Scottish Monk Arrested for Distributing Leaflets Promoting Sexual Morality

LifeSite News ^ | 12/12/14 | Thaddeus Baklinski

[marshmallow]

A Scottish monk has been arrested for distributing a series of leaflets in the Cambridgeshire area critical of homosexuality, fornication, contraception, euthanasia, abortion, and divorce.

Brother Damon Jonah Kelly, head of the Glasgow based charity the Black Hermits, was arrested by Cambridgeshire Police on December 8 on suspicion of a Section 5 (religious/racial) public order offence after he wrote a letter to the homosexual news publication, Pink News, claiming responsibility for the distribution of leaflets in the city of Ely, as well as in Cambridge, King’s Lynn and several other Cambridgeshire towns and cities.

Initially police declined to take any action following a number of complaints about the leaflets, saying that neither the distribution of the leaflets nor the messages they contain were a crime, and in fact protected by free speech laws.

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police said in a statement to Ely News, "Leaflets of a homophobic nature were distributed in Cambridge earlier this year. Additionally, similar material has been distributed in other areas of the county and indeed, the country.”

"While the material being distributed earlier this week will in many cases offend, irritate, shock or disturb, the content, context and actions of the male concerned fall short of any criminality at this time,” the spokeswoman added.

However, once the source of the leaflets identified himself, the police arrested him. They then released him on bail with a promise to appear on January 20.

[JSDude1]

God Bless him!

[PAR35]

I accuse the police of a Section 5 offense. They are persecuting this man because of his religious beliefs.

[defconw]

Good for him! You know 50 years ago something happened to this world and it's not going to end well.

[MUDDOG]

It reminds me of the Catholics being persecuted in England in the late 16th century.

Maybe they're going to need some of those hideaways in the old manor houses.

[stinkerpot65]

They’ll be putting the rest of us in prison, as soon as they have the power.

[Timocrat]

It reminds me of the Catholics being persecuted in England in the late 16th century.

What a co-incidence. It reminds me of the Protestants being persecuted in England in the mid 16th century. " Bloody" Mary certainly knew how to handle those dissenters.

[MUDDOG]

I’m assuming this Scottish monk is Catholic.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Give me a break. Henry VIII was responsible for around 70,000 deaths. His son Edward VI, in his short reign, had 5,500 Catholics put to death. "Bloody" Mary burned fewer than 300 people.

I don't understand why Protestants continually harp on Queen Mary, when she killed so few compared to the two previous Protestant monarchs. It's like complaining about someone dropping a fingernail in the punch bowl after two people crapped in it shortly before.

[Salvation]

You beat me to it.

[Arthur McGowan]

If I were going to hand out pamphlets, they would say the following. I'd like to see anybody put me in jail for this:

All deliberate seeking of venereal pleasure, except in acts between husband and wife which are apt for the generation of new life, is grave matter.

Note the complete absence of any reference to anybody who could be considered a "minority" or an "oppressed group," etc. Note the complete absence of any reference to "guilt" or "sin" or "judgment" or any other forbidden ideas.

[Arthur McGowan]

They are persecuting him for publishing certain propositions.

Is there any explicit protection of free speech in Scottish law?

[Jeff Chandler]

You are presuming a level of literacy among the general population of a level sufficient for the comprehension of the contents of your pamphlet.

[marshmallow]

Although Brother Kelly lives in Scotland, this occurred in England.

[Slyfox]

If this is not a prime example of “Whoa to those who call evil good and good evil” I don’t know what is.

[Sr. Colette]

I have joined this website in order to give you some information about Br. Damon Jonah to help your discussion.
He is a hermit in the same community as myself so I know him very well. We were living in Scotland when we set up the charity, so that is Scottish, but he is English, and we now live in England.
I agree with you Arthur, your wording would have been much more wise, but he uses rather extreme language to try to shock people into starting to think, a skill rather lacking in the apathetic world.
Cambridgeshire is only the most recent arrest! He has been investigated/arrested by 8 different County Police Forces this year. Two Forces dropped the case, One gave him a police caution, and five are still proceeding and all look likely to take him to court in the New Year. He is expecting to be sent to prison.
I agree with you likening it to the Reformation. In one of his police interviews last week he was asked if he accepted that he was breaking the law. His reply went on the lines of : “How should I know if I am breaking the law, that is for you to say, I can’t know because the law keeps changing, 400 years ago you would have executed me for being a Catholic, and 50 years ago you would be prosecuting homosexuals. I follow God’s Law which never changes.”
Please pray for him, and continue to work towards the restoration of traditional values.
Sr. Colette

[vladimir998]

“It reminds me of the Protestants being persecuted in England in the mid 16th century. “ Bloody” Mary certainly knew how to handle those dissenters.”

Except those Protestants were not being persecuted for serving morality but for deviating from it. Catholics were persecuted for remaining true to the only faith people knew for a thousand years. Protestants were persecuted for preaching the beginning of what led to what happened in this article.

[vladimir998]

Thank you for the information.

[Salvation]

Sr. Colette

Since Dec 13, 2014

Welcome to the FR Religion Forum. Thanks for your information.

[bd476]

Here's a little more information and a photo of Brother Damon Kelly of the Black Hermits charity.
God Bless Brother Damon Kelly and the Black Hermits charity.

Monk arrested for distributing homophobic leaflets is head of Catholic charity

PinkNews
December 12th, 2014

CAMBRIDGE, England -- A monk who was earlier this week arrested for distributing leaflets across Cambridge claiming that gay people are “corrupting young children” is the director of a Catholic charity that spends tens of thousands of pounds each year.

Damon Jonah Kelly, 53, of Corby, Northamptonshire was arrested on Dec. 8 on suspicion of a Section 5 public order offense. He was bailed until Jan. 20, at which point he will return to Huntington Police Station in Cambridge.

PinkNews has discovered that Kelly, who is actually a monk, is the director of the Scotland-based charity the Black Hermits.



Brother Damon Kelly of the Black Hermits charity is accused of homophobic activity.

Leaflets distributed in the city in October claimed that AIDS is God's punishment for gays, homosexuality is linked to pedophilia, and that transgender people should be exorcised.

To read the full story, click HERE.