Arrested for Preaching the Gospel

[Miguel]

Monday 17th August.

At 9:30 pm I was preaching in Madestone Kent Town Center on repentance from sin and on the blood of Christ, the sin of hatred and love of God, in God’s mercy he holds out his hands and wants to love you, he wants to save you from his wrath and call you a son or a daughter and he can only do this if you repent and turn from your sins, or parish in hell, to with I opened my bible and started reading NKJV Gen 1, Gen 2, gen 6:11 to 13, Lev 26:14 – 30, Palm 2:4 – 9, Palm 5:4 – 6, Psalm 7:11 – 13, Psalm 10:3 – 4 New Testament John 3:36, Romans 1, Romans 8:1 – 8, 1 cor 6:9 – 10, estimate time (11:30/12:00) I was approached between 3 and 4 officers who had stated that they received a complained from a homosexual who was black, acused me of homophobia and inciting racial comments about black people in particular, I deigned and reject the allegation and refused and accept a warning, told them that they will have to arrest me and charge me, they decided to arrest me, and quoted the Law “you have the right to remain silent etc” I was taken to the station to be booked in, during the time I spoke to one of the officers off the record and was able to share with him my faith, he told me the reason for my arrest was for my own protection and inciting homophobic and racial comments, the officer asked me could I have read the bible quietly I responded if I read the Bible quietly even still some one will find offence, and even if I did how am I supposed to heard ? the officer responded “do you think it is right to force your beliefs on others” I told him well to force ones believe is to be like a Jihadist that if a person did not covert I would threaten to put them to death, this is not my way, I warn them because men need to know why they are sinners, not because they want to hear it is because they need to hear it, I did ask him if he was a atheist, he asked me what is a atheist ? I told him some one who denighs the existence of God, he said well he does not believe in a God, I stated this is what a atheist is, the arresting officer came back and asked me to give him my Bible, I said I would not do that and if you did you would have to stipulate in writing that you had confiscated my Bible, he then stated that I would be upto the duty officer to do that, I was searched decently, they searched my bag, my wallet, and found a digital Dictaphone they asked me what it was used for and had it been used today, I stated no, “I forgot on this occasion to record my self”, they then placed my belongings in a bag and tagged it, they asked me to sign and I told them in return that I would do that when I am released, they asked me with the recording device if I had recorded the police officers today and why I carry one about, I told them that the reason is that It was to record my self so I know exactly what has been preached, and was instructed by my legal representative to record the activities of the police to ensure they comment to lawful conduct, at this point I was spoken to through the procedure as this has been the first time that I had been arrested, they said I had a right to keep my Bible they did not take it from me, they asked me if I had legal representation and I stated I did and appropriately gave them the details, they asked me if I would allow them to take my finger prints, I asked them that I have issues around Bio-metrics as it could have a impact on my civil liberties, that I would like to seek advice with the solicitor, they agreed, they then shown hospitality asked if I had dietary needs, they offered cups of tea also, the cell was clean and comfortable, and they told me to take my shoes off before I entered the police cell, they were curtius about this, this is when the Christian Legal Centre was contacted during the time, a solicitor turned up, and explained the procedure about being recorded, I had given a statement to the soliciter and he advised me to co-oporate with the police in conferming my identerty, this I did the young police woman talked me through the procedure and began the recording and I told her what I preached on this morning, and she allowed me to recite the verses I had read, she then stated that she would show video footage of one in particular of a young girl running away from me, as she was terrified, the soliciter confermed that was not the case the girl was running to her mother because she was behind and was trying to keep up, as any child would.

This is the only area that the officer said I would be charged under section 5 of the public order act for cuasing alarm and distress, I denighed the charges, and they took my finger prints and it is now on the biometic national database, they did not take a DNA swab sample, the case of the police seem to be inconsistent with the story they told me I was not arrested for reading the Bible, or preaching, but now it would appear that I have been arrested on this technicality, I told her for the tape, if this was they only film footage and are they any other angles from any other CCTV or is it just the one, she said it was just the one CCTV camra I told her that in this case it can be interpreted in many different ways, it is like the same with a photo lots of different people can tell you different stories they may not even be consistant, besides if the little girl was distressed in any way I could only apologise my intention was not to cause alarm or distress to any persons, but if preaching the gospel makes me a criminal then I am a criminal, I asked her If she had spoke to the mother and daughter in question, and they clearly did not.

(Note to onn in this statement, I could have mentioned that the girl in question did not have remain if she was the mother could have easly taken her away, 2nd point would this also apply in the same way that mother would drag her screaming, terrified daughter to see santa against her own will.)

The interview was terminated, the police woman asked me if I would have my finger print scanned and I then said yes, I was informed that this will go on a national database, (note to onn, please keep a close eye on this) Then I was 10 mins later release on bail to return on Saturday 22nd of August at 12:00 PM I was released on 17/08/2009 17:18 HRS

Later I was released on bail to return on saturday, people have been praying the charges had been droped and aventually I was removed of the Chriminal data base.

[Miguel]

Column from Telegraph.co.uk

Preacher threatened with arrest for reading out extracts from the Bible in public

A street preacher is at the centre of a row over freedom of speech after police threatened to arrest him for reading the Bible in public.

By Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter
Published: 9:00PM BST 15 Aug 2009

Lawyers acting for Miguel Hayworth, 29, have demanded an explanation over the alleged intimidation and abuse of power by three officers. Andrea Minichiello Williams, the director of the Christian Legal Centre, has written to Peter Fahy, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, over the incident.

"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.'"

Mr Hayworth said that at about 2:30pm a second officer confirmed that his colleague had accused the preacher of inciting religious and racial hatred and wanted to warn him that this was an arrestable offence.
The second officer, Mr Hayworth claimed, also warned him his actions were being videoed and recorded, and he stopped preaching.

Some passages in the Bible are regarded as homophobic. For example, sections read out by Mr Hayworth in St Ann's Square included Romans Chapter 1 Verse 27, from the King James Bible, which says: "And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly..."
He also read from 1 Corinthians Chapter 6, Verse 9: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind."

Mr Hayworth says he cannot understand how the racism complaint arose. Shortly after being confronted by the police, he stopped reading from the Bible.

He and his father later approached the Christian Legal Centre, which seeks to promote religious freedom and, particularly, to protect Christians and Christianity. The centre, in turn, has instructed Paul Diamond, the leading religious rights barrister. The centre and Mr Diamond believe that the police abused their powers during the dispute on Saturday, July 25.

It is against the law to use offensive, threatening or abusive words or behaviour. It is also an offence to incite hatred on grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation. However, in its letter to the police, the Christian Legal Centre said: "Freedom of religious and freedom of religious speech is specifically protected by the European Convention on Human Rights." The letter added: "This means that any restriction on the 'right' to evangelise will have to be justified by the Police by a 'pressing social need'.

"In a free society, this is very difficult to do; and a few complaints by irrate individuals will not suffice." The centre and Mr Diamond have represented a number of Christians in alleged religious discrimination cases.

Chief Inspector Chris Hill, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Police were called to St Ann's Square in Manchester city centre following complaints from members of the public who considered the comments being made by two street preachers as racist and homophobic.

"When spoken to, the men said they were quoting from the Bible. The officers confirmed they were entitled to preach on the street, but advised them offensive behaviour is not acceptable. "No one was arrested. I have received a letter from the Christian Legal Centre and will respond in due course."

In Christ
Miguel Hayworth

Preacher threatened with arrest for reading out extracts from the Bible in public - Telegraph

[SERay]

This is a news worthy event Miguel. I updated the newspaper link to include the whole article, as a permanent record, whereas newspaper sites often purge dated content after a year.

Thanks very much for sharing this with us. In my city of Indianapolis, within city limits, we are required to obtain a permit from the City before declaring a message from a public location. Most cities here have a municipal ordinance forbidding street assemblage of religious groups or street preaching without obtaining a permit from the police commissioner to do so. It then is unlawful to interfere with such services once a permit is granted.

I have never been arrested in conjunction with open air evangelism, but some of my brothers have.

May the Lord keep thee and protect thee and thy household.

[Ressmont]

This is extremely disturbing, Miguel. I admire you for your dedication and steadfastness for Jesus Christ and the Bible. Christians are now criminals for sharing the good news of God's plan of salvation. Yet--we are going to find ways to evangelize, minister, and labor for the Kingdom while it is still day. The night is rapidly approaching. We are the light of the world!