Is Religious Speech Still Free?
Just ask a couple of Gideons. Their answer might surprise you. From the Alliance Defense Fund web site:
PLANTATION KEY, Fla. — Two members of Gideons International arrested for distributing Bibles on a public sidewalk will be represented by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys. Anthony Mirto and Ernest Simpson were arrested, booked into jail, and charged with trespassing.
“The First Amendment protects the right to engage in religious speech on a public sidewalk,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman. “Members of the Gideons have been highly respected for decades as peaceful providers of free Bibles to those who want them.”
On Jan. 19, Mirto and Simpson began distributing copies of the Bible on a public sidewalk outside Key Largo School. Neither man entered school grounds. After the school’s principal called police, a Monroe County Sheriff’s officer asked the men to leave immediately or face trespassing charges. As the men prepared to leave, the officer decided to arrest both individuals.
No, they haven’t been convicted yet, but handing out Bibles on a public sidewalk isn’t something that should even be a gray area. What about Salvation Army open air meetings, that have been going on (less so recently) for over 100 years? Handing out Bibles is surely less an issue, but what’s different is the culture of today with so little real understanding of freedom of religion. Today, being religious while within earshot of a school is grounds for arrest.
The Left will tell you that God hasn’t been taken out of school; kids can still pray (unobtrusively,silently) if they want. Perhaps, but I have a feeling that if God did show up at a school, He’d be in a holding cell in short order.
Hat tip to WorldNetDaily for the scoop and further details.
Technorati Tags: Gideons, Anthony Mirto, Ernest Simpson, Alliance Defense Fund, First Amendment, bibles, Key Largo School
Filed under: Christianity • Culture • Education • Religion
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Notice: it says, “have been arrested after trying to hand out Bibles on a public sidewalk” — that is possibly true, but the key word I noticed was “after” — there’s something missing here that you need to be aware of: in other accounts of this story I found and in the official police report, they were actually arrested for trespassing, and that only after they went and sat in their vehicle and called police headquarters to complain instead of getting off the property. Again, it was not because they passed out Bibles on the sidewalk, but because they did NOT have the legal right to park their vehicle on the school property after the school asked them not to do so.
This is a very important distinction. Whereas I personally disagree with the school authorities in refusing to allow a peaceable activity to continue, it seems quite unfortunate that our Gideon friends failed to use wisdom in their activities after the distribution ceased.
In addition, please notice that the Alliance Defense Fund is the legal representative. If the arrest was related to Gideon activities, it would be The Gideons International who would be providing legal defense. And finally, if they really were defending a Gideon activity, they would NOT be issuing public statements concerning the defense.
So the only conclusion to draw is that it appears that two men who had been performing an activity in relationship to the Gideon program were arrested, as was was stated, “AFTER” a Gideon activity, but what they were arrested for was not at all Gideon related.
Very sad indeed. Please pray for these men, and for a minimizing of the damage their action may do to the cause to which they were obviously committed.
If you could send a link to any of these other accounts, I would appreciate it. I’ve only seen one news story on it so far.
Thanks.
It’s hard to see what law they were breaking or why they should have been arrested if they were in progress of leaving. Sometimes the police arrest you just because they want to show you who is boss. Remember that the next time a UCLA student is harrassed and tazed on his way out of the library.
It can happen to anyone. If you value the 4th Amendment, you shouldn’t care whether they were handing out Bibles or being a bratty college kid. Rights are rights for all of us.
“The Left will tell you that God hasn’t been taken out of school; kids can still pray (unobtrusively,silently) if they want. Perhaps, but I have a feeling that if God did show up at a school, He’d be in a holding cell in short order.”
Oh, barf! Hey. I’m a real live liberal right here. Why don’t you ask me a question rather than try to speak for me and what I WOULD tell you, m’kay? Thanks.
Frankly, I have no problem teaching the Bible as literature or social science — but if it were to be taught as truth, then I’d insist my interpretation of that truth be taught. If we’re cool with that, I’ll start writing up the curriculum. If you don’t want my interpretation of the Bible, then I’m afraid I have to insist that no blasphemy be taught at school. We’ll just have to let religion be taught at churches.
If God showed up at school, he’d probably ask, “How can you afford tax cuts if you can’t afford textbooks?” I’d have no answer.
You’ll note I didn’t say that the Bible was taken out, I said God was. And you, indeed, tacitly agree that He has been removed, as you make a facetious point on how to bring Him back in.
How we lasted for so long with an acknowledgment in public school without all the problems that it allegedly would cause is truly amazing.
“Affording” tax cuts? Ever since the Bush tax cuts, federal revenues have been increasing and the economy has been cranking ever since. We’ve reduced the tax burden on the middle class (trust me, I know first hand), given people back their own money, and fueled economic growth so the poor get more job opportunities. (Well, until the Democrats put them out of work with a minimum wage hike.) I think God would be OK with that.
“You’ll note I didn’t say that the Bible was taken out, I said God was. And you, indeed, tacitly agree that He has been removed, as you make a facetious point on how to bring Him back in.”
Ok. You’re gonna have to explain this one to me in a little bit more detail because I’m not following your point. If you aren’t talking about religious instruction, then what are you talking about?
“How we lasted for so long with an acknowledgment in public school without all the problems that it allegedly would cause is truly amazing. ”
Well, it did finally cause problems, though, didn’t it? Why would you want to force it on unwilling subjects through the public schools rather than let each American choose her own path?
““Affording” tax cuts? Ever since the Bush tax cuts, federal revenues have been increasing and the economy has been cranking ever since.”
Patently false. You seem like an honest guy, but you just can’t say things that you don’t know are true, and I know you don’t know this is true because I know it’s false. Bush cut taxes in 2001, 2003, and 2004. Revenues declined in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Furthermore, the 2003 tax cuts were labelled as a ‘jobs’ package. It was a total bust according to it’s two year predictions. It was a failure.
Furthermore, I find it a grotesque display of elite privilege for investors to make record profits they didn’t earn while this country is at war and my rural home town folk are over there fighting and dying. This economy means nothing to them — living another day is a miracle. You guys are rolling in the cash while they have to write home asking parents and hometown donations to buy the armor they need — meanwhile, yup, Bush’s 2007 budget cuts funding for the VA right as Iraq veterans are coming home needing services, but can’t get them. Support the troops my ass. Makes me want to puke.
“2 Doug Payton says:
February 9th, 2007 at 9:10 am
If you could send a link to any of these other accounts, I would appreciate it. I’ve only seen one news story on it so far.
Thanks.”
Would you like other accounts of police harrassment? It happens a lot. We’re weaker divided. Whether passing out Bibles or protesting the war, we have to stick together to demand responsible government.
I’m not talking about religious instruction per se, but prayer was allowed in schools by both student and teacher for some time, and the Bible was used as a reading text. The best you can muster in regards to bringing God back to the classroom is bringing back the Bible on literature grounds. Not a bad idea, in my book, but first you seem to suggest that God has not been taken out of school…
At least the impression you leave is that what I said was wrong. I said liberals would say that God hasn’t been removed from schools, and your outburst suggests something is wrong with my characterization. Perhaps you think He has, which would actually buttress my point that He’d wind up in a holding cell should he show up.
Well, God in school only became a problem when we lost our historical moral moorings and shared values. This was generally a nation of either Christians or people who respected it to one degree or another and understood its historical contribution to our society. Somehow very few people considered it a imposition until the 60s brought us a “new morality” who’s consequences we’ve been struggling with ever since.
If you read any of the links, you’ll note that the economy has indeed been cranking along overall. The economic downturn of 2001 corresponded with an event called “9/11” that you may have heard of. Even with that, the world went into an economic downturn, and the US led the way out of it.
Um, how did we get to talking about Iraq?
My request was for more accounts of the Gideon incident. You’d think with all the news sources out there more folks would cover this. But I guess since it’s a bunch of Christians, they don’t warrant coverage. You commented on another post about the mismatched coverage of the March for Life. Consider this another example of media bias.