"Eleven Christians arrested and jailed in Philadelphia"
Have they outlawed it again?
This is going to be a beautiful lawsuit and by the time it gets to the SC it will be packed with Conservative judges.
They're tough in Philadelphia. Who can forget the time they firebombed an entire neighborhood over a minor zoning infraction by a couple of the residents.
I'm curious - the Boy Scouts won the right to not admit gay members (and I agree with that ruling). The right to freedom of association was upheld. However, shouldn't that right also in turn apply to the other side? If gays want to have a gathering, they should be able to exclude folks that they do not want there.
You can't have it both ways.
Welcome to Free Republic.
Sounds like the arresting officers can easily and should be charged with Civil Rights violations.
no wonder the liberty bell is cracked.
This is an outrage!!! Somebody needs to get down there and fight these people!!
If you're going to make a nuisance of yourselves, expect to pay the price. Jesus didn't bitch about going to the cross.
ping
Marcavage again? Here's a repost from an earlier thread:
If any of you are thinking of backing this Marcavage guy up, please know beforehand with whom you associate. Here's an article from March of this year:
Preacher is jailed on sex charges
Against an emotional backdrop, a Philadelphia preacher convicted of trying to solicit sex from a West Chester teenager was sentenced yesterday to four to 10 years in prison.
The Rev. Craig Stephen White, a fiery street sermonizer known as "Brother Stephen," showed no reaction as Chester County Court Judge Anthony Sarcione imposed the punishment, which also included five years' probation.
"We are very pleased with Judge Sarcione's well-thought-out and appropriate sentence," said Assistant District Attorney Kimberly A. Callahan, who had requested four to eight years in prison.
Defense attorney Robert J. Donatoni said an appeal was being considered.
"Yes, it's a significant amount of time, but under the sentencing guidelines, it could have been worse," Donatoni said, calling the sentence "balanced and fair."
During the hearing, Donatoni presented witnesses who talked about the impact of White's ministry on children in North Philadelphia.
"I have nothing but positive [things] to say about Brother Stephen," said Evelyn Whitfield, a mother of five who credits White with encouraging her boys to pursue college.
White's wife, Lori, told Sarcione that her husband's imprisonment would be a hardship for her and the couple's three children, ages 5, 4, and 20 months.
Callahan presented testimony from the victim, his mother, and his aunt, who all focused on the negative impact of the crime.
"I feel degraded and feel no one has the right to rob someone of their innocence," said the victim, who is now 15 and finds himself "always looking over" his shoulder.
Speaking on his own behalf, White, 40, said he received a calling to be an evangelist at the age of 18. He said he came to Philadelphia 10 years ago because it was a spiritually needy region.
After the hearing, the victim and his family expressed relief.
"Justice was served," the victim's mother said.
Lori White left the courtroom with about a dozen supporters.
"I maintain my husband's innocence," she said.
Michael Marcavage, a character witness at White's trial, had been ejected earlier after Callahan expressed concern about an Internet site that offered a $5,000 reward for information on both the victim and prosecutors that might help free White.
Marcavage, 24, of Lansdowne, became agitated, stood up, and accused Callahan of lying. He also admitted setting up the Web site before being escorted from the courthouse.
Continued...
Brother Stephen White was a notorious preacher of hatred here in the Philadelphia region long before being exposed as a pederast. That Marcavage tried to subvert the process of justice on behalf of a hate-mongering pederast speaks volumes. I hope nobody again tries to associate FreeRepublic with this filth.
PHAROH!! LET MY PEOPLE GO!
The arrest of these eleven brave souls, and now four of them have been ordered to stand trial, is a miscarriage of justice. The whole idea of hate crimes laws is a very dangerous one, and this is why, people cannot excersize thier constitutional freedoms without being arrested and charged with ridiculous charges such as these.
I urge people to storm the local Philly papers with letters defending the Philly 11, and I urge Christians to pray hard for these four people that are not headed for trial. This calls for direct action on the part of conservatives in America, and I urge everyone to express your outrage publically, and loudly.
We cannot sit by idly and watch to see what happens, if they can do this to people in Philly, they can do it to us where we are also. This must NOT be allowed to stand!
Defend the Philly 11!!