Man Arrested in Hemet CA for Reading His Bible

US Man Arrested Outside Calif. DMV for Reading His Bible Out Loud
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 7:46am by Jonathon M. Seidl at http://www.theblaze.com/stories/man-arrested-outside-calif-dmv-for-reading-his-bible-out-loud/

When Mark Mackey, a member of the local Calvary Chapel, showed up to the DMV office in Hemet, CA on February 2, he had a goal: read the Bible and introduce those waiting in line to the “gospel of Jesus Christ.” And for about 15 minutes he was successful. That is until a California Highway Patrolman took the Bible from his hands, arrested him, and told him he was guilty of preaching to a “captive audience.”

According to reports, Mackey wasn’t the only one arrested. Pastor Brett Coronado and Edmond Flores, Jr., who were accompanying him, were also taken into custody.

A press release from the group Advocates for Faith and Freedom, which is representing the men in a lawsuit, says the men were arrested for “impeding an open business” under Penal Code Section 602.1(b). But, the group calls the justification under that statue a stretch.

“The charge of ‘impeding an open business’ was enacted in large part to protect businesses against protestors who block the doors of an open business,” the release says. “At the time of the arrest of these men, the DMV was closed, and they were standing at least fifty feet away from the entrance.”

“This is an abuse of power on the part of the CHP,” said Jennifer Monk, associate general counsel for Advocates for Faith and Freedom. “The arresting officer could find no appropriate penal code to use when arresting these men. The purpose of the arrests appears to have been to censor them.”

A closer look at the Penal Code Section 602.1(b) may, at first glance, cause even more outrage for those such as Monk who are upset by the case. According to section c-1 of the law, the “preachers” would seem to have been okay if they were from a union:

(c) This section shall not apply to any of the following persons:
(1) Any person engaged in lawful labor union activities that are
permitted to be carried out on the property by state or federal law.

But according to Lt. Michael Soubirous of the San Gorgonio Pass CHP Station, which oversees the Hemet area, the men were arrested because they didn’t have a permit.

“The whole thing is, when you go to the DMV, you are not allowed to do any other business,” Soubirous told the Banning-Beaumont Patch. He said a permit is required on state property for anything other than the intended business.

“We would have granted them a permit to go out and preach,” Soubirous explained. “There is a mechanism to be allowed to protest…We don‘t inhibit people’s right to free speech–we regulate it.”

Despite the arrests, the district attorney has not pursued criminal charges. Still, Advocates for Faith and Freedom is going through with its lawsuit.

“Whether this was an intentional violation of our clients’ constitutional liberty or whether this was an act of ignorance on the part of the CHP, this lawsuit is important in order to preserve the liberty to read the Bible aloud on public property without fear of criminal prosecution,” said Robert Tyler, General Counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom.

You can view the group’s complaint here.

Muslims Beat Evangelist, Assault Pregnant Wife

By BosNewsLife Africa Service at http://www.ethiosun.com/2011/04/ethiopia-evangelist-killed-pregnant-wife-injured/

Devoted Christians can face persecution in several parts of Ethiopia, rights groups say.

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (BosNewsLife)– Christians in Ethiopia were mourning Thursday, April 28, after Muslim extremists reportedly killed an evangelist and assaulted his pregnant wife.

The attack happened last week, April 21, in the south-central town of Worabe, an area that is 97 percent Muslim, Christian rights activists said.

“Muslims lured Evangelist Abraham Abera from Kale Hiwot Church, his home and place of ministry, and told him that his friend was sick and needed immediate attention. Abraham left with the men, who turned on him, beating him with rods,” explained advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC) in a statement.

ICC, which has close contacts with Christians in the region, said the evangelist’s pregnant wife, Birtukan, was also attacked when she tried to intervene. ”Abraham died on the spot and his wife, who sustained a severe head injury, was left unconscious in the street. She was found and taken to a hospital in [the town of] Butajira, where she regained consciousness on April 22 and was able to recount the details of the attack,” ICC added.

Birtukan reportedly said that as Muslims were beating her and her husband, they told them, ”You (Christians) are growing in number in our area. You are spreading your message (the gospel). We will destroy you.”

BABY SAVED

Though Birtukan did suffer injuries to her mid-section, her unborn baby “did fortunately survive the attack,”ICC added. Ethiopian officials could not immediately be reached amid reports that the suspects remain at large.

Birtukan reportedly said she knew at least two two of the attackers. She said Christians have suggested that the men may not be arrested because local officials are also Muslims.

“Christians in Worabe and its surrounding areas are persecuted at the hands of Muslim radicals, and the local government officials, who are Muslims, don’t protect Christians. We urge the higher government authorities [state and federal officials] to intervene and protect us,” ICC quoted an unidentified Christian leader as saying.

“The brutal killing of Evangelist Abraham and the beating of his wife, Birtukan, is deeply troubling. We urge the federal government authorities to investigate this latest attack as well as reports of persecution against Christians in the Silte zone,” stressed Jonathan Racho, ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa.

Muslim Brotherhood seized the Egyptian Revolution

RECENT NEW YORK TIMES HEADLINE: ‘Surprisingly, the Muslim Brotherhood appears to have seized the Egyptian revolution’

Posted: April 25, 2011at http://barenakedislam.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/recent-ny-times-headline-surprisingly-the-muslim-brotherhood-appears-to-have-seized-the-egyptian-revolution/

WELL, DUH! This must come as quite a shock to Obama Regime officials like Director of National Intelligence James Clapper who assured us that the Muslim Brotherhood was a mostly secular movement.
HOT AIR - Even some hard-nosed realists might find themselves a bit surprised at how quickly the nature of the Egyptian revolution changed after Hosni Mubarak fled:

In post-revolutionary Egypt, where hope and confusion collide in the daily struggle to build a new nation, religion has emerged as a powerful political force, following an uprising that was based on secular ideals. The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group once banned by the state, is at the forefront, transformed into a tacit partner with the military government that many fear will thwart fundamental changes.

It is also clear that the young, educated secular activists who initially propelled the nonideological revolution are no longer the driving political force — at least not at the moment. As the best organized and most extensive opposition movement in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood was expected to have an edge in the contest for influence. But what surprises many is its link to a military that vilified it.

But what happened to all of those young idealists in the street that drove Mubarak out of power and put their trust in the military to protect them? Well, they don’t seem to be around any longer, but suddenly facial hair is the new fashion on the street:

“We are all worried,” said Amr Koura, 55, a television producer, reflecting the opinions of the secular minority. “The young people have no control of the revolution anymore. It was evident in the last few weeks when you saw a lot of bearded people taking charge. The youth are gone.”

The Updated Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Website

The new http://www.lcms.org/ is now live:

Servicemen Returning Home - Surprise!

ON a tip from: http://www.ihatethemedia.com/

Easter Sunday - Resurrection of Jesus Christ from The Passion

The Old Rugged Cross - Johnny Cash