Posted on 01/17/2023 9:43:28 AM PST by SeekAndFind
You can do all sorts of things at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. On the mall’s website, there is a myriad of dining, drinking and shopping options, not to mention the Nickelodeon Universe®, an M&M’s® attraction, an aquarium, climbing walls, escape rooms, games, a novelty photography studio, and so much more. You can do just about anything at the Mall of America, as long as you don’t mention Jesus. Well, it is in Minnesota — what did you expect?
On January 7, a man wearing a t-shirt that read “Jesus Saves” entered the mall. The back of the shirt read “Jesus is the Only Way” with the famous “Coexist” symbol crossed out.
He was approached by a trio of mall cops. According to Alpha News, the man was given the choice of removing his shirt and going about his business or leaving the premises.
I automatically assumed this was overseas, but it's right here in America. pic.twitter.com/Q79eUCG7xh
— John Mason (@LivingGodsTruth) January 12, 2023
It could be that the guards were just letting their authoritarian freak flags fly, since very few, if any people fear mall security to any degree. By way of background, the man was ejected from the mall on a previous day for preaching to mall patrons. That is a violation of the mall’s policy, which prohibits “Loitering, engaging in soliciting, blocking storefronts, hallways, skyways, fire exits or escalators, or walking in groups in such a way as to inconvenience others.”
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
I can understand why some people may be put off by street preaching. It was never something that I was interested in doing. I have seen street preachers become abrasive and combative and on occasion insulting in the name of spreading the love of Christ.
Evangelists need to keep in mind that it is possible to harden the hearts you are trying to save. Living in Utah, I’ve seen street evangelists interact with Mormons during the LDS Church’s General Conference and have seen videos of people demonstrating and handing out tracts at the now-defunct Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti. The confrontations often produced results opposite of those that were intended. But in this case, the unidentified man was simply walking through the mall and he maintained that he was not preaching.
Apparently, the message “Jesus Saves” was deemed to be a solicitation. And according to the guards, people were offended.
First, it was MAGA hats; now it is “Jesus Saves.” A person in America should be free to wear a t-shirt promoting Islam, the BLM movement, or even bearing a pro-LGBTQ message if they wish. And so should people who wear shirts that say “Jesus Saves.”
As Robert Spencer pointed out earlier today, See here:
The Left would love to make the First Amendment a thing of the past. If we aren’t careful, we won’t only have to watch what we say, but what we wear.
You beat me in posting this by 1 minute and 2 seconds.
Indeed, it may not have been merely the T-shirt.
They said he had been ejected previously for public preaching. Was he speaking loudly? directly addressing or approaching people? Was he passing out literature?
I imagine there is a lot of precedent in 1st Amendment case law with many hundreds of similar cases.
I saw a sticker on a car yesterday that read:
“Jesus.”
I didn’t know if they were praying or cursing.
RE: I didn’t know if they were praying or cursing.
Or naming the sticker after a friend. :)
Ah, I see the problem. He was standing near a bank. Next think you know, people would have been opening accounts instead of spending at the mall.
Looks to me like he was on the wrong floor though. He should have been one floor up in front of the Marshalls nearly overhead.
You seen the neighboring stores and services up there?
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