Posted on 10/02/2010 10:03:04 AM PDT by Immerito
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- A 16-year-old who officials said continued to evangelize outside a library after officials warned him to stop has been banned from the Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System for six months.
Kirsten Edwards, acting manager of the North Columbus Public Library, said in a letter that Caleb Hanson repeatedly asked patrons about their religious faith and offered biblical advice.
The teen said library employees had warned him to stop. "Then they took me into an office and told me not to do it," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at star-telegram.com ...
I think libraries should be self-funding, let the users pay a monthly fee to use it.
Try it in Spanish. They wouldn’t dare give you the boot.
I call BS.
"As people came in, he would approach them," Muller said. "He prevented people from simply using the library."
How could he prevent people who had gone inside the library from using the library as he remained outside the library? Again, I call BS.
If he’s outside a library there shouldn’t be any reason to stop him — unless he’s blocking the door.
The kid needs an airport and a funny haircut.
We have very strict policies about customers that harass other customers. We would have done the same. This activity is not appropriate for a Library setting.
Now OUTSIDE the building, I have no problem with this young man’s efforts. But, he should also remember that folks have the right to NOT listen to him if they want. Free Will is a very important part of Judeo–Christianity.
If it wasn’t, then, we would be unwilling slaves, and, Jesus would have been crucified for nothing.
Or scream, "Allah Akbar!" & "Death to America!!" The Library Staff will probably serve you milk & cookies.
There’s a lot of people who get very upset being approached in public by any stranger. The purpose of that approach is less important, be it panhandling, religion, a crazy person, solicitor, or even passing out leaflets.
Typically, all someone can do is express body language that they do not wish to be approached, but if the person continues to approach, their resentment level can jump. It is seen as an assault.
The article says the teens were outside.
He moved his evangelism attempts outside the library after the initial complaints. He would have been wiser to begin outside and remain outside, in my opinion.
“He said he then began talking to people outside the library, and patrons continued to complain.”
What relevance does library funding have with evangelism inside or outside a library?
Then they need to also ban the people who stand at the walmart doors asking for money every time I go! Very annoying!
Being annoying sounds like a good reason.
I too would be annoyed by being forced to engage in a conversation where the young Mr. Hanson asked about my religion and offered biblical advice; just as I would be annoyed by young green believers asking about my carbon footprint and offering advice about serving Gaia.
And the hassle of dealing with Hanson's evangelizing could certainly put-off people from using the library.
The library gave Hanson fair notice, it is perfectly appropriate to give a trespass notice to him, so the people who want to use the library can do so without be hassled.
I seem to recall the ACLU suing public libraries for trying to bar vagrants that haven’t bathed in weeks from using the libraries to sleep in.
Nothing really, except if it were privatized they could pretty do what they like. As it is, I don’t see how they can ban someone from public property outside the library.
Nobody is annoyed by the Gospel. Except for those who have hardened evil into their hearts.
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