Alabama Megachurch To Have Its Own Police Force

[Secular Elf]

We are definitely going in the wrong direction:

...when the Briarwood Presbyterian Church, a megachurch in the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, asked for special permission to create our nation’s first ever church-run police force, it sailed right through Alabama’s GOP-dominated Senate on Tuesday. It’s expected that the bill will pass the Republican-controlled House and become law, empowering the Briarwood Church to hire actual police officers in the name of the church.
The Briarwood Church police officers would be required to be certified by the Alabama Peace Officer Training Commission. Consequently, they will be armed and fully empowered as police officers in Alabama, although church officials explained that its “officers would be restricted to the church’s campuses and be able to respond to emergency situations while coordinating with local authorities.” No word yet if the church’s police officers would wear large crosses on their uniforms that conjure up Christian crusaders, but since they are church employees that could be part of the uniform.

Source: The Daily Beast--"In Alabama, A Church Is Getting Its Own Police Force  http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/20...force.html

If one Conservative Dominionist church can have its own police force, why not all of them?

Do any of my secular brothers and sisters still think that we do not need our own militias to counter a theocratic government dictatorship?  We better start discussing this more seriously.  We better take the threats to us more seriously.

[Fireball]

I think it is an extremely bad idea. The RCC ran some of the Western world long enough; look at the damage they did. Even secular law doesn't keep their rapacity in check, or even bring all the criminals therein to justice. I don't exempt any other xtian church from that assessment; it's just that the RCC is easier to point out. Perhaps that church should look to local law enforcement assisting them. How do they square this with their religious mores (not) keeping their folks in line?. Nope, it's gonna go sideways, if they are allowed to have their own police force.

[Anomalocaris]

It's a good idea if it keeps the inmates from escaping.

[brewer]

Some christian colleges already have their own armed police forces. Mosques and temples have armed guards.

Having the same law enforcement powers as the city/county/state is a mistake.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Come on.  Church police forces DO have their lighter side.





Boru

[Minimalist]

The RCC ran some of the Western world long enough;

Even the fucking church had the decency not to have their own police.  They conned the local nobles into doing their dirty work for them.

[Fireball]

The RCC ran some of the Western world long enough;

Even the fucking church had the decency not to have their own police.  They conned the local nobles into doing their dirty work for them.

Fair enough, but a heavy hand nonetheless. Got to keep the peasants in line.

[Iroscato]

Well I can see no way this could go horribly, awfully, terribly, holy-fuck-the-humanity-you-maniacs-what-devestation-have-you-wrought wrong.

[Minimalist]

Even the fucking church had the decency not to have their own police.  They conned the local nobles into doing their dirty work for them.

Fair enough, but a heavy hand nonetheless. Got to keep the peasants in line.

Something that the church and nobility always agreed upon.

[brewer]

Wonder how long it will be before there is a civil suit for wrongful death, excessive force, hate crime, ............?

If it's the churches force and not independent, I think that they should incur all of the liability (hello, atty please). Maybe the church can be bled dry.