Balance of Welcoming and Protecting

From: Star-Telegram

"Last month, a pastor pointed his gun at two burglars at his Beaumont church after one threatened to hit him with a two-by-four, the local newspaper reported.

Last year, an elderly woman in Arkansas interrupted a burglary at church and was beaten to death with a cross. The year before, robbers in Illinois beat two women while ransacking a church.

Once, churches were sanctuaries where respect, fear of the Almighty or even superstition kept lawbreakers at bay. Now, violent crimes seem to be increasingly common at churches large and small. This week's attack at an Arlington church, where the pastor was slain and his assistant severely beaten, is yet another example."

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/03/04/2897778/churches-face-tricky-balance-of.html#ixzz1FvhTTffN