'It Ain’t Over’: Pro-Life Group Will Keep Praying Outside Planned Parenthood Despite $1 Million in Fines

LifeSite News ^ | 2/13/23 | Ashley Sadler

[marshmallow]

Group co-founder Pastor Ken Peters said the pro-lifers will continue to meet: ‘It ain’t over.

SPOKANE, Washington (LifeSiteNews) — A Christian pro-life group was forced to pay nearly $1 million in fines for allegedly “disturb[ing] the peace within” an abortion mill by praying, preaching, and singing hymns outside, a judge ruled earlier this month.

Judge Tim Fennessy of Spokane County Superior Court ruled that the pro-life Christian group, called The Church at Planned Parenthood (TCAPP), would need to pay $850,000 in legal fees in addition to the $110,000 in civil damages they were previously ordered to pay out to Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho.

The church said its insurance would cover the cost of legal fees and affirmed they would continue holding their services despite the court’s decision.

Fennessy’s order came after a Spokane County judge ruled in December that the church had run afoul of Washington state law on nearly two dozen occasions.

The judge decided that the pro-life group, which calls its monthly meetings “a worship service at the gates of hell,” had “willfully or recklessly” disrupted the business of the abortion facility and “unreasonably disturb[ed] the peace within the facility” on 22 occasions, Catholic News Agency reported.

TCAPP co-founder Pastor Ken Peters pushed back against the characterization in comments to local media, saying the group was simply “singing, praying, and preaching … after hours” according to KREM2 News, a Spokane-based CBS affiliate.

[Jamestown1630]

It seems to me that a million dollars could be well-spent on setting up or donating to an alternative organization.

[PeterPrinciple]

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/judge-forces-planned-parenthood-protesters-to-move-across-the-street-start-hour-later/

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They complied with the court order.

Folks,

Be thankful there are warriors like this.

[Leaning Right]

This prayer group is in trouble because they “made noise” between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Well, that’s called free speech. And it’s protected by the First Amendment. Please, some higher court. Overturn this.

Burn cars and stores during a riot, and it’s “mostly peaceful”. Pray and sing near an abortion facility, and it’s disturbing the peace. This is so wrong.

It is said that the power to tax is the power to destroy. The same can be said of the power to levy fines.

[Dr. Sivana]

It seems to me that a million dollars could be well-spent on setting up or donating to an alternative organization.

Any effective pro-life organization will be attacked and at some point prosecuted by pro-aborts, no matter how mundane they sound. They could go after Crisis Pregnancy Centers for not hiring trans-freaks. They could go after pro-life think tanks for spreading misinformation. So, give to whatever organization you like, but don't think that any money donated to a pro-life cause is not at risk.

[Jamestown1630]

In my area, for all the good the ‘prayers’ outside the abortion clinics do, they amount to not much more than exhibitionism.

Prayer can be done at home, in one’s ‘closet’. Money works in the world.

https://www.projectultrasound.org/

[Dr. Sivana]

In my area, for all the good the ‘prayers’ outside the abortion clinics do, they amount to not much more than exhibitionism.

They sure helped close a powerful abortion mill in Rockford, IL. If they weren't effective, they would not have outlawed them in England. There is something to be said for praying at the site of the offense. But, praying at home or in a church is good, too, and doesn't cost any money at all. We can have both.

[Brian Griffin]

Western states are required to have “perfect religious freedom” as a condition of their legal existence by the Congressional acts enabling their existence.

If they don’t wish to honor “perfect religious freedom” as a condition of their legal existence, file suit to void the existence of the states, their US senators (and state-related pension benefits).

[Bob434]

Jesus was warning about people being false and praying in public for glory and/or attention- He was warning against praying ostentatiously- Jesus infact prayed in public in front of others- as did many people in the bible-

The pharisees prayed ostentatiously, seeking to be seen as ‘religious men’ by the public- Those praying for the demise of abortion clinics almost assuredly are not praying ostentatiously

We cant judge their hearts as they pray in public- they very likely are doing so in reverence to God and in pleading with God to help fight against those butcher/murder shops

God calls us to pray in many different ways- While He does call us to pray in private- he also compels folks to pray in public too- or in prayer groups in church-

Matthew Poole’s Commentary
By this public prayer is not condemned, but secret prayer is established, and made every Christian’s duty; and Christians are warned not to think that their duty of prayer is discharged by their going to places of public worship, and praying there: but that which our Saviour here cautions us against is ostentation, by which men may as much offend in their closets as elsewhere.

[roving]

The one in Rockford was run by Satan himself

[Jamestown1630]

I wasn’t referring to anything Jesus said. I just don’t believe these people do anything good that they couldn’t do better praying at home and using their money on things that work better.

(But they obviously do want to be seen. I think seeing the baby on an ultrasound will convince many more people than seeing people praying on a sidewalk.)