HUTAREE: Christian Warriors Taken Down By FBI
Hutaree Memebers Arrested
clockwise from top-left: David Stone, Sr., Tina Stone, David Stone, Jr., Jacob Ward, Joshua Clough, Michael Meeks, Kristopher Sickles and Thomas Piatek. A ninth man, Joshua Stone was arrested but not included in the mugshots
Federal authorities had been investigating members of a Michigan-based Christian Militia known as the “Hutaree” which claims they are preparing to fight the Antichrist when he arrives on Earth. Authorities said they have been monitoring the group for some time but were forced to “take them down” over the weekend after learning of an imminent threat against police, Barbara McQuade, the U.S. attorney leading the prosecution said Tuesday. In total their was nine suspects arrested in the conspiracy to commit a well thought out plan against law enforcement and their families. Eight members of a small group of “Christian warriors” were arrested in several Midwestern states and a day later the FBI nabbed a ninth suspect, Joshua Stone, following a standoff at a trailer in rural Michigan.
Members of Hutaree had been undergoing paramilitary training, including learning how to shoot guns and make bombs since 2008, according to an indictment. Authorities seized guns in the raids but would not say whether they found explosives.
The federal indictment alleges the group was planning a violent attack sometime in April. The plan was to kill a member of local law enforcement, then attack the funeral procession with weapons of mass destruction. The indictment further alleges the group would use the attack as a catalyst for a more wide-spread uprising against the government
Who Are The Hutaree
The Hutaree is a Christian Militant Group that is based in Adrian, Michigan and was founded sometime in the Spring of 2008. The website translates thier name Hutaree as to mean “Christian Warriors”. The following is a excerpt from their website that states their main cause:
Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment. The only thing on earth to save the testimony and those who follow it, are the members of the testimony, til the return of Christ in the clouds. We, the Hutaree, are prepared to defend all those who belong to Christ and save those who aren’t. We will still spread the word, and fight to keep it, up to the time of the great coming.
From visiting their website it is apparent that their militia main concern is with the Book of Revelations that prophesises that the anti-christ will return and that Christians are told to prepare for this event and resist him. The group has opted to be the protectors of the Chrisitian Faith. Something I did not come across was threats or essays of committing violent acts nor did I come across any “hate” speeches. What I found were a lot of verses from the Bible to explain why they were gathering as a group. I keep reading in the newspaper that they are a “Right Wing Threat”, but nowhere could I conclude that they had any political agenda or were even part of the Tea Party movement. I guess what I am saying is that just because they say they are Christian does not mean that they are Republican, Democrat, or any other Right Wing or Left Wing conspiracy. If the charges are proved then what you will have is basically an extremeist fringe Christian Militia. We cannot conclude that the group represents anyone elses agenda or beliefs other than their own.
However, somewhere along the path to being God fearing Christians, the group sounds like they got lost or confused. To kill a police officer, only to plan a subsequent more fatal attack which would kill hundreds that attend the would be victim officer’s funeral which would undoubtdly include families, wives, and sadly enough even children is not only not Chrisitan but are the acts of pure domestic terrorism. The plan was taken right out of al Qaeda’s play book of combining attacks where the first would kill and create panic that attracted people to the scene, to then carry out the second attack to kill first responders. In this case the people attending the funeral of the would be slain police officer.
The Hutaree, if charges are correct, are not a Christian organization at all. You can not base your organization on twisted enterpertations of God’s Word to commit acts of cold blooded murder to any of God’s children and expect to be called Christian. It is more delusional thinking and being lost in someone’s morbid Kool-aid idea of Christianity that in reality does not exhist in the true religion itself.
.
