Last Tuesday, July 26, ISIS stooped to a new low. Two of its radical followers entered a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, France, took hostages, and slit the throat of an 85-year-old priest celebrating mass. They did this all while giving a sermon on Islam from the altar.

With this despicable act, the Islamic State crossed a new threshold in its war against the West, a war it alone has initiated and declared. A few relevant issues immediately come to mind.

First, even in war there are general ideas of fair and acceptable war tactics, as bizarre as that may sound. So called “terms of engagement” identify tactics that are considered barbarous, so far over the line that they are seen as profoundly inhumane.

The killing of a religious leader in the midst of performing religious duties crosses that boundary into barbarism and animalism. The message sent is that “there are no limits to the means by which we seek to destroy you.”

“To attack a church, to kill a priest, is to profane the republic,” French President Francois Hollande told the nation after speaking with Pope Francis, who condemned the killing in the strongest terms.

Second, this attack is indeed a turning point in ISIS’s strategy. But it also signals a shift in their focus, one in which the battle between Islam and Christianity is at the forefront.

“What these two people today have done is ... shifted the tactical attack to the attack on Rome ... an attack on Christianity,” said Haras Rafiq, managing director of the Quilliam Foundation.

Third, think about it. When has the killing of religious leaders ever helped in religiously-oriented wars? Such actions, as rare and inhumane as they are, do nothing but ignite the faithful.

God protect the faithful from those who seek to destroy them, and help us all keep the barbarians from the gate.

Let me close today’s column with a note of thanks to Pat Donahue, editor of this newspaper. As he leaves for the beautiful city of Thomasville, he goes with my well wishes and those of this community. He has been a thoughtful, genuine, intelligent and kind resource for Effingham, has become a friend to me, and we will all miss him. He is indeed one of the good guys. Godspeed, Pat.