MARSHALL, N.C. — A man and a woman were arrested on Tuesday after being caught by police writing Satanic messages inside of a Baptist church in North Carolina.
Gavin Beaudet and Kamia Reed have been charged with breaking and entering a place of worship, larceny, resisting a public officer and injury to real property.
According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, on June 18, deputies responded to a breaking and entering call at Walnut Creek Baptist Church in Marshall. When they arrived, they found Beaudet and Reed defacing the church with various writings.
“Madison County Sheriff’s Office deputies located two individuals inside the church that were actively vandalizing and spray painting graffiti on the interior of the church,” the department said in a social media post. “Both of the individuals attempted to flee from deputies. Sheriff’s deputies were able to apprehend both of the individuals.”
Among the markings on the wall and other locations included “Luci,” short for Lucifer, “Sat,” short for Satan, and “Satan rules” complete with a stick figure with horns.
One of the vandals was also found with stolen property on his or her person, the sheriff’s office stated.
“This type of activity will not be tolerated,” Sheriff Buddy Harwood simply remarked.
Residents reacted to the incident with dismay, and a number of commenters expressed the hope that the two would turn to Jesus.
“I would be so ashamed if it ever crossed my mind to do this to the Lord’s house. Truly breaks my heart in two,” one commenter wrote. “Whether they want it or not, I’m going to pray for them. I can’t stand to see people do anything to disrespect the Lord or other people. I would like to know what joy they got out of doing this.”
“They need the maximum punishment by law. But, most of all, they need JESUS in their lives. … I am praying for the people involved in this crime to repent and turn their lives over to the LORD!” another stated.
“[M]ake them attend services in that same church. And stand before the people in church and tell the church why they did this,” a third opined.
Church vandalism cases are regularly in headlines. Earlier this month, Faith Family Church in Acworth, Georgia was vandalized with messages such as “Hail Satan” and its windows were smashed. Also see our report from March 2018 on the various incidents taking place at that time.
The late preacher and author A.W. Pink once said, “Why does the sinner choose a life of sinful indulgence? Because he prefers it. Man chooses that which is according to his nature, and therefore, before he will ever choose or prefer that which is divine or spiritual, a new nature must be imparted to him. In other words, he must be born again.”
Galatians 5:19-23 also teaches, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
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