Prosecutors: VA’s Capitol Rioter Used “Bible Study” As Cover To Plan Attacks | Beth Stoneburner | Sympathetic atheist

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Were you on a Bible study group in Virginia last year? If so, you may have noticed that there was more talk of guns and government takeovers than anything Jesus said.

At least that’s what Fi Duong did with the “Bible study” he created as a cover for his violent militia group. federal prosecutors said in court on Friday that Duong, who was inside the Capitol during the Jan.6 insurgency attempt, used the religious excuse to plan further attacks:

In a video later seen by investigators, Duong is identified in court documents as shouting “We’re coming for you Nancy” and pushing another protester towards the doors on the Senate side of the building.

He and others organized a “Bible study” where they discussed guns and other training., according to court documents; Duong also brought someone he described as a “three percent” to a meeting. The right-wing Three Percent movement, formed in 2008, takes its name from the false claim that only 3% of settlers fought during the American Revolution. Several members were in charge of plot to storm the Capitol. Duong said he had attended a few rallies with the group but preferred to remain independent.

Perhaps the funniest aspect of this not at all funny story is that Duong’s violent plans were revealed by an undercover officer he befriended in Washington:

They kept in touch, and a week later Duong reportedly told the undercover officer that he was part of a “cloak and dagger” group who “will build resistance … for what will inevitably happen.” In March, he told his associates, “Keep your guns and be ready to use them. “

He told the agent, according to the government, that he was working on a “manifesto”, saying: “If I get into a shootout with the federal government and I fail, I want to be able to transfer as much. wisdom to my son as possible. Prosecutors say he also explained how far he could shoot his family’s property in the event of a raid and said this could be the site of a second Waco – a reference to the deadly 1993 confrontation with federal agents in Texas.

Duong has no criminal record and has never acted on these post-insurgency plans, according to the undercover agent. Still, the fact that he was so specific about the harm he dreamed of causing, even going so far as to collect materials for destruction, is good cause for concern.

When it comes to Bible study, it’s not clear if Duong is a true believer â„¢. But whether or not he accepts Christian nationalism, he certainly felt that a brand of Christianity had amply covered his most violent intentions.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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