Street Preachers Convicted of 'Abuse' for Proclaiming the Gospel - CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Two street preachers have been convicted of public order offenses after a public prosecutor claimed that quoting parts of the King James Bible in the context of modern British society "must be considered to be abusive and is a criminal matter". (Courtesy)

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Street Preachers Convicted of 'Abuse' for Proclaiming the Gospel

3/1/2017 CHRISTIAN CONCERN  charisma news

Two street preachers have been convicted of public order offenses after a public prosecutor claimed that quoting parts of the King James Bible in the context of modern British society "must be considered to be abusive and is a criminal matter".

The prosecutor had argued that free speech must yield to multicultural reality in modern Britain, and that there was a clear threat to violence due to the words of the preachers and the criticism of Islam.

Michael Overd and Michael Stockwell were convicted Feb. 28 at Bristol Magistrates' Court. On Friday (Feb. 25), the court dismissed the case against a third man, Adrian Clark, ruling that there was no case to answer.

During the four-day trial, prosecutor Ian Jackson, claimed:

"To say to someone that Jesus is the only God is not a matter of truth. To the extent that they are saying that the only way to God is through Jesus, that cannot be a truth."

The men were found guilty under Section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, for using "threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress, thereby, and the offence was religiously aggravated."

Michael Phillips, who represented the street preachers, said:

"This prosecution is nothing more than a modern-day heresy trial—dressed up under the public order act."

Free to Criticize Islam?

Mr. Stockwell had quoted a Bible verse in which Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6) and that he is the only way to heaven.

Mr. Stockwell said:

"If you are trying to come through Catholicism, through Jehovah Witness, through Mormonism, the Bible says you're a thief and a liar, and a thief comes to steal and destroy. But Christ came that we may have life."

He also entered debate with a Muslim gentleman in which both individuals stated opposition to the other's religious beliefs.

Mr. Stockwell said: "Men should be able to proclaim the truth and have diverse differences in the public forum, agreeing to disagree without harm or repercussions. Truth today is the new hate."

He continued: "I am an American, and there is no free speech in England. You criticize Islam; and a group of individuals don't like what you say and threaten violence to silence speech they disapprove of. The police and court shut down the 'free speech' to avoid public disorder. It is a green light to the Islamists and any other radical groups to silence speech. The police should be protecting us."

Mr. Overd said: "You can't have the threat of violence and public disorder to stop us criticising Islam and other lifestyles. Where is our freedom? If you don't like what I said, just move on and let others heard the message, but they want to end the free speech."

The court has awarded legal costs of £2016 against both Mr. Overd and Mr. Stockwell. A Criminal Behavior Order is being pursued against Mr. Overd, with the hearing delayed until May 2017.

'Over the Top'

Mr. Overd and his three friends were preaching in Bristol's Broadmead Shopping Centre last year (July 6, 2016).

They took it in turns to preach, and as they did so, a crowd gathered. At points, the crowd was loud and aggressive, with some swearing and being abusive towards the men. There was also, however, debate between the preachers and members of the crowd, especially on the differences between Islam and Christian belief. Several hecklers appeared to be supportive of Islam.

Police did not arrive on the scene until about an hour into the preaching. A police officer approached Mr. Clark, asking him to turn off his amplification, which he did.

Shortly afterwards a mounted police officer asked Mr. Clark to stop preaching so that she could speak to him. Whilst Mr. Clark spoke with the officer, Mr. Overd took over the preaching.

Soon afterwards, another police officer approached Mr. Overd and told him that he was "causing a disturbance" and "not welcome".

The officer told Mr. Overd that he was going to give him a Dispersal Notice. But instead of doing so, he forcibly removed Mr. Overd from the scene, despite Mr. Overd (who suffers from chronic back pain) crying out in pain.

The officer is later heard asking for advice on whether the men could be charged with offences, saying that Mr. Overd has "gone over the top" and "he's just wound up people".

Public Order Offenses

Mr. Overd and his friends were eventually taken to Patchway Custody Center, Bristol, held for several hours and released on police bail to return for questioning.

They were charged under Section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 for using "threatening or abusive words or behavior or disorderly behavior within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress, thereby, and the offence was religiously aggravated."

The charge against one of the men was subsequently dropped, however.

But the remaining three were additionally charged with offenses under the Public Order Act 1986 and summonsed to appear in court in early 2017.

Freedoms at Stake

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Center, which is supporting the preachers, says the case raises huge questions about the state of freedom of speech and freedom of religion in this country and will be appealed. People will be shocked that a court now considers the Bible itself to be a form of hate speech, she says.

Andrea Williams said: "The Bible and its teachings are the foundation of our society and provided many of the freedoms and protections we still enjoy today. So it is extraordinary that the prosecution, speaking on behalf of the state, could say that the Bible contains abusive words which, when spoken in public, constitute a criminal offense. Today's ruling, in effect, states that Bible is offensive and contains illegal speech which should not be shared in public. This is a very serious state of affairs, and the men will be considering next steps to challenge this decision.

"'Offense' is a very subjective thing and is easily manipulated to shut down viewpoints that people simply don't like. Any suggestion that there is a right not to be offended must be strongly resisted. In today's democracy, we need the freedom to debate, challenge and disagree.

"Mike Overd and Michael Stockwell were saying nothing that wouldn't be heard at speakers' corner in Hyde Park—presenting the claims of the Bible, answering the crowd's questions and objections and responding calmly to abuse which was hurled at them. For a court to rule that this breaks the law is extraordinary." 

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Why Pastor Saeed Abedini's Wife Kept His Abuse Secret Until Now - TIMOTHY C. MORGAN/RNS CHARISMA NEWS

Naghmeh Abedini represents a startling trend of women in the church who often don't report spousal abuse. (Courtesy/RNS/Adelle M. Banks)

Why Pastor Saeed Abedini's Wife Kept His Abuse Secret Until Now

11/23/2015 TIMOTHY C. MORGAN/RNS  charisma news

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The wife of Saeed Abedini, the Iranian-American pastor imprisoned in Iran since September 2012, has had a difficult month.

First Naghmeh Abedini canceled all public appearances after telling supporters by email that her husband had abused her physically, emotionally and sexually. Twelve days later, she released a statement saying she regretted her previous emails. "I was under great psychological and emotional distress," she said.

Iran sentenced Saeed Abedini, a former Muslim who converted to evangelical Christianity, to eight years in prison for his alleged involvement with Iran's burgeoning house-church movement. In Shia-majority Iran, Sunni Muslims, Baha'is, Christians, and other minorities face harassment, arrest, and imprisonment, according to the U.S. State Department.

Since her husband's detention in 2012, Naghmeh Abedini has been publicly advocating for his freedom, winning the support of top evangelical leaders and meeting privately with President Obama, which is why her accusations of spousal abuse came as shock. But those accusations also raise the question: Why do evangelical women wait so long before reporting abuse?

"Many who suffer domestic abuse feel lots of shame, are blamed by others, and do not tell anyone," said Justin Holcomb, a Florida Episcopal priest and seminary professor who co-authored with his wife Lindsey "Is It My Fault? Hope and Healing for Those Suffering Domestic Violence."

"Christian women, in particular, stay far longer in abusive situations and in more severe abuse than their non-Christian counterparts," he added.

So far, social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere show that supporters of the Abedini family were not backing away from Naghmeh after the abuse allegations became public.

"God guide and protect you and especially Saeed at this time when he will not be having visitors that he feels God in a special way during this time. May the angels protect him with a hedge of safety," one supporter posted on Naghmeh Abedini's Facebook page.

Naghmeh Abedini shared few additional details in her initial email alleging abuse, besides saying her husband, 35, was addicted to porn and that the abuse was ongoing even though their contact is limited to Skype and phone calls.

An American citizen and the mother of two children, Naghmeh Abedini said the abuse began in 2002. The two were married in 2004.

Research shows that domestic abuse survivors in general are less likely to receive extensive public support through their local church. According to a 2014 poll from LifeWay Research, about two-thirds of Protestant pastors address domestic abuse from the pulpit once a year or less. Additional research from LifeWay found that only 25 percent of surveyed pastors consider abuse or sexual violence an issue within their congregation.

"Many churches appropriately stress the importance of marriage and family, but some churches wrongly teach that a wife's primary role in life is to protect their husband's or family's reputation," said Holcomb, the Episcopal priest. "Because of this emphasis, those experiencing abuse in their relationship may feel ashamed because they believe they failed in their relationship," Holcomb said.

He said domestic abuse is much more prevalent than many people realize: He cites research that indicates one in four women will experience abuse in an "intimate partner relationship." Holcomb advises pastors to talk more openly about domestic abuse, be accessible to abuse survivors, and collaborate with social agencies and law enforcement.

Abuse is one of the most under-reported crimes, he said. "It is extremely unusual for someone to lie about these kinds of claims."

According to Lenore Walker, a professor at Nova Southeastern University and founder of the Domestic Violence Institute, "Women with strong religious backgrounds often are less likely to believe that violence against them is wrong."

The campaign for release of Abedini continues to have a very high public profile. In January, shortly after delivering the State of the Union address, Obama met with Naghmeh and her two children briefly and pledged to make release of Saeed a top priority.

In a mid-November statement, the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing the family, said, "What we are focused on is this: bringing home an American pastor who has been wrongly imprisoned in Iran because of his faith."

Beginning about 15 years ago, Abedini reportedly joined local efforts to start up house churches. But about 10 years ago, Iran began an aggressive crackdown on these churches. Abedini, who moved to the U.S. with his family in 2005, shifted his attention from starting house churches to care for Iranian orphans.

In the 2014 book "Too Many To Jail," author-researcher Mark Bradley documents the rapid growth of house church Christians from 1979 to the present day. He describes Iran as having "the fastest growing church in the world" and projects that there may be 1 million Christians in Iran by 2020.

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The Urgent Crisis of the Young American Male - J. LEE GRADY

      Why are so many disturbed young men in the United States carrying out massacres? (iStock photo )

The Urgent Crisis of the Young American Male

10/7/2015 J. LEE GRADY  charisma magazine

Why are so many disturbed young men in the United States carrying out massacres? (iStock photo )

Just one day before a crazed young gunman killed nine people in Oregon last week, police arrested four males who planned to go on a bloody rampage at their high school in central California. Fortunately those four juveniles are now in custody—but it doesn't lessen the pain of the families who lost loved ones in the Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon.

What is happening? Why are so many disturbed young men in the United States carrying out massacres? Consider these four recent cases:

1. Christopher Harper-Mercer, 26, killed nine people at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, Oct. 1, 2015, using five handguns and a rifle. He killed himself after the rampage. An unemployed loner, his parents were divorced and he lived with his mother. He suffered from mental disorders, and neighbors said he sometimes paced the floor of his apartment until 4 a.m. According to posts online, he was fascinated with guns and frustrated that he didn't have a girlfriend. When he broke into a classroom last week he asked some students if they were Christians before shooting them in the head.

2. Dylann Storm Roof, 21, is an avowed white supremacist who shot and killed nine people, including a pastor, in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 2015. He used a .45-caliber Glock pistol. His mother left his father before he was born, and his father was later accused of abusing his second wife. A high school dropout, Dylann used drugs, showed signs of obsessive compulsive disorder and was convinced that African-Americans are taking over the world. In his online posts he talked of starting a civil war. He will stand trial in July 2016.

3. Elliot Rodger, 22, went on a bloody rampage on the University of California/Santa Barbara campus on May 23, 2014. First he stabbed three Chinese men (two of them his roommates), then he shot three students at a sorority house using three semi-automatic pistols. Then he killed himself. Coming from a divorced home, he was described by those who knew him as a loner who had been bullied in school. In a video he posted on YouTube just before his shooting spree, he said he wanted to punish women who had rejected him, and to punish sexually active males because they had a more enjoyable life.

4. Adam Lanza, 20, was responsible for storming into the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012, and killing 20 first-graders and six adults. He murdered his mother first, then used her rifle to shoot his victims, and then killed himself. After the incident, investigators learned that Adam suffered from numerous mental problems. He loved horror movies and was fascinated by mass killings. Adam had had a strained relationship with his father since his parents separated in 2002.

A growing number of young men—even teens—are snapping. What is causing this?

The debate rages today about gun control—and certainly a case can be made that these men should never have had access to handguns or rifles. But this dilemma can't be solved simply by stricter background checks. (Elliot Rodger, for example, stabbed three of his victims with a knife, one of them 94 times. In other cases, they used guns owned by family members.)

In the cases I've described, each young man came from a broken home marked by abuse, rejection or neglect. Each was tormented by inner demons that caused him to be fascinated with conspiracies, weapons and violence. And after each massacre, people who knew these young men said they detected that they were deeply disturbed and needed intervention.

Other factors may have played a role, including drugs, video games, violent entertainment and broken relationships. But one clear factor is mental illness and an obvious lack of support for families that struggle with this problem. A lot of young men in this country today are battling anxiety, compulsive behaviors and serious psychological problems, and we can't sit back and wait for politicians to solve this.

We need spiritual answers—and the church must step up to the plate to provide more help to people like Christopher, Dylann, Elliot and Adam before they reach the breaking point. That's why I'm grateful California Pastor Rick Warren and his wife, Kay (whose 27-year-old son battled depression and committed suicide in 2013), have organized a conference on mental illness that begins today. The Gathering on Mental Health and the Church will convene at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, Oct. 7-9.

"It's time to break the silence and stigma surrounding mental illness," says Kay Warren. "Every church, regardless of size or location, can be a place of refuge and love and compassion for those who need it most."

Hopefully Saddleback's willingness to apply the gospel to this taboo topic will result in a wave of healing in this country. For too long we have ignored this complicated problem—or we've deliberately swept it under the rug. The church should be the place where families go to find answers to mental illness—and not after a school massacre but before it happens.

For more information on the Gathering on Mental Health and the Church, go to mentalhealthandthechurch.com. 

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. Check out his ministry atthemordecaiproject.org.

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Reality of Muslims' Treatment of Christians

Editor's Note: I received this e-mail on Aug. 20, 2013 from a prominently Muslim country in the Middle East. I will not share the name of the person nor the country for their protection, as I promised. Please notice that I did not edit it, but posted it exactly as it was written.

Please read and may the Lord God give you discernment in all things, and a heart for our brothers and sisters of the Christian faith. We stand with them as best we can.

Steve Martin
Love For His People
Founder/President


"I listen and saw this many times - Pakistani Muslims did very bad with Pakistani Christians. In Kasur (place of Pakistan) they  snatch the scarfs of  christian women  Helpless women were without  of their all  garments The cruel  Muslims did sex with these ladies  But  Pakistani Chief Justice Iftkhar Chaudary did not take any little actions against this  shameless scene.  

Otherwise chief justice takes actions against Christians. but Muslims add  false cases . chief justice is against Christians.  Many people are in Pakistani jails but they are innocent . They are in jails in the false cases of Muslims.  Muslims brunt  Quran  ( book of  Muslims and they say Christians did this . After this drama they beat the Christians and sometimes they kill them at the scene. 

They also burnt many Christian areas in Pakistan Like Joseph colony , Kasur, Shanti Nagar . They also killed many innocent children,  young boy , young girls, women , men and old persons. They  did beat the old man  Because He was  eating something in Ramzan ( Muslims  are in fast in this month.) But he was hungry. 

They also  Show they are Pskistani  Christians  . They go in rich christian countries Take advantages on there  but also spread Islam in these  countries . They learnt English language because they say English people can not under stand our language but they  under stand English. That's why we learnt English .and spread Islam in English. 

They  say to Christian ladies do marriage with us if they deny They did sex with them in negative way  They did wrong with these women I can't explain more about this terror.  They say to christian people accept Islam If they deny they kill them.

They don't give good jobs to christian people on here If some one on good post It is God's grace on him or her. My neighbor went in Mayo Hospital ( Pakistani hospital)  for job . Clerk said to him only sweeper's job for you . He said but  I am educated . Clerk said to him. So what did happen. Your elders did the sweeper's job . your other brother and sisters doing this work and you will also do this. Not good job for you. 

But many  Muslims  on good posts in Christian countries. Many Christian  ladies ( American)and other ladies of Christians countries  did marriages with Muslims but on here they did bad with  our ladies  They did play with the body of  our ladies. 

Please   don't give place to Muslims in their countries  Where the passion of Christ in Christians of  Rich Christian countries ? Please do prayers for  Pakistani Christians  

Many children are orphans Many young women are widows Many old men and old women lost their children. In Pakistan. Muslims are doing this with them. If someone accepts the teaching of Christ they also kill him or here  If any  Muslim did help of any Christian . They also kill him or her.  Please take place to Christians  in heats and in prayers. God bless all Christian countries and all Christians."

Note: The following artwork was added by Editor.