Stop Violence Against Churches

Protecting America’s founding ideals, those of faith, and churches is vital. Churches are now under fire. In a country with 240 million Americans of faith, where the First Amendment protects free exercise of religion, hundreds of churches are being attacked by pro-abortionists. This must stop.

Thomas Jefferson is sometimes disparaged as a “deist,” implying a liberal who put reason above mystery and revelation. He did see Christianity his way, but he was a self-described “Christian.” This is worth recalling. He regularly attended church and wrote: “I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.” 

For sure the author of our Declaration of Independence and Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786), would be horrified seeing places of worship attacked, “deist” or not. So would every historically “liberal” Supreme Court Justice, including Ruth Bader Ginsberg, lifetime friend of (conservative) Justice Antonin Scalia, opponent of violence and court packing.

This brings us to now, when leftist respect for laws, law enforcement, founding ideals, free exercise of religion, and sanctity of churches are under intense fire, political violence allowed. Missing is responsible leadership. To preserve a republic, leaders must oppose political violence. 

Those on the far left – communists, socialists, anarchists, self-justifying law breakers – are probably unreachable. They should be arrested and prosecuted, including for threatening justices.

The rest of society waits for responsible Democrats to join Republicans in denouncing political violence in US streets, neighborhoods, churches, synagogues, mosques, and places of worship.

Political violence against churches is illegal. It is patently un-American. Any president, member of congress, governor, or candidate who will not say so underestimates the stakes or is complicit.

To be clear, there is no excuse for silence when violence occurs against anyone for freely exercising their faith, opposing abortion, or openly supporting a Supreme Court decision. Violence against any American for living their faith – or against a church, place of worship, or for celebrating a Supreme Court decision – is morally wrong, not just illegal and un-American. 

That kind of thing happens in places like Communist (repressive, atheist) China, but should never happen in this country – not to a church, synagogue, or mosque anywhere in America. 

Trends are disturbing. Irresponsible politicians, state and federal prosecutors not enforcing laws, seemingly Marxist, racist, anti-police, hysterical political rhetoric has left nerves raw. Reacting to Dobbs, which returned abortion decision-making to states, things are getting violent fast.

Churches and those of faith – as well as Supreme Court justices – are being doxed, targeted, attacked, placed in fear of political violence. These events are increasing, not retreating.

Last week, three churches in Maryland were viciously attacked, a Catholic, Baptist, and Methodist. Violent graffiti, damage, attempts to burn pews, shredding of books – left people “shocked.”

Nationally, “churches in the United States have experienced an unprecedented number of acts of vandalism, theft, harassment, and violence,” with 139 attacks on Catholic churches recently.

Pro-abortion violence has risen overnight. At least 48 attacks on churches and pro-life organizations have occurred in the last six weeks.

Logic, order, respect for law – never mind for religion – are slipping away, shadow groups, pro-abortion activists, anarchists all agitating.

While the FBI is investigating pro-abortion attacks on churches, the frequency, damage done, fear seeded, and accelerating rate of pro-abortion attacks – on churches and pro-life centers – is highly troubling.

The US Attorney General – and two state attorneys general – seem unwilling to enforce statutes protecting justices from intimidation, like 18 USC 1507.  Concern grows that they are willing to risk new violence against justices, pro-life groups, and churches.

Liberal politicians are taking little action to stop the drift to political violence, no warnings to supporters, some fanning violence by calls for “revolution,” “righteous anger,” making pro-life justices “pay the price,” doing nothing to halt violence against churches. This makes one wonder.

In short, to prevent more tragedies – threats and violence against justices, churches, other places of worship, pro-life groups, and citizens who are pro-life – serious steps must be taken, now.

First, the Attorney General must forcefully condemn political violence, get US Attorneys in all “blue states” do the same, and then assure all laws are unwaveringly, consistently enforced.

Second, leading Hill Democrats should join Republicans in condemning pro-abortion violence.

Third, both parties should team to get media and social media to speak against political violence.

Finally, the President should be pressed by Republicans and Democrats to get outspoken, not pushing women to protest or violate standing laws, not delegitimizing the Supreme Court, not toying with “packing the Court” for political aims, and not in trashing the US Supreme Court on foreign soil – all of which he has done – but by saying: No political violence is tolerable.

One returns to words of Jefferson. Two and a half centuries ago, he wrote: “God who gave us life, gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever…”

So well said. Some days, all good Americans tremble for their country, knowing God is just.