Earlier this month, I mentioned that Mayor Will Rogers of Hawkins, Texas has been contacted by the FFRF respecting that town’s ongoing trespass against the strict separation of religion and government.
This morning, part of his coffee shop caught on fire, as reported by the Tyler Morning Telegraph and The Journal. Rogers claims that his security tapes reveal it was the act of an arsonist. He also speculates that “the restaurant was targeted by someone who’s upset by Hawkins’ recent commitment to a Christian message.”
If it was indeed arson, it should go without saying that this was a deplorable act. If it was indeed a deliberate attack on Christian ideology, then it was terrorism. No one can support such lawlessness and still claim to uphold the values of humanism.
Bearing that in mind, I would counsel restraint for all concerned. We don’t yet know who set the fire or why. Rogers has been attacked before the recent church/state controversy, when someone threw a brick into his office window and slashed his tires, this may be the same perpetrator back for another bite at the apple. Even assuming this wasn’t simple revenge, there are probably at least a dozen or two non-Christians—even in such a small town—and most of them are innocent. Now is not the time for rash generalizations and guilt by association. We should let the legal process play out and avoid jumping to any conclusions until enough evidence comes in.
After all, WWJD?
