Posted on 05/24/2009 3:56:01 AM PDT by Man50D
A campus evangelism group is stunned today, as a ministry event at a community college in Ohio resulted in four members being arrested, one on a felony assault charge that the ministry's leader claims is fabricated.
"I've done ministries like this at more than 200 universities," said Jason Storms, director of Faithful Soldier School of Evangelism, a ministry of Mercy Seat Christian Church in Milwaukee, Wis. "We train people to do evangelism, and I have never seen an incident like this."
Storms and a team of students earlier this week traveled to Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, with signs, literature and a message of faith.
When they arrived, however, a student complaint led campus police to confront the evangelism team and demand that their signs and literature be put away in accordance with college policy. When two of the evangelists refused the order, however, insisting their materials were protected by the freedom of speech guaranteed in the First Amendment, the officers arrested them on charges of disorderly conduct.
"There are many times when police hassle us and intimidate or bully us on campus, and usually we stand them down and are successful in defending our rights to freedom of speech," Storms told WND. "I can count on one hand the number of times we've had an arrest situation."
Later in the afternoon, however, two more arrests followed, one on a now-disputed felony charge of striking a police officer.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
This is about winning a war, and wars are won using many different strategies and tactics, and many different types of warriors. These warriors chose this particular tactic to fight the battle as they saw fit.
As it turns out, they are on the cusp of a big win, much bigger than if they hadn't encountered the police.
The data shows that the Christian Fundamentalists are doing very poorly with this demographic group.
I hope the evangelicals win big in court. That said, most “street preacher” campus evangelicals I’ve seen are downright screwballs who don’t succeed in provoking much thought on the part of their intended audiences. Still, they are harmless and have as much right to speak as anyone else.
I should have used the phrase ‘relatively big win’.
It’s safe to assume they went there to witness to passersby.
Instead, with with the help of police involvment, everyone on campus and probably in the local community has heard of them.
And undermined the efforts of more credible groups operating on campus.
Me too.
Did you see the article posted in 14? There's something not quite right about the cops actions. Since when does an American warrant an arrest for asking a question?
ONE student complained. So the Christians committed the crime of the century.
And they taped them on a cell phone. Horrible Christians! /s
Change you can live? with.
It’s a public college.
Yes..and? Does that excuse the evangelists for not behaving in a manner that is both, consistent with the the institution’s requirements, and gets the job of evangelism done - St Paul didn’t carry signs, he just spoke and the Holy Spirit convicted. The evangelists were allowed to speak, they were asked not to carry signs. Were they looking for trouble and publicity or did they just want to preach the Gospel?
Mel
Hard to know.
During any successful war a wide range of weapons are used.
Many Pro-Lifers object to the use of abortion photos in the abortion war. Many Partriots objected to the use of flamethrowers during WWII. Both weapons have served their purpose, just as these folks are serving thiers.
You may be put off by these guys, I think I might be too, but there are countless paths to the hearts, minds, and souls of different individuals, and these folks may have found just the right one for the right person.
Myself, especially when WND is involved.
Doing that, you see that this is not Jason's first visit to this school, and he had to leave once before. The school explained the rules to both Jason and his lawyer. But he is back and he is trying to create an incident.
As for your phrase "horrible Christian", militant is a better description. Jason has "soldiers". You hear of "Joel's Army". Reply #19 frames it as a "war"
I'm so glad that you support the First Amendment. /s
There’s a way to do things that produce results and then there’s a way to do things to draw attention to yourself.
This appears to be the latter.
If this fellow can’t do his work within the prescribed framework of the college regulations and in essence goes out to provoke a confrontation which it appears he did, then he gets what he has coming.
And freedom of speech is a precious thing, he appears to deliberately abuse the use of it.
And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling kids and their stupid dog camera.
see #33
MOST Secular campuses are havens for Lib-Smack...{silence opposition} being a Community College, the gov-bucks wield their dangerous power..and willing godless creeps will ALWAYS take the $$...Many
Board Members,Administrators and pompous Eggheads....really hate Christians...{Campus Cops are their “Brown Shirts.”}
this anti-Christian propaganda is passed on to inquiring minds.. “the yuuute of America..”.
Too many Christans are ashamed of their Faith and are pushovers for intimidation..
As was stated in WND. Natasha Baker {Director of Public Relations Sinclair Community College) note:
Gov $$ buys or gives her her coffee.
“There are gay pride rallies that take place on this campus.* Nobody gets offended by those things. The issue is not with our method; the issue is with our message.”
CHRISTIANS are the* “nobodies”...
also;
WND quotes Storms:
‘’It was just a crazy cowboy officer {Beane}acting belliger
ently and making his third arrest of the day of a group of Christians peacefully trying to witness.”
Beane & Baker drink from the same campus coffee cup...
“Godless birds of a feather stick together.”.
Where did the Founders explain what constitutes abuse of the First Amendment? I must have missed the exceptions. You can practice your religious free speech as long as you don’t annoy anyone.......hmmmm. I think Obama will have a place for you working with Napalitano.
You want to limit frees speech if it pertains to religion. You fit right in with others that spit on the Constitution. The Founders listed no exceptions in the First Amendment..
“You can practice your religious free speech as long as you don’t annoy anyone.......hmmmm. I think Obama will have a place for you working with Napalitano.”
Not what I said and you can take your insult and put it where the sun don’t shine.
Now if you need further clarification as to what I said, by all means ask. Otherwise,..............................
Paul spent a lot of time in prison. He probably didn’t have signs because you couldn’t go to Walmart and buy poster board...
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