Posted on 03/14/2015 8:56:45 AM PDT by marshmallow
TAUNTON, UK – A street preacher in the UK who is charged with making “homophobic” and “Islamophobic” remarks has just completed a two-day trial and awaits a verdict on whether or not biblical speech about the issues is considered a crime in the country.
Mike Overd, a street preacher for five years, is accused of speaking against homosexuality and Islam last June and July on two separate occasions. He is now facing two charges of using threatening and abusive words and a charge of causing racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress under the Public Order Act.
A police officer had appeared on local television last fall to urge residents to record Overd’s speech as it had been reported that he was causing offense.
“I’d advise people that if they’re offended to record any incident on their mobile phone and send it to us,” Sgt. Neil Kimmins told reporters.
“It’s clear that this officer is determined to stop me preaching the gospel, which is a terrible attack on freedom of speech,” Overd said following the incident. “I find it extraordinary that the police are trying to make it illegal to preach the gospel in the streets of our country, simply because the gospel at times confronts the sinner.”
Three witnesses appeared in court this week the to claim that they had heard Overd making statements against homosexuality and/or Islam.
“If I don’t tell people about what is in the gospel and that they are sinning, then that makes me a wicked, selfish man,” Overd told the court on Thursday.
He presented two videos as evidence to what occurred as he was preaching from the Bible on the street. In one of the clips, a woman with a little boy approaches Overd and says that she wants to ask him.......
(Excerpt) Read more at christiannews.net ...
I know. The sad part is that it is becoming increasing clear that this country is quickly not becoming an option as in the past.
No freedom of speach in England
START READING THE KORAN!!! Read it loud and proud.
Brits must just set around all day thinking up stupid laws and drinking beer.
I think it's probably a non-controversial statement to say that the Christian God loves every sinner...
And why should one do that? Do you think the god of the Qur'an is the one true God of the Bible? And that the former is supported here?
Interesting thought.
Maybe put up billboards around the country with some of the “best” verses.
Incredible. Like a scene from a dystopian novel.
He should have just setup an organization to profit off of teenage sex slaves.
I think it’s probably a non-controversial statement to say that the Christian God loves every sinner...
By that I meant the Christians (which I am a Christian) who are threatened with arrest for reading the bible in public should start reading the Koran.
But now I think believers are being weeded out of government, religion is no big deal to them but Christianity is.
K.J.V. is in the public domain, everybody owns it.
Got it. I think a pastor was fined Down Under for doing so a while back.
***K.J.V. is in the public domain, everybody owns it.***
NOT in England. It is the property of the Crown.
My English printed Cambridge Bible states ..
“Rights in the Authorized (King James)
Version of the Bible are Vested in The Crown”.
“This Bible is Produced by Cambridge University Press, The Queen’s Printer Under Royal Letters of Patent.”
My English Oxford printed bible says the same thing.
This is why a 1st Amendment is so important. Hell, we barely have one anymore, it seems.
My KJVs say public domain and my on line version says the same thing. I doubt that any of them were printed in England though.
Wiki says,”The Authorized Version is in the public domain in most of the world.”
Biblegateway.com says, “no copy right information available”.
Coming to a country near you.
The sad truth is that there are numerous so-called Christians in the U.S. who strongly object to street preachers as well...
Jesus, the apostles and the early disciples were all street preachers...Any one of them would have walked right into the center of a meeting of the Gay-Lesbian Alliance and started preaching against homosexuals...
And Jesus would have told them, ‘pick up my cross and follow me’...No one is unsavable...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.