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It certainly made for a startling video: police, lights ablaze, pull up to local churches. Once inside, they march up to the pulpit and place the pastor preaching there under arrest, in front of the congregation. The men of the cloth are perp-walked out of the church with handcuffs on.This very scenario created a brief uproar - first at the Akron, Ohio, churches where the "arrests" took place, and then around the country as word spread on social media - among Christians concerned that they were witnessing modern-day persecution.
It was, however, all fake - except for the uniforms of the arresting officers. Those were real enough - and that fact has raised eyebrows in the Ohio precincts where it all took place.
In fact, the mock arrests had been arranged ahead of time by the pastors themselves, who persuaded the Summit County Sheriff's Department to participate in the stunt as a way of dramatizing and publicizing an upcoming community event called "Defending The Faith," in which the pastors will face a mock trial and be forced to defend their Christianity.
More: Mock Arrests of Pastors for 'Defending Faith' Creates Uproar