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Facing the Unthinkable

Is Your Church Safe From an Attack?

There has been an increase in attacks on religious institutions and leaders, including mass shootings and hate crimes. Whether an organization is urban or rural, large or small, seems to have no bearing on its vulnerability to an attack. Some mega churches have the money to pay for security and for the civil litigation that follows but the majority do not. Every church must make its own determination whether circumstances exist that warrant a shield against criminal or civil litigation.

A few decades ago, needing to defend yourself and your family at church was never discussed. Today, few would challenge the value of learning defense strategies for time spent in a house of worship.  Church shootings happen often enough that there is a national shooting data base. No denomination is immune.  People continue to die at the hands of violent intruders in houses of worship. Since 1999 violent episodes at churches and other places of worship have begun to escalate with alarming frequency.

 

In looking through the Bible, God used Cherubim wielding flaming swords to protect the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3.) When Sanballat, Tobiah, Arabs, Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it (Nehemiah 4.)

 

So, what did the people of Judah do?  They prayed to God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.  Half of the men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked (Nehemiah 4.)

 

The Bible also addresses people being able to protect themselves giving examples describing a person’s actions and the weapon used. There are many passages that talk about violence that God approves of, such as David slaying Goliath with a rock (1 Samuel 17.) Samson killed over a thousand men with nothing but a jaw bone (Judges 15.)  The prophet Elijah killed the priests of Baal with a sword (In 1 Kings 19.) Saul had a bitter war with the Philistines using swords, axes, and spears (1 Samuel 14.) and Ehud made for him-self a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and slays about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped” (Judges 3.)

 

As with many questions in our lives, self-defense has to do with wisdom, understanding, and tact. For instance, in Luke 11-21: “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.” Also in Luke 22, Jesus prepares His disciples for the trip to the city for Passover telling them to get a sword because Jesus knew that now was the time when He would be threatened (and later killed) and His followers would be threatened as well but it was not for them to be slain. Jesus was giving approval of the fact that one has the right to self-defense.

 

Jesus himself used violence.  Remember Jesus arriving at the temple in Jerusalem and finding the money changes there.  He violently overturned their tables described in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

 

As far as self-defense when one’s life is threatened, there is a whole lot in the Bible concerning this but not killing someone over loss of property. Exodus 22 speaks quite a bit about God’s attitude towards self-defense. “If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed.” This is speaking of thievery and not an attack.

 

Coverage for the church entity plus any additional parishioner who is an SDF member.

Three plans of protection to fit your needs:

  1. Gold Plan unlimited attorney fees plus $10 Million Dollars for extras plus civil judgements not to exceed ten million dollars total aggregate amount.

  2. Silver Plan unlimited attorney fees plus $5 Million Dollars for extras plus civil judgements not to exceed five million dollars total aggregate amount.

  3. Bronze Plan unlimited attorney fees plus $1 Million Dollars for extras.  Plan does not cover civil judgements.

 

The Gold or Silver plan includes payment of a civil judgement not to exceed the total aggregate amount paid via a supersedeas bond aka appeals bond.  Supersedeas (also termed “writ of supersedeas”) is Latin for “you shall desist,” and it refers to a stay of the enforcement of a judgment pending appeal; a writ or bond that suspends a judgment creditor's power to levy execution. Have questions? 682-238-8161 or selfdefensefund@gmail.com

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