so on, but unfortunately they seem to reserve most of their hatred for Christianity and for Judaism, the only faiths that recognise the one true God..

This is the sign of something more sinister than a mere 'falling away'. This is the sign of the End Times. Satan is behind this.

Hmmmm.

 

Let's see Peter was crucified upside down and embraced the Cross tenderly.  John was thrown in boiling oil and came out unscathed. He was then exiled, but they only did him and us a favor doing so, now we have the book of Revelation. Christian's were thrown to the Lions in Pagan Rome. Some were drawn and quartered. One Disciple was thrust through with a spear after an Asian King had him from tossed from some great height and it did not kill him

 

Christian's in China face persecution daily.

 

Pastor Saeed Abedeeni is still in jail in Iran.

 

In Saudi Arabia if you  possess a Holy Bible you will go to jail.

 

In Egypt the Coptics are having their Churches burnt down by radical Muslims while Catholic Nuns are being paraded around like cattle chained and taunted then ultimately killed.

 

A young lady in Vietnam who refused to deny her Savior after being told to spit on an open Bible picked it up and wiped it clean of others spittle with her long lovely hair only to have a Communist shoot her through the back of the head while others watched in horror.

 

 

I'm not certain what has changed other than we are now seeing persecution right here in the States.

[Matthitjah]

 

 

 

This is the sign of something more sinister than a mere 'falling away'. This is the sign of the End Times. Satan is behind this.

 

Bit flamboyant perhaps?  The man has a history of anti-social behavior.  IMO, he was not exhibiting a plan of satan.  To be sure satan has plans and I am sure

this fellow does not need further instruction.  However, I would hardly describe the incident as a sign of the times.  The NT has many episodes of those spreading

the gospel being attacked, put in prison, publically flogged and so on.

 

This is one isolated incident...not a nation-wide rash of beatings.  The police have him locked up and are aware of his criminal past.  It's not like they condoned the

beating.  If you see the police condoning the beatings of Pasors generally?  Then, IMO, you assume the worst

 

Actually, Satan is behind this although the young man is ulitmately responsible for his behavior and whom he serves. I pray that he comes to Christ through all of this and is Saved.

[Matthitjah]

Here read this;

 

http://www.christianpersecution.info/

[nikki1]

I wonder why the pastor asked the attacker's girlfriend if she felt safe in front of the attacker    According to the article the girl had not indicated that she felt threatened, so it was not necessary or needed for the pastor to pry into their personal business in front of the attacker.  I think this was a very stupid thing to do on the part of the pastor and this attack could possibly been avoided if the pastor kept his mouth shut in the first place.  Not too bright for a pastor.