Man arrested for reading the Holy Bible in public

Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by ArrowsNV

 

he was not in violation of any State or Federal laws by doing so. He could have had a freaking megaphone and he would STILL not be breaking any laws.

Okay, then....
we agree on his unsavory behavior, cool....I also understand the argument that he wasn't breaking any laws.
I guess my point is just that....I don't really care that he was arrested, or whether it was right or wrong, although I do understand the point of freedom of speech, and do not want my own freedoms taken either. Please don't misunderstand my point.

If the OP's main concern is just simply about him being arrested wrongfully, then so be it.
I guess I'm off-topic....

I was aiming only to point out that whatever the outcome, his behavior was contrary to social norms and 'publicly accepted behavior', and likely not to recruit many people into his faith.

We have no disagreement.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical

Originally posted by paradox

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
But the person portrayed by mel Gibson in the movie "The Patriot" was a great great great grandfather of mine. Brigadier General Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox".

Just saw this. Off topic but that's really cool. I remember doing a report on Francis Marion back in the 5th grade.

You did bro?? I had no idea until about a decade ago when my cousin Chuck did a big research for it in college. Pretty sweet man.

Yeah dude that's pretty cool. The name sounded familiar but then I knew for sure right when you said Swamp Fox that it was the guy I did a report on in school. I wish I had a way to trace my family back to see if I'm related to anyone cool but most of my immediate relatives are dead and I don't know where I'd start.

I love how this thread went from all of us intensely debating to getting along. Lol it's nice. A tad off topic, but nice

And just for the record: I agree with both of you (wild & paradox). Mr. Pastor guy was being annoying and kind of a dick by doing what he did. But like I've been debating the past 8 pages, he wasn't breaking a law. And therefore should not have been arrested. That's all I've really been trying to say this whole time.

Personally I believe that if someone is going to convert to a religion, it should be of their own accord. I personally did not believe in a higher power until last year when a friend and I had what we like to call a 'religious experience', and that convinced me (raised in a Christian/Catholic family, although I did not really understand/embrace it) and my best friend (complete atheist who laughed at the idea of the existence of 'God') to read more into it. (And even then, I read the Bible yet have my own concept of 'religion' and 'God' that isn't really taught in any Church and would probably be laughed at if I tried teaching it in a church. Plus I'm still working out the 'details'.)

But that's the thing, it should be a personal decision; not someone trying to shove it down your throat while your trying to renew your vehicle registration. However, I will fight with all my will in the court system to defend that asshole's constitutional right to do so if that's what he really believes will convince people.

reply to post by ArrowsNV


Alright alright...

he may not have broken the law and I may have been too stubborn to admit I was wrong and misunderstood some things

But still, people like that irritate me. Not even the religious aspect. I'd be annoyed all the same if it was an atheist preaching how god doesn't exist, or anyone else for that matter. But you're right, it's not against the law to be annoying. Oh well, though. It seems the system has worked it all out anyway and decided he wasn't guilty of anything.

By the way, is this 'religious experience' you speak of, what I think it is?
If so, I can pretty much assume your version of 'god' and my version of 'god' are very similar, and not really what is described as the god in religion (something external), but more-so involves ourselves.

Originally posted by paradox
reply to post by ArrowsNV

 

Alright alright...

he may not have broken the law and I may have been too stubborn to admit I was wrong and misunderstood some things

But still, people like that irritate me. Not even the religious aspect. I'd be annoyed all the same if it was an atheist preaching how god doesn't exist, or anyone else for that matter. But you're right, it's not against the law to be annoying. Oh well, though. It seems the system has worked it all out anyway and decided he wasn't guilty of anything.

By the way, is this 'religious experience' you speak of, what I think it is?

If so, I can pretty much assume your version of 'god' and my version of 'god' are very similar, and not really what is described as the god in religion (something external), but more-so involves ourselves.

edit on 4-7-12 by paradox because: (no reason given)

Yes, they irritate me as well. But he did have the right. As much as I would love to see people like that just STFU and leave, they had no right to arrest him. And like I said, I'm going to law school to be a defense attorney, so I take stuff like that pretty srsly. Sorry if I got to be kind of a dick at times, I just really get into debating... Sometimes a bit too much.

And this 'religious experience', well it happened last May (same day as Harold Camping's prediction surprisingly enough, I didn't believe the guy but that night changed my life). I'd throw it up here but I got chewed out by the mods last time I did, if that gives you any clues. Lol.

My views on 'God' are definitely 'unorthodox'. I don't believe he is exactly a big man in the sky, I believe that it's a lot more complicated than that. It's kind of hard for me to put into words.

If you've "turned on, tuned in and dropped out", then you should have a good idea as to what I'm talking about

reply to post by ArrowsNV


Yeah I don't blame you, I came off as an ass lol

I definitely get what you're saying. Nod nod wink wink

I've had quite a few "mental vacations" and from what I've learned talking to others, there are always very similar experiences shared, which leads me to believe there is an objective truth in there somewhere, you just receive bits and pieces at a time. You feel like you have it all figured out at once, but then you forget most of it and bring back what you are able to remember because it's so overwhelming.

Originally posted by paradox
reply to post by ArrowsNV

 

Yeah I don't blame you, I came off as an ass lol

I definitely get what you're saying. Nod nod wink wink

I've had quite a few "mental vacations" and from what I've learned talking to others, there are always very similar experiences shared, which leads me to believe there is an objective truth in there somewhere, you just receive bits and pieces at a time. You feel like you have it all figured out at once, but then you forget most of it and bring back what you are able to remember because it's so overwhelming.

edit on 4-7-12 by paradox because: typo

Well we both did a lil bit, just glad we could clear it up.

I've noticed the same. Although everyone's experience is supposed to be unique, the unusual thing about this event was that my buddy and I saw the EXACT same thing. To the point we were finishing each other's sentences. And in all my years of doing the stuff, I've never had a coinciding 'event', much less the entire night.

I had the whole experience written down on my old laptop but the HDD bit the dust and now its gone... :/

I'd rewrite it right now and PM it to you, but it's kinda long and it's like 12:30am here.

It definitely put my mind through a blender though. Changed my entire outlook on life.

Originally posted by paradox

Originally posted by NOTurTypical

Originally posted by paradox

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
But the person portrayed by mel Gibson in the movie "The Patriot" was a great great great grandfather of mine. Brigadier General Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox".

Just saw this. Off topic but that's really cool. I remember doing a report on Francis Marion back in the 5th grade.

You did bro?? I had no idea until about a decade ago when my cousin Chuck did a big research for it in college. Pretty sweet man.

Yeah dude that's pretty cool. The name sounded familiar but then I knew for sure right when you said Swamp Fox that it was the guy I did a report on in school. I wish I had a way to trace my family back to see if I'm related to anyone cool but most of my immediate relatives are dead and I don't know where I'd start.

Like ancestory.com would be a good one, it takes a ton of research though. The only reports I remember doing from school was one on Roswell and Vlad the Impaler.

I was a twisted kid.

reply to post by paradox

But you're right, it's not against the law to be annoying.

Praise God, I'd be talking to you all right now from a library in federal prison somewhere.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by paradox

 

But you're right, it's not against the law to be annoying.

Praise God, I'd be talking to you all right now from a library in federal prison somewhere.

Same here.

reply to post by ArrowsNV

Sorry if I got to be kind of a dick at times, I just really get into debating... Sometimes a bit too much.

Is this the part where we all start making out?

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by ArrowsNV

 

Sorry if I got to be kind of a dick at times, I just really get into debating... Sometimes a bit too much.

Is this the part where we all start making out?

lmao

Originally posted by paradox

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by ArrowsNV

 

Sorry if I got to be kind of a dick at times, I just really get into debating... Sometimes a bit too much.

Is this the part where we all start making out?

lmao

Bahaha. Well I'm out of here. Gotta be up early in the morning for Easter stuff with my family.

Hope to debate with you fellows on ATS some other time

Originally posted by ArrowsNV

Originally posted by paradox

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by ArrowsNV

 

Sorry if I got to be kind of a dick at times, I just really get into debating... Sometimes a bit too much.

Is this the part where we all start making out?

lmao

Bahaha. Well I'm out of here. Gotta be up early in the morning for Easter stuff with my family.

Hope to debate with you fellows on ATS some other time

Hey same here.

See you dudes around

reply to post by CaptainNemo

Originally posted by CaptainNemo
reply to post by XelNaga

 

Yeah, that's essentially NAZI mentality!

Didn't some of the first people to come to this land, come to escape religious persecution?! And now, in this day people can be thrown and jail for exercising religious freedom and freedom of speech... I am OUTRAGED. See how this hotshot moron grins as he's arresting this man. He didn't warn him and he couldn't even tell him what he was being arrested for. This is NOT the type of person I want prote..I mean harassing my fellow man.

No, no. The first people that came to this land came here to escape being persecuted. They had no qualms whatsoever persecuting native americans. The righteousness card is meaningless to one who knows the facts. Christians are so very strange....there is no respect for the beliefs of others in proselytism yet they get upset when people who don't want to hear their nonsense object to it.

Some other people have said that a person that does not want to hear the preaching should go somewhere else. Sorry...no. In a public place I have just as much right to be there as the preacher. The preacher is therefore disturbing the peace by preaching to an audience that does not want to hear it. Tell you what --- if you want to preach you can go to some nice private property and preach til you drop.

I get the odd feeling that christians are upset with this incident because it was a christian preacher that got arrested as opposed to a satanist preacher.

reply to post by My_Reality

No, no. The first people that came to this land came here to escape being persecuted. They had no qualms whatsoever persecuting native americans.

You're a couple hundred years off. The first ones here shared Thanksgiving meals with them, helped each other plant fields, build homes etc.

Had that been me i would have told the cop right away separation of church and state .And i would use it as my defense in front of a Judge . since the State likes to use that one a lot. Then i would organize a prayer service on the front lawn of the court building just to f*ck with em even though i have no religious views at all.

reply to post by NOTurTypical


Have you ever looked into Native American worship of "The Great Spirit"?

Many were very in tune with Christ and His Spirit, though they never heard the Gospel,

an example of the law being written on the hearts of men, and Christ living in everyone regardless of belief...

EDIT: I know many native american tribes were pretty darn vicious,
but many were also very peaceful, and Christ like,

Just like Gandhi, he was a very Christian, non-Christian, if that makes sense, haha.

reply to post by tovenar


That isn't quite true, in most government buildings you aren't supposed to talk on your phone and I have seen people asked to leave the RMV, to be precise, for being too boisterous.
_____________________________________________________
There's two factors here, one as the cop stated, the people in line were a captive audience... people often have to take a day off work if they have to go the Registry. I don't think anyone's boss is going to find any leniency or humor if you go to him/her and tell them you need another day off because someone was preaching gospel and it offended you so you left.

The second factor is that it is government property and there is a separation of Church and State the cop also did state that the preacher could go preach on a street corner if he wanted to... just not there.

/binky

ETA: I believe anyone would have fallen under this... a sales person, a circus performer etc...