Wednesday, August 26, 2009

News from SPUC - street-preacher harrased by police officers in Manchester, UK, for reading passages from the Bible that may 'offend' homosexuals

"They were clearly told that reading the Bible and preaching can be offensive and that they could be arrested," she wrote.

"Furthermore, they were subjected to abuse and intimidation. They were told that they were being monitored and filmed," she wrote.

Critics claimed that a Muslim preaching his religion in the street would not have been treated in such a way by police.

Mr Hayworth, a voluntary worker who is married with two children, has been a street preacher in the Manchester area for five years and he is often accompanied by his father.

He said that he and his father had decided to preach from 11am at St Ann's Square in Manchester instead of their usual place on nearby Market Street.

He was reading passages from the Old and New Testaments while his father distributed leaflets containing the message of the gospel.

"At 2pm, I was approached on more than one occasion by several police officers who falsely accused me, stating that I was inciting hatred with homophobic and racial comments," he said.

"One plain-clothed officer, who was with the other two uniformed officers, said: 'It is against the law to preach and hand out tracts: preaching causes offence and handing out tracts is harassment and could result in an arrest.'"

This is how our tax money are spent and this is what police officers do while patrolling the streets?? In no time we may be bullied and ridiculed for being Christians and of 'heterosexual orientation'. I remember the incident when 'pro-choice' council 'lady-boss' caused the arrest of elderly man who dare to sent her leaflets against abortion. What kind of society we live in....