Some residents have moved swiftly to protect their churches.(1)
Eight Texas churches barely 150 miles apart have caught fire sinceNew Year’s Day, putting pastors and congregations on edge and on guardwondering whether theirs is next.
Authoritiesdetermined seven of those fires were intentionally set and they areinvestigating one that broke out Thursday as a possible arson. Therehave been no reported injuries or arrests, and federal officials aren’tsaying whether there’s a connection.
The fires have struck a region where Christian stations fill theradio dial and an area newspaper runs a Bible verse on the front pageevery day. All seven churches varied in size and denomination.
Some were Baptist. One was a red-bricked Christian Scientist’s church nestled among stately homes. Another was a nondenominational church on the outskirts of town.
(1) Interestingly, this is the first time this editor has heard of these fires which are clearly being set in a pattern. The media has been strangely mute over these arson’s, the coverage clearly minimalist at best. However, had the arson’s been directed against synagogues, abortion clinics, gay night clubs, or black churches, a state of ‘near emergency’ in Texas would have already been declared — with all corresponding media coverage in place.–Editor