distributed Christian leaflets during a massive event of homosexuals, saying the move violated believers’ right to "proclaim" their faith.
The Evangelical Alliance UK (EA) stressed it had "noted with regret the arrest of Stephen Green the Director of [the] Christian Voice [group], for handing out leaflets incorporating Bible verses at Saturday’s Mardi Gras event in Cardiff," the capital of Wales region.
The EA said it was "passionately committed to freedom of speech, religious liberties and the right, as Christians, to freely proclaim our faith which we fear may have been eroded in this case."
Green’s ‘Christian Voice’ claims to be "a prophetic ministry" and "Christian prayer and lobby group" that among other activities aims to "analyze current events in the light of Scripture" and to "proclaim God’s word…" to the public.
SOUTH WALES POLICE
South Wales Police reportedly detained Green on Saturday, September 2, when he refused to stop giving out the leaflets to people entering Bute Park in Cardiff, where the eighth annual ‘Mardi Gras’ event for gays and lesbians was being held.
Green was allegedly kept in a police cell at Cardiff Police Station for over four hours before being charged with using "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby, contrary to section 5(1) and (6) of the Public Order Act 1986."
He was due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates Court Wednesday September 6, where Green said he would defend his actions.
"I thank God for the honor of being locked up for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ," Green added in a statement monitored by BosNewsLife.
SPECIAL UNIT
"All the same, I am astonished that South Wales Police have a special unit dedicated to silencing those who disagree with homosexuality," said Green in a reference to the South Wales Police ‘Minorities Support Unit’ which works closely with organizations of homosexuals.
"Maybe they work a bit too closely when an evangelist can be victimized simply because he is
giving out leaflets quoting verses from the same Bible police officers swear on in court," he argued.
"Speaking about righteousness, morality, sin, repentance and the forgiveness sinners can find in the cross of Jesus Christ may well offend the fragile sensibilities of homosexuals, but should the police have a partisan unit whose job is to round up Christian dissidents, treat them like thought criminals and trample on freedom of speech?," Green wondered.
Green claimed the leaflet he distributed called ‘Same-Sex Love – Same-Sex Sex; What does the Bible say?’ "isn’t even that hard-hitting." While "it quotes the Bible to establish that same-sex sex is sin, it says that no-one has to stay gay and asks how the reader will stand in the Day of Judgment," he stressed.
PRODIGAL SON
"It concentrates on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, those words of the Lord Jesus which have given countless people down the ages the assurance of God’s forgiveness if they truly repent," explained Green.
"It ends by quoting the famous verse of [Bible verse] John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’. That’s good news."
Green said he was concerned that Christian preachers are increasingly being told to "shut up by bullying police officers with personal issues or axes to grind." He regretted that "in most cases they simply comply" because "if we are to safeguard our historic freedoms, someone has to make a stand."
He said he had been praying "that God’s strength will be enough for me to see this through, because I know from the words of Christ that in my own strength I can do nothing."
TEST CASE
The trial, a potential test-case for religious freedom in the UK, came at a politically sensitive moment for pro-Christian campaigners wanting to pressure authorities as the procedures Wednesday, September 6, where overshadowed by widespread media coverage on the uncertain leadership future of Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Tom Watson, a junior defense minister, along with six Parliamentary Private Secretaries resigned Wednesday, September 6, saying it wasn’t in the country’s interest for the prime minister to remain in office.
The Sun newspaper reported that he would handover power by May 31 amid growing pressure within his party. Blair led Labour to three election victories since 1997 has always said he would not seek another term, but so far refused to give more details about the handover of power.
Finance Minister Gordon Brown is widely expected to succeed Blair as leader of the Labour Party and the country. (With BosNewsLife News Center and reports from the United Kingdom).
