Fearing bombings and shootings by Islamic militants, some Christians in Indonesia are abandoning traditional churches in favor of more unorthodox but secure confines, such as hotel ballrooms and office blocks.
| It's that fabled Muslim tolerance... |
With foreign governments warning of holiday terror attacks, tens of thousands of police officers will guard churches in the world's most populous Muslim nation. Metal detectors will be in place for most services and armed escorts will accompany parishioners, church officials said. "It puts us at a lower risk for being a target for religious persecution," said Pastor Steve Lunn, originally from Seattle, whose International English Service holds worship services for 1,000 people in a downtown Jakarta office building. "People tell me they feel safer," he said. "The facility itself is not the most important thing. It's just a place to gather. The most important thing is being together and worshipping God together." |