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Minister Will Face Potential Arrest for Reading Christmas Story from Bible at Capitol Christmas Tree
Christian Newswire ^ | 12/21/11

Posted on 12/22/2011 9:44:16 AM PST by marshmallow

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Rev. Patrick Mahoney to read the Christmas Story at the Capitol Tree on Thursday, December 22, at 12:00 P.M.

The Capitol Christmas Tree is located on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol Building.

Rev. Mahoney met with Capitol Police officials telling them of his plans to sing Christmas Carols, read the Christmas story, pray for peace, justice and religious freedom, hold a small 5 inch Nativity Display and pray for political leaders at the Capitol Christmas Tree.

Police officials told him some of his activities may be prohibited or constitute an illegal demonstration.

Rev. Mahoney contacted his attorney, Jim Henderson Senior Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, who in turn called the Office of General Counsel for the Capitol Police on Tuesday, December, 21.

After talking with the Assistant General Counsel for the Capitol Police, Mr. Henderson sent Rev. Mahoney this email:

"Your use of the Bible or the ornament (Nativity Scene) would convert your activity, in the view of the Capitol Police, into a prohibited demonstration. If you failed to discontinue that activity on police direction you would be risking ticketing or arrest."

Rev. Mahoney told Capitol Police officials he would still read the Christmas Story and hold the Nativity Display on Thursday even if it meant arrest or citation.

(Excerpt) Read more at christiannewswire.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; General Discusssion; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: aclj; capitolpolice; christmas; christmas2011; mahoney; religouspersecution
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"Freedom of religion means freedom from religion" story, du jour.
1 posted on 12/22/2011 9:44:19 AM PST by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

Reading from the Koran would be ok; I have no doubt.


2 posted on 12/22/2011 9:48:45 AM PST by Jukeman (Not Romney, not now, not ever!)
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To: marshmallow

I bet you can celebrate Christmas in Red Square with no hassles.


3 posted on 12/22/2011 9:48:45 AM PST by AU72
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To: marshmallow

What constitutes “an illegal demonstration”?


4 posted on 12/22/2011 9:49:38 AM PST by NEMDF
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To: marshmallow

It seems the capitol police is a far-left organization, no sarcasm.


5 posted on 12/22/2011 9:51:58 AM PST by squarebarb
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To: marshmallow
Ridiculous! We sure have been hammered on religion and morality since the muzzie took office.

Kill all the Christians and Jews works for him!!

6 posted on 12/22/2011 9:51:58 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: marshmallow
Only violence is prohibited. They had Nazis marching up broadway (a public street) during WWII.

He's going to do it. I hope 1000 people join him.

7 posted on 12/22/2011 9:55:29 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: marshmallow
Rev. Mahoney told Capitol Police officials he would still read the Christmas Story and hold the Nativity Display on Thursday even if it meant arrest or citation.

Good for him! Presumably Hussein's already instructed the State-controlled media to ignore the arrest story.

8 posted on 12/22/2011 9:56:47 AM PST by COBOL2Java (Obama is the least qualified guy in whatever room he walks into.)
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To: marshmallow
Your use of the Bible or the ornament (Nativity Scene) would convert your activity, in the view of the Capitol Police, into a prohibited demonstration.

This is crazy! If all activity - reading the front page of "USA Today" while holding a basketball - would be prohibited, then I suppose that's a weird but consistent position. However, if "demonstration" is allowed at all, the authorities should consider the content irrelevant unless it's a direct threat to the White House or its occupants.

9 posted on 12/22/2011 10:00:10 AM PST by Tax-chick (Two women in one house ... and one of 'em a redhead!)
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To: marshmallow

I wish I could join him there. May a potential arrest lead to a SCOTUS ruling that puts an end to this nonsense once and for all. ATHEISM IS NOT THE STATE RELIGION, despite the massive effort to make it so by purging all things God from the public square.


10 posted on 12/22/2011 10:00:16 AM PST by NonValueAdded ("At a time like this, we can't afford the luxury of thinking!")
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To: marshmallow

So why did he ask them about it?

Couldn’t he just do it?


11 posted on 12/22/2011 10:00:16 AM PST by Adder (Say NO to the O in 2 oh 12)
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To: marshmallow
Sounds like he is hoping to be hassled in order to get publicity.
12 posted on 12/22/2011 10:04:06 AM PST by iowamark
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To: marshmallow
Why do they call it the Capitol Christmas Tree instead of the the Capitol Winter Solstice Tree?
13 posted on 12/22/2011 10:17:24 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: iowamark
So? Sometimes you have to test the artificial fences erected by the secular atheist establishment in order to set limits on their power.
14 posted on 12/22/2011 10:20:15 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: COBOL2Java

I hope several thousands of faithful Christians get together in support of Rev Mahoney and sing Praise to the Lord at the Capitol Christmas tree, let Obama show to the world how Christians are also persecuted in the U.S. by atheists and Islamists, just as they are oppressed and persecuted by Muslims in Egypt, Iraq and around the Middle East and Africa.


15 posted on 12/22/2011 10:31:36 AM PST by Dqban22
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To: NEMDF
What constitutes “an illegal demonstration”?

In a banana republic, anything the government says on any given day.

16 posted on 12/22/2011 10:41:25 AM PST by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s....you weren't really there)
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To: iowamark
Sounds like he is hoping to be hassled in order to get publicity.

Civil disobedience, perhaps?

17 posted on 12/22/2011 10:46:36 AM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: marshmallow

Is it too late to arrest the Apollo 8 astronauts?


18 posted on 12/22/2011 11:03:05 AM PST by Sans-Culotte ( Pray for Obama- Psalm 109:8)
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To: Sacajaweau

You know, people all over the country could go to their public squares and read the Christmas story from the Bible, at noon every day until Jan 8th. That would be a thing to behold.


19 posted on 12/22/2011 11:07:23 AM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto.)
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To: marshmallow

As he had the forethought to advise the police of his plans, and they of advising him he risks arrest if he proceeds as planned, he should now advice the police that he will sue them PERSONALLY for deprivation of a constitutionally protected right. Put the monkey right back on them, so they have no excuse to not check it out before arresting him, which makes the violation willful and outside of protection of “immunity for an official act.”


20 posted on 12/22/2011 11:19:29 AM PST by Cboldt
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