Religious threat? That's pathetic.
This is a religious threat:
Posted on 08/25/2005 7:00:59 AM PDT by 300magnum
GREER, S.C. -- An internal investigation has cleared a reserve officer with the Greer Police Department of any wrongdoing in connection with a traffic stop that sparked a religious controversy.
Tony Stewart has been a volunteer officer with the department for 14 years.
In June, Stewart cited motorist Tony Gainey for driving with a suspended license, not having proper license plates or proof of insurance.
Gainey and his wife, D.J., said they're convinced Stewart pulled them over because of the bumper stickers on their car. One of the stickers read, "It's a druid thing."
The Gaineys said they believe in druidism -- a nature-focused religion.
Stewart said the bumper sticker was not the reason for the traffic stop.
"I didn't know what the druids were. Maybe as a Baptist deacon I should know what the druids were. I know now," Stewart said.
Stewart said D.J. Gainey gave him permission to send her a letter inviting the couple to visit his church.
"If I had not wrote the letter inviting them to the church, then God would have something to say to me. He reached out to that family. They pushed and slapped his hand away. That hurts my heart," Stewart said.
The Gaineys said the letter, which "called them to listen to the words from the Baptists," was a religious threat and a violation of their constitutional rights.
Stewart said he has sent dozens of similar letters over the years to people he's met.
"Most of the time they never responded, but I've had a few that it changed their lives," he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union is demanding that the city of Greer drop all charges and apologize to the Gaineys.
Religious threat? That's pathetic.
This is a religious threat:
So after he's off duty, and not performing normal job functions, it should be ok, because he's acting as a private citizen now.
I have several problems with this story and the reactions to it. One: I am fed absolutely to the back teeth with this unspoken notion of the moral equivalence of all religions. Anybody who suggests such a thing has instantly disqualified himself from any further words on the subject. After all, a difference which makes no difference IS no difference. Two: Why can a cop not be a person, too? Would we rather be policed by autonomous androids? (That concept has spawned a number of scary dystopian fantasies.) Since robotics hasn't progressed(?) to that point yet, we have to settle for making live humans act like robots. That will do, I guess.
Face it. Somebody has an agenda here, and it doesn't stop with squashing a little Baptist pew-sitter sending a letter to his neighbors. One fine day, advertisements from the Baptist church will be forbidden also, and the sign in front of the church will be deemed a "religious threat" because it occasionally has a Bible verse on it. Then the church itself becomes a "religious threat", and it goes underground.
The Founding Fathers of this Republic had no concept of the "dhimmi", and I submit that although the Muslims came up with the word, they didn't invent the thing it names, which is commonplace everywhere but America. When it arrives here, it will be by just such slow gradualism as represented by this complaint against Greer, SC.
I have to agree with mirabile_dictu on this point:
An armed officer with the authority to haul you off to jail, and ruin your entire day/week/month/year is in a position of power and you are at a serious disadvantage at the time of an arrest, or citation. The "permission" is meaningless in that situation.
He should evangelize enthusiatically while off duty and out of uniform. I don't think Jesus carried a sword when he invited people to be baptized, much less a Glock 9mm.
I believe we Christians gave up the spreading of the gospel by the sword quite a few hundreds of years ago. It didn't work out very well in the crusades, and doesn't now either.
If this was a religious threat and violation of the Gailey's rights, then the ACLU is a religious threat and a violation of our rights.
I had a druid as a professor in college. Old guy, looked around 70 or so. The class was Arthurian legends (okay I took all my electives in literature and history). First day of the class he flat out stated this class would be focused on dispelling Christian thought found in medieval literature. Then he went into a lecture on the wisdom of worshipping the trees. Only literature class I ever dropped
You said "He should evangelize enthusiatically while off duty and out of uniform."
In the book of Mark chapter 16 verse 15 Jesus is quoted:
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."
He doesn't say except when in uniform. He doesn't say except when armed. He doesn't say exept when it offends Druids or Muslims, or ACLU lawyers.
So you'll not be upset should you or your family be pulled over for some violation, whether real or imagined, and a gun-toting officer of the state encourages you to attend his mosque, and suggests that it would be a good idea for you to accept his invitation to the "Religion of Peace" because "the great prophet Mohammed" tells him in the Qu'ran that he must spread the word of Allah, as he casually mentions that he knows your address now?
Yes, he should "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." per Jesus' instruction in Mark chapter 16 verse 15.
He should also follow Jesus' instruction in Matthew 26:52 "Then saith Jesus to him, Return thy sword to its place; for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword."
It doesn't really matter what it says in the bible in regards to when christians should spread the word.
The problem here is that this officer seems to have used his official position as a way to spread his religious views.
As a taxpayer, I am not interested in public officials using their tax-payer supported positions to spread a certain religious or political agenda.
He's clearly talking about abuse. He didn't tell Peter to throw the sword into the trash, or beat it into a plowshare or a fishing knife.
The point was more that I could have picked most any verse I wanted to make the case for whatever I wanted. Or, even better, pick selected ones, or excerpts:
Matthew 27:5
"And having cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, he left the place, and went away and hanged himself."
Judges 9:48
"... What ye have seen me do, make haste, do as I have done. "
Yes Jesus said "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." 300Magnum interpeted that to mean he must preach the gospel to every creature when he is working as a police officer, not when he is acting as a civilian.
I don't want an Imam/policeman trying to convert me to Islam when he is amed, has me pulled over by the side of the road, and has the power to take me to jail, should I displease him enough. I don't want a neo-Nazi/policeman trying to convert me to the Aryan Nation under those circumstances. I don't want a Wikkan/Druid/Wahabi/Hindu/Shiite/Athiest/policeman trying to convert me under those circumstances.
Since I am commanded love my neighbor as myself, I would argue that others should be shown the same respect for their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as we would like to be shown.
Salvation and grace are a gift of God, not to be shoved down one's throat as pill for a sick cat. Maybe he would be more successful preaching God's Word when helping someone in need than when citing someone for a violation. Just a guess.
"Then saith Jesus to him, Return thy sword to its place; for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword."
I think Jesus was speaking to Simon Peter, his own disciple, who had just chopped off the ear of one of the men who were trying to arrest Jesus.
How does that apply to anything in this story? It seems to me you are taking the scripture out of context to make the point you want to make.
The Druids. No one knew who they were....or what they were doing.
Where in the Bible is the scripture that tells when not to spread the gospel?
OK.
As long as you are comfortable when the shoe is on the other foot, and the Islamists / Druids / Wiccans / Satanists / Aryans / Hindus / Atheists / Buddhists / People of a Gay God / etc preach to you, your wife, your children, your other family or friends while you/they are essentially under arrest, by an armed evangelist of whatever faith. Then, sure, nothing says it's not a good thing.
I'm sure this is what Jesus had in mind. "Go forth and arrest people, and give unto them the good news." Yeah, I remember that verse now. Especially because it is such an effective display of the love that He wants to show. "God may forgive you, but neither I nor the great state of South Carolina will." Good message, I'm sure he's going to reap converts like they're going out of style.
I do not wish to be put into such a situation, for myself, nor for my loved ones. You clearly have more faith in those who practice other religions than I. Just don't complain when it is a non-Christian doing the coercing.
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