Firing and arson took place on Sunday at a church in Michigan, USA. The attack took place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Little-Day Sants Chapel in Grand Blanc, Michigan. 5 people died and 8 were injured in this attack. In the US, where there is a Christian -dominated population, the number of attacks on the church in the country is increasing over time. The Family Research Council (FRC) released a report on 11 August. This report states that in 2024, there were 415 attacks on churches in the US. These attacks include incidents related to sabotage, arson, bomb threats and firing in the church.
According to the 2024 report by Pew Research Center, America is a Christian dominated country. 62% of Christians live in the country. At the same time, 2% Jews, 1% Muslims, 1% Buddhists, 1% are Hindus. At the same time, 29 percent religiously unrelated is reliable unaffilized. On the other hand, the Family Research Council (FRC) has been tracking attacks on all the sects of America since 2018 under the Humiliation Report Series against Churches. So far, the total number of such attacks has reached 1,384.
Attacks are increasing on the church
According to the report, in most cases last year, the church was recorded in the church. Whose number was recorded at 284. Cases related to 55 arson, 14 bomb threats and 28 guns were also registered in the report. Which is more than twice as compared to 2023. Apart from this, 47 incidents were kept in other categories. California was at the forefront in the states with 40 incidents in 2024, followed by Pennsylvania (29), Florida and New York (25–25), Texas (23), and Tennessi and Ohio (19–19).
FRC President Tony Perkins, president of FRC, described the attacks on the church as a sign of deep cultural enmity towards faith. He said, this report clearly shows that religious freedom is facing serious threats in America today.
Where did the most attacks?
Catholicvot has kept a record of attacks on at least 518 Catholic churches since May 2020. Catholic churches have been most attacked in states such as California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Catholicvot says that only about 30% of these cases have been arrested. Ariel del Turko, director of FRC’s Center for Relations Liberty, said that religious freedom depends not only on legal safety but also on social consent. He said, no example of sabotage or other crime against churches is acceptable. We have to strengthen cultural support to honor religious freedom and our Christian heritage.
Who is accused of Michigan Church
The accused of firing in Michigan church was killed in an encounter by Thomas Sanford Police. At the same time, the officials have confirmed that the police shot the accused after chasing for a while. Police chief William Rene said that investigators believe that Sanford deliberately set fire to the building.
The accused Thomas Sanford was 40 years old. He was a resident of Burton city. According to the New York Post report, Thomas Sanford was a former soldier of the war. Sanford served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008. President Donald Trump has also condemned the attack on the recent church in the US. Trump said, it is like another targetid attack on Christians in America. He also said, this epidemic of violence in our country should end immediately!
