Is Handing Out the Gospel "Disorderly Conduct?"

NC Register ^ | June 24, 2009 | MATTHEW ARCHBOLD

[NYer]

This story should alarm Christians all over America.

It all started a few years ago with pro-life free bubble zones where pro-lifers weren’t allowed to discuss abortion with people going into an abortion clinic. But that was only the start. Now heavily Muslim Dearborn Michigan apparently has “Jesus free” zones.

Powerline reports:

Police in the heavily Arab Detroit suburb of Dearborn say they arrested four Christian missionaries for disorderly conduct at an Arab cultural festival… The “disorderly conduct” consisted of handing out copies of the Gospel of John outside the festival.

The problem with the disorderly conduct charge is that the protestors videotaped the kerfuffle and it shows absolutely ZERO disorderly conduct.

Now let me caveat that there could be more to the story but the only reason we couldn’t see the rest of the story was that the police put their hand over the lens of the video camera before confiscating it and arresting the Christians. Here’s the video:

The Thomas More Law Center which is now representing the Christian missionaries referred to the arrest as “police enforcement of Sharia law at the annual Dearborn Arab International Festival.”

In America, free speech isn’t supposed to be free only if everyone wants to hear what you have to say. We’re incrementally turning America into a no Jesus zone and transforming the country into a no Constitution zone.

[NYer]

Dearborn Police defending Islam against the Constitution - You Tube.

[NYer]

Ping!

[Fast Moving Angel]

I’d rather we transformed the country into a muslim-free zone.

[Nervous Tick]

Of course preaching the Gospel of Jesus is disorderly conduct! And it has been for a couple thousand years -- as anyone who follows the adventures of the apostle Paul well knows.

Yet, it must be done.

[OneWingedShark]

The problem with officially banning a religion is that you could find your religion next on the list to be banned.
That’s the purpose of the 1st Amendment; not only does it prohibit Congress from establishing a National Religion, it also prevents them from preventing the exercise of [a] Religion.

[Oratam]

I'm confused. The YouTube clip I saw showed a fella who was trying to engage some muslims at a booth with a banner that read "Questions? We Have Answers". The muslims at the booth would not answer the fella's question on camera. Things deteriorated rapidly from there.

I keep reading about people passing out the Gospels or some tracts. What happened to this fella is so much worse as he has no 'agenda' at this event apart from accepting the muslims' own invitation to ask questions.

The thuggish behavior of the muslims and the 'security staff' is chilling. The utter compliance of the local constabularly with the demands of Sharia is terrifying.

[ml/nj]

I’d rather we transformed the country into a muslim-free zone.

I agree with you. But only because these folks have demonstrated that Islam is a military organization; not a religion.

But under other circumstances, I would ask you how you might feel about handing out condoms, or homosexual performances, in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

ML/NJ

[Steve Van Doorn]

Quick search found that it has been done no one arrested

[Fast Moving Angel]

Condom distribution or homosexual performances in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, or any other public place, is unacceptable in my view — but then, I was raised old school and believe in personal responsibility, morals, and decency. And I agree with you that islam is more military than religious — it crossed the line long ago and doesn’t deserve the religious protection that our founding fathers contemplated.

[ml/nj]

My point was that doing something that might be legal in most places, but in close proximity to an expected gathering of people one intends to annoy is wrong, IMHO anyway.

ML/NJ

[Salvation]

And the persecution against Christians continues.