A leftwing radical group has claimed credit for setting fire to a conservative German church office. The church building was associated with the “conservative, Bible-believing wing” of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). The group, which was identified as “Anonymous,” claimed responsibility for setting fires at the Free Church welfare office in the city of Bremen on Dec. 15. The violence caused 20,000 euros (USD 20,565) worth of damage.
The group stated in a post that the Pentecostal church was targeted due to its connection with the WEA. The post titled, “Against men’s clubs. Whether in uniform or church robes!” also explained that police were also targeted for “many other reasons.” The group said in a statement We also accepted that the office of the social work of the free Christian community would catch fire.”
He explained “Last night we equipped the rear of the building of the Bremen-Burg police station and the free Christian community with tires and a huge incendiary device made of 20 liters of gasoline, thus killing two birds with one stone.” René Möller, a German official, said that the letter of confession very seriously” and were monitoring the group, he added that, “However, we also ask for your understanding that we will not comment publicly on possible investigation status, club bans and measures.”
The terrorists stated that the church office was targeted t belonged to the Pentecostal church community in Bremen, part of the “largest Evangelical social work in Germany.” They went on to say “These are organized worldwide together with the regional churches in the Evangelical Alliance (WEA),” stated Anonymous. “The Pentecostals belong to the conservative, Bible-believing wing of the WEA. Pentecostal churches comprise 350 million Evangelicals, with a focus on Africa, America, and Korea.”
They tried to link prison sentences for homosexual acts in Nigeria to Christian social work in Germany “to promote their [presumably Pentecostals] growth and geographical expansion.” They also said, “The Pentecostal churches live their faith in the Word of the Bible and place this Word above civil law.” They took particular umbrage to the Christian group’s position on marriage.
“The Evangelical Pentecostals are saying that there is no alternative to the conservative one with father, mother, and children,” the group explained. “Between these lines, it is also written that marriages must remain intact, even if one of the spouses uses violence. Abortions and homosexuality are also completely rejected.” They specifcally cited the fact that evangelical Pentecostals oppose self-determination rights of FLINTAS, a German acronym for “women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people [frauen, lesben, intergeschlechtliche, nichtbinäre, trans und agender personen].”
“An open attitude towards those who think differently does not exist for the Pentecostals,” they went on to say. “They falsely assume that the rules given by God apply to everyone and that people only need to be convinced of the ‘right’ faith in one way or another.” “Both secular leaders and God are treated with obedience and submission. Political support is exchanged for religious privileges,” for some reason, they tried to link Christian group to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, president of the Republic of Türkiye “and his Islamist gangs.”
“For us, it is not a question of victory or defeat, but of how we can take responsibility in the fight against the reactionary forces and fascists,” they concluded. “With our fire, we have channeled the anger in our stomachs and directed it against anyone who feeds this anger.” “For the Pentecostals in Bremen-Burg, the main concern is the evangelization of those in their care and their loved ones,” Anonymous expressed in their statement. “Pastors constantly provide pastoral care with the ulterior motive of conversion. This is disgusting. The Evangelicals are a force in Bremen that should not be underestimated.”