Two Denton Texas Churches Receive Anonymous Bomb Threats

[Cissy]

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/12/22/two-denton-churches-receive-anonymous-threats/

DENTON (CBS11) – Would you attend Christmas Eve prayer services if there was a chance someone would try to blow up the church?

It’s a question thousands of churchgoers in Denton are asking themselves right now after two bomb threats there in two days.

St. Andrew Presbyterian received the shocking letter this morning. It threatened to bomb the church unless it canceled these Christmas services.

“It was like, oh! It’s hitting home!” Denton resident Cheryl Cooper said when she heard the news. “You just don’t expect that.”

Two different churches, two anonymous letters and one chilling message: Stop Christmas Eve services or your churches will be bombed.

“I just didn’t expect to hear about it in Denton,” Cooper said. “Especially now right across the street from where I work. And a church where we have friends going there too.”

And Cooper’s daughter attends the other church that was threatened. Denton Bible Church received the first letter with a bomb threat Monday. St Andrews Presbyterian received a very similar letter Tuesday.

“There was no religious or social affiliation mentioned in the letter,” said Denton Police Department Spokesman Shane Kizer. “But it did mention that there was a bomb and threatened both churches to not have their Christmas Eve services.”

Both churches apparently plan to continue their services. There was already visible security present outside Denton Bible Church today. Even so, Cooper has asked her daughter to change her Christmas tradition this year and stay home.

“She said that she’s not going to go and for me to quit asking her,” Cooper said. “But I hate that! Because I want the real spirit of Christmas to be celebrated and I think that’s where we need to be. So, it’s really a sad thing.”

Denton police say they’re keeping the Department of Homeland Security up to date on what is happening, but they won’t tell us if federal agents are involved in the investigation.

[tod evans]

I was 100% behind those churches until I read that they'd involved the feds.

[enhanced_deficit]

This is getting insane.

Similar news came out of SC few weeks ago.

Black churches in SC receive death threat letter over female Pastor
thegrio.com/.../black-churches-in-sc-receive-death-threat-letter-...
Jul 2, 2015 - theGRIO REPORT - As if the latest string of arsons and the Charleston shooting weren't enough, now three black churches in South Carolina ...

[Cissy]

I was 100% behind those churches until I read that they'd involved the feds.

I suspect that was the real intent of the person behind the note---more government control and intrusion into churches. The message will be: "You see? You Christians *NEED* the State to protect you."

[tod evans]

Out here in the sticks Priests and Pastors carry so does most of the clergy...

Sad thing is they'd probably call in the feds over a bomb threat too...

Don't know if it's fear, fear of litigation or just CYA but I'm of the mind that even mentioning those bastards empowers them....(Feds)

[Cissy]

Out here in the sticks Priests and Pastors carry so does most of the clergy...

Sad thing is they'd probably call in the feds over a bomb threat too...

Don't know if it's fear, fear of litigation or just CYA but I'm of the mind that even mentioning those bastards empowers them....(Feds)

The churches in the article are both larger churches; I suspect it's a combination of fear of litigation and just CYA for them.

[pcosmar]

The churches in the article are both larger churches; I suspect it's a combination of fear of litigation and just CYA for them.

It does make it very clear where their faith is placed.

:(

[Cissy]

It does make it very clear where their faith is placed.

:(

Yes, I wish they would have released a statement like "Fear not; the Lord is greater than any terrorist We will trust in the Lord, not in the State." Who knows? Such a bold response may have prompted the letter writer to repent and turn to Christ.

[twomp]

I don't get how a church can be blown up. I thought God could do anything? Couldn't he just put a bomb protection bubble around the church?

[euphemia]

Except that you all are not up on your theology. The Bible says the government is God's agent to do us good, and in this case, investigating a crime would be the responsiblity of local detectives.

People in general should not be making bomb threats. What if they made a threat to a secular building or to a neighborhood?

Stop poking at Christians and churches.

[pcosmar]

Stop poking at Christians and churches.

Not poking at..

Rebuking. Perhaps the state should be such,, but in all of known history it has never been anything but an agent of evil.

Satan runs all earthly government,, and will do so until Christ returns.


The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Their trust is in the state,, not in God.

[Cissy]

I don't get how a church can be blown up. I thought God could do anything? Couldn't he just put a bomb protection bubble around the church?

He can. But the Church is a gathering of believers, not a building. People don't need to go to a particular building to worship the Lord. Ekklesia means "assembly", not "structure".

[Cissy]

Except that you all are not up on your theology. The Bible says the government is God's agent to do us good, and in this case, investigating a crime would be the responsiblity of local detectives.

People in general should not be making bomb threats. What if they made a threat to a secular building or to a neighborhood?

Stop poking at Christians and churches.

I understand nonChristians putting their faith in the State rather than Christ. The early church looked to the Lord, not to the State for their security. Indeed, they *expected* to die for their beliefs because they honored God above the State.

[euphemia]

I understand nonChristians putting their faith in the State rather than Christ. The early church looked to the Lord, not to the State for their security. Indeed, they *expected* to die for their beliefs because they honored God above the State.

I don't think the article gave a motive for the threats. It is up to local law enforcement to investigate crime. Bomb threats are crimes. It is entirely appropriate to report a crime to local law enforcement. It is appropriate for local law enforcement to be concerned not just for the church itself, but for the surrounding community. And it is appropriate for a church to do what is necessary to protect people who come to services. They can do it themselves, or hire it. It's appropriate.

[Cissy]

I don't think the article gave a motive for the threats. It is up to local law enforcement to investigate crime. Bomb threats are crimes. It is entirely appropriate to report a crime to local law enforcement. It is appropriate for local law enforcement to be concerned not just for the church itself, but for the surrounding community. And it is appropriate for a church to do what is necessary to protect people who come to services. They can do it themselves, or hire it. It's appropriate.

This is the difference between the first century church that the state viewed as a threat and the 21st century church.

[euphemia]

I can't argue with that.

The other side is that in today's world, we have big facilities and utilities. An explosion on a campus the size of either of the churches threatened would have a big impact on the surrounding areas. Debris, loss of utilities, or maybe a worse explosion if either church uses natural gas for anything.

[tod evans]

Except that you all are not up on your theology. The Bible says the government is God's agent to do us good, and in this case, investigating a crime would be the responsiblity of local detectives.

People in general should not be making bomb threats. What if they made a threat to a secular building or to a neighborhood?

Stop poking at Christians and churches.

Notice any parallels between how government in today's USA has been perverted from the Bible as well as the constitution?

With enough circular reasoning even outright murder can be "justified"......Cry Romans 13 or national defense and all is okay for some people.......

[Cissy]

I can't argue with that.

The other side is that in today's world, we have big facilities and utilities. An explosion on a campus the size of either of the churches threatened would have a big impact on the surrounding areas. Debris, loss of utilities, or maybe a worse explosion if either church uses natural gas for anything.

In today's world, wicked men who wish to bomb any place will do so. Often times, a bomb threat is a way of creating drama or gaining attention. For schoolchildren, it's a way the lazy try to get out of a final exam or test in class. Because the kids who go on to become dentists and engineers need to be held hostage by those who go on to less honorable enterprises.

The reality is---if the culprits wanted to murder people, the agents on the scene could do nothing at best or, as in Colombine, they'd wait outside until ithe explosions stopped.

[Ender]

Except that you all are not up on your theology. The Bible says the government is God's agent to do us good, and in this case, investigating a crime would be the responsiblity of local detectives.

People in general should not be making bomb threats. What if they made a threat to a secular building or to a neighborhood?

Stop poking at Christians and churches.

Uh... NO, it does NOT.

[euphemia]

Uh... NO, it does NOT.

Um, yes it does.

Romans 13:4--For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good.

In that context, government in its proper place is a force for good in society. Out of its place, it cannot do anything but harm.

[Ender]

Um, yes it does.

Romans 13:4--For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good.

In that context, government in its proper place is a force for good in society. Out of its place, it cannot do anything but harm.

Much of the Bible stemming from the KJV had certain words deliberately mistranslated to please the King. One famous one is "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live, Exodus 22:18." This was never in the original scriptures- the KJV replaced the word murderer with witch to please King James because he hated witches.

The "authority" in Romans had nothing to do with civil government.

Here's some easy reading on the subject:

http://shamah-elim.info/a/romans13-1.htm