In a nation that separate church and state, when do we allowed church to be a safe haven for any law breakers of any kind? No church should have the power to defy any authority at any level since that is a true invasion of religion power in our secular lives.  No matter which sides of the political aisle you may be on, this intrusion of religion should be considered as a threat. All religious faiths, Christian, Muslim or whatever, must fall under secular authority when it come to the law. If a Christian church is allowed to practice its sanctuary tradition that can be traced back to the medieval time, who are we to say that the Islamic Sharia tradition don't have the same rights?? Then we will have religious priority placed upon us all. May it be a church, mosque, Buddhist temple or whatever, it must always be under secular authority under the law.