An atheist was jailed for church arson in the UK.
Atheist Joseph Fretti attempted to burn down two churches in the UK, causing up to 50,000 pounds in damage in late June. Among the damages wrought were a 15th-century wooden cross, antique furniture, robes, and bibles, a lot of which were irreplaceable.
In late June, Joseph Fretti set fire to St. Edmunds, but was released on bail. Only a week later, he set fire to yet another church in Allestree, leading to his arrest and jail sentence of three years. Reverend Canon Chris Dyer said that she hopes the atheist arsonist gets help in jail for whatever is wrong with him.
Onlookers had overheard Joseph Fretti proudly announcing his atheism and stating that he was glad about the damage the fire had done to the churches as they were ablaze.
Canon Dyer stated about the Atheist jailed for church arson:
“The fire has been devastating to the community but everyone has rallied round. The landlady of the local Red Cow pub has been tremendous, hosting the older people’s lunch club and other events. I’m just hoping that when he’s in prison he gets the help for whatever it was that made him do something so potentially dangerous to him and other people. It is a focus for more than just the Christian community – generations have been [baptized], married and buried here”
It was later revealed that Joseph Fretti suffers from a low self esteem and holds no ill will toward religious people as a whole. He had been drunk when he set those fires and says he doesn’t know why he did it.
Reportedly after starting the first fire, he had knocked on a neighbor’s door to tell her he had seen the fire when he went in to light a candle. However, the woman had become suspicious after his story kept changing as he told it to others.
Prosecutor Karen Davenport-Coles says the church feels saddened and devastated, and the destruction has hit the congregation the hardest, especially among seniors.
The atheist jailed for church arson in the UK admitted to three counts of the crime, one of which involved the church hall, and says he genuinely feels bad about it.
