A leftist group has publicly acknowledged setting fire to a German church office. Identifying itself as “Anonymous,” the group claimed responsibility for igniting rubbish and bulk waste at a Free Church welfare office (Sozialwerk Der Freien Christengemeinde) in Bremen on December 15.
The incident resulted in damages totaling 20,000 euros ($20,565 USD), according to the Vienna, Austria-based Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe).
The fire also affected a section of the building used by city police, prompting the State Security Department of the Bremen Police to investigate the incident.
In a post on tumulte.org, Anonymous indicated that it targeted the Pentecostal church because of its connection to the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), referring to it as the “conservative, Bible-believing wing.”
“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,” the group stated. “We also accepted that the office of the social work of the free Christian community would catch fire.”
Anonymous explained that the church office belonged to the Pentecostal church community in Bremen, which is part of “the largest Evangelical social work in Germany.” They noted, “These are organized worldwide together with the regional churches in the Evangelical Alliance (WEA).” The group asserted that “the Pentecostals belong to the conservative, Bible-believing wing of the WEA,” representing 350 million Evangelicals with a focus on Africa, America, and Korea.
The group contended that Evangelical Pentecostals oppose the self-determination rights of FLINTAS, an acronym for “women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people” in German. “An open attitude towards those who think differently does not exist for the Pentecostals. 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,” they stated.
Moreover, the group linked biblical beliefs of Pentecostal Evangelicals to radical right groups and fascists, claiming the two demographics share similar views on marriage, women, and homosexuality. They warned that the authoritarian nature of fascist leaders and right-wing groups is associated with “radical implementation of biblical beliefs,” asserting that areas voting for rightist parties contained a “large number of Evangelical institutions.”
“For the Pentecostals in Bremen-Burg, the main concern is the evangelization of those in their care and their loved ones,” Anonymous stated. “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.”
The group further claimed that literal interpretations of the Bible can lead to “homophobia” that may result in injuries or even deaths.
René Möller, spokesman for Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer, told the German news site Das BLV that officials are taking “the letter of confession very seriously” and are monitoring the group, while adding, “However, we also ask for your understanding that we will not comment publicly on possible investigation status, club bans, and measures.”
