Posted on 03/03/2017 5:29:52 AM PST by Petrosius
BRISTOL, England, March 2, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – A British magistrate has convicted two Christian street preachers of disorderly conduct and using “threatening and abusive words … likely to cause alarm.”
Their crime: speaking about Christianity in a sometimes-hostile crowd that includes Muslims, and LGBT supporters.
At the time of the preachers' arrest, the arresting officer chided one of the men, saying, "People were getting angry. You were challenging homophobia. You were challenging Muslims." The officer accused them of "anti-social behavior."
While the judge dismissed charges against a third man, he convicted Michael Overd and Michael Stockwell on Tuesday. They face up to six months in jail.
Andrea Williams of the Christian Legal Centre, which is funding their defense, said an appeal was filed.
“We’ll take this all the way to the European Court if we have to,” Williams told LifeSiteNews. “Today's ruling, in effect, states that Bible is offensive and contains illegal speech which should not be shared in public.
“The Bible and its teachings are the foundation of our society and provided many of the freedoms and protections that we still enjoy today. So it is extraordinary that the prosecution, speaking on behalf of the state, could say that the Bible contains abusive words which, when spoken in public, constitute a criminal offense.”
The Crown prosecutor argued that Biblical claims about the unique, salvational role and divine nature of Jesus Christ were bound to offend and threaten non-Christians.
That makes them offenses under Section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 that prohibits “threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress.”
At one point, prosecutor Ian Jackson told the court, “To say to someone that Jesus is the only God is not a matter of truth. To the extent that they are saying that the only way to God is through Jesus, that cannot be a truth.”
That prompted the men’s lawyer, Michael Phillips, to say, “This prosecution is nothing more than a modern-day heresy trial – dressed up under the Public Order Act.”
The men had debated Muslims in the audience that formed around them in downtown Bristol. They also disputed the truth of other faiths. Stockwell, at one point, declared, “If you are trying to come through Catholicism, through Jehovah Witnesses, through Mormonism, the Bible says you're a thief and a liar and a thief comes to steal and destroy.”
Police arrived, including one on horseback. After asking one preacher to turn down his megaphone, which he did, they arrested four men, throwing one to the ground. They took them to a police station, charged three and released them all.
Williams commented, “The aggressive treatment of Mr. Overd and his friends by the police and prosecution is shocking. We will argue [on appeal] that the police did not act in a reasonable manner. The sensible way to restore public order would have been to ask the crowd to move off. Or they could have asked the preachers to move off.”
Police could have arrested the troublemakers in the crowd, who were “mocking and taunting the preachers for over an hour.” However, by arresting the preachers, Williams told LifeSiteNews, the police were acting as censors for those in the crowd who did not want them to continue.
“That puts us in a very dangerous place. The job of the police is not to stop free speech. There have been people preaching in the street forever,” Williams said.
When rulings in Magistrate’s Court are appealed, Williams explained, a higher court retries the entire matter, rehearing testimony and re-examining evidence.
She told LifeSiteNews that the defense would argue that the whole premise for the law is dangerous.
“Any suggestion that there is a right not to be offended must be strongly resisted,” she said. “In today's democracy, we need the freedom to debate, challenge and disagree.”
FUGB
You mean FUNSGB
People in the USA who do not travel outside our borders, do not realize that other countries do not have freedom of speech. Americans really have no idea of the freedoms we enjoy in this country. I believe that is why so many are Leftists. Clueless.
The libs in Bristol are sharp as a pistol
When they do the Christian Stomp...
Oh those poor widdle Muslims and their 14 centuries of naked aggression!
BEN CARSON on MUSLIMSDr. Carson is a very intelligent man, both in surgery and in critical thinking. Everyone must read this as we welcome Muslins into our mainly Christian country.
Subject: BEN CARSON on MUSLIMS
This has been the underlying premise that has kept Christianity and Islam at war for almost 2000 years. They cannot and will not assimilate into any society that does not embrace their theocratic views. Europe has already suffered a recent invasion of Muslims under the guise of refugees that will destroy Europe as we and they knew it. To ignore the same here will be at our peril.
This denial has been the downfall of every non-Muslim nation who has refused to or has been afraid to believe it - do not fall into the trap of thinking anyone who is aware is racist or paranoid - the informed always have the advantage.
I want adults and children to understand this regarding MUSLIMS.
CAN MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS?
This is very interesting and we all need to read it from start to finish. And send it on to everyone. Maybe this is why our American Muslims are so quiet and not speaking out about any atrocities.
Can a good Muslim be a good American?
Theologically - no. Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon god of Arabia
Religiously - no. Because no other religion is accepted by his Allah except Islam. (Quran,2:256)(Kora
Scripturally - no. Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.
Geographically - no. Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he turns in prayer five times a day.
Socially - no. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews.
Politically - no. Because he must submit to the mullahs, who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America , the great Satan
Domestically - no. Because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him. (Quran 4:34
Intellectually - no. Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.
Philosophically - no. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.
Spiritually - no. Because when we declare 'one nation under God,' The Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran's 99 excellent names.Therefore, after much study and deliberation...Perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. They obviously cannot be both 'good' Muslims and 'good' Americans. Call it what you wish, it's still the truth. You had better believe it. The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future.
The religious war is bigger than we know or understand!
Footnote:The Muslims have said they will destroy us from within. SO FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
The Military wants this message to roll all over the U.S.
Did the wise Ben Carson write this? I don't know, but the wisdom herein is inescapable!
The leftist and Islam united in Christian destruction. Not a surprise. Then they will turn on each other. Glenn Beck spoke of this years ago. Question is, how far will it go here? We are the remnant of Europeans deprived of their religious rights. We will surrender them?
But the street mussie hate preachers are protected.
Why are we wasting money defending this dead husk of a nation?
England is not worth one damn penny.
I think of all the Americans killed defending these loons - including lots of my family - and it makes me ill.
If they want to commit suicide, let them. But we don’t have to participate.
President Hillary would have passed the same laws.
Every liberal is a violent totalitarian thug.
“The Crown prosecutor argued that Biblical claims about the unique, salvational role and divine nature of Jesus Christ were bound to offend and threaten non-Christians.”
It does offend, but so what? Is causing someone to take offense illegal in Britain now? I am sure there are people in Britain offended at this ruling.
But threaten? That concept is embedded in Islam.
Yeah, Parliament cheers on the murdering Chinese dictator as he speaks before them, but bans DJT because he "is a racist".
And further proof that most atheists actually do believe in a God...only they’ve elevated themselves to the position.
The magistrate’s name was probable mohamed.......
I am willing to bet that the real problem is that they were offending Muslims.
I doubt that Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc. were the problem but the need to protect Muslims from offense was paramount as they would be getting violent.
If I heard someone saying nasty things about Catholicism, I would speak my mind and walk away, not stay and cause a riot.
As far as I can tell, many atheists believe in God, but hate him passionately.
Without knowing the details of what was “preached”. I do know that lately the left has been doing very offensive things in the name of the right. I would not be surprised for them to pretend to be Christians and say offensive and non biblical things to further their anti-Christian narrative.
“At one point, prosecutor Ian Jackson told the court, “To say to someone that Jesus is the only God is not a matter of truth. To the extent that they are saying that the only way to God is through Jesus, that cannot be a truth.””
It seems prosecutor Ian Jackson has his head up his can because that is PRECISELY what disagreements about truth demand. By definition these are matters of truth.
He might honestly opine that he doesn’t believe Christianity is the genuine path to the divine, but he cannot dismiss claims about fundamental truth as if they weren’t.
That he does simply displays his poor logic skills since two things that claim to be true, and are mutually incompatible, cannot both be true. One must be false. Likewise any finite collection of things that are said to be “truth” but are mutually incompatible in their claims then all but one must be false.
In either case logic alone does not tell you that any are correct just because there is a choice, or that any in particular, but it does disallow saying that any cannot be true because it claims to be exclusive. “Exclusivity” is logical and rational. “Universalism” is illogical and irrational.
Even in systems of belief that include Kharma it must matter that you get things right, especially if you ever teach your views, because teaching the wrong things has negative consequences for others.
Indeed the ONLY system of belief where there can be no negative consequence for getting it all wrong is that form of materialism (atheism) that demands rapid extinction of self (as opposed to the Golden Compass sort of atheism where self endures).
In short, the prosecutor is a twit. Or a lawyer who is confused to imagine that the law and social convention somehow dictates what is reasonable to believe at all. Same difference.
Which brings up the problem with this subsequent quote:
“That prompted the men’s lawyer, Michael Phillips, to say, “This prosecution is nothing more than a modern-day heresy trial – dressed up under the Public Order Act.””
... no, it’s not a heresy trial ... they are on trial for not being Christian heretics as the nitwit prosecutor thinks they should be.
Going along to get along, the very core of political correctness, is a poor way to lead a life.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
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