How Should We React When a ‘Militant Atheist’ Beats Up a Pastor?

[Zazzy]

Or the guy presented as unstable and violent, prompting the pastor to be concerned for the woman's safety, at which point the asshat proved he was unstable and violent.

Well, then, he's an idiot, because if you're concerned about someone being the victim of abuse, the last thing you want to do is bring up the subject of abuse in front of the abuser. The abuser seeks control, and a third party bringing up abuse is going to make them feel as if they're losing that control. So, when the victim and the abuser end up alone again, the abuser is going to do everything to regain that control.

Agreed completely, and a good point for everyone to remember. Even if the scenario I outlined was true, you'd expect a pastor to have received better training in counseling.

I'm not sure what him being a pastor has to do with it(pastors are humans, after all), but in the article it stated that they were both already in a confrontation. People do things like that in the heat of the moment, so it isn't out of the question.

No, not out of the question. I just wanted to point out that it could have gone differently.