1Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
Important Takeaways:
- Wake-Up Call: Second Person Faces Criminal Record For Silently Praying In The UK
- A man from Southampton, U.K., has been fined for praying near an abortion facility in Bournemouth.
- Adam Smith-Connor, a British army veteran, stood still and silent on Ophir Road, a public street, for a few minutes before being approached by “community safety accredited officers,” according to an article at adf.uk
- The officers warned him he was in an area under a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which establishes a “safe zone” around abortion clinics and prohibits “engaging in any act of approval/disapproval,” including praying. The abortion clinic in Bournemouth is the fifth one in the country to have this type of censorship zone, according to local news reports.
- After repeatedly being asked what the nature of his prayer was, Smith-Connor told authorities he was praying for his son who died by abortion 22 years ago, a decision that still haunts him to this day.
- “I’m sorry for your loss,” the council officer told Smith-Connor. “But ultimately, I have to go along with the guidelines of the Public Space Protection Order, to say that we are in the belief that therefore you are in breach of clause 4a, which says about prayer, and also acts of disapproval …”
- He would never have imagined that praying silently would put him at risk for criminal record.
- “In the past, I assisted with abortions in hospital as part of my army medical training, but now I pray for those who perform abortions, because I realize how harmful abortion is to women and families, and that every single human life is valuable—no matter how small,” he said. “Most of all, I’m moved to pray because of what happened to my son.”
- “Nobody should be criminalized for what they believe—especially not when they express that belief silently, in the privacy of their own minds,” said Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF UK
Read the original article by clicking here.
1 Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
Important Takeaways:
- Woman arrested for ‘thought crime’ of silently praying!
- She was in the proximity of a U.K. abortion business at the time.
- “You don’t have to be pro-life to see that this is wrong,” Isabel Vaughn-Spruce [she’s the U.K. March for Life director.]
- The report said, “Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a charity volunteer and Christian, was approached by police officers outside of BPAS Robert Clinic in Birmingham, England, and asked if she was praying, according to ADF’s press release. Vaughan-Spruce told the officers she “might be praying silently” and was later arrested.”
- She explains, “I’m still trying to get my mind around the fact that I’ve been arrested for silent thoughts going on in the privacy of my own head.”
- George Orwell’s “thought crimes,” the concept he introduced in his novel “1984” where people become criminals by thinking, have arrived.
Read the original article by clicking here.
Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Important Takeaways:
- Grandma Prevails After Police Arrested Her for Silently Praying Near Abortion Clinic, Now UK Cities Seek ‘Prayer Ban’ Zones
- A 76-year-old grandmother in the United Kingdom has successfully challenged her arrest that occurred while she was walking and praying silently near an abortion clinic.
- The charges have now been dismissed.
- [In Feb 2021] The officer told her she wasn’t praying in a place of worship and she did not have a reasonable excuse to be outdoors. He accused her of being in front of the clinic to protest. Lalor was arrested, detained, and issued a fine.
- The ADF UK reports the Liverpool and Bournemouth City Councils are now trying to create censorship zones around abortion clinics within their respective municipalities.
- Aberdeen’s City Council already approved a measure to censor its public streets last week.
- In Richmond and in Ealing, where buffer zones have already been implemented, even silent prayer is prohibited
- Meanwhile, the Scottish government has also shown support for instituting the same type of “buffer zones” across Scotland.
Read the original article by clicking here.
