Scottish Street Preacher Arrested For ‘Breach of the Peace’ Over ‘Illegal’ Gospe

[Mark]

Scottish Street Preacher Arrested For ‘Breach of the Peace’ Over ‘Illegal’ Gospel Message

A street preacher in Scotland was arrested this week for ‘breach of the peace’ and advised that the content of his sermon was illegal after an anonymous bystander complained to police about his activities.
 
Josh Williamson of Perth states that he was preaching from Scripture about man’s enslavement to sin when he was taken into custody, interrogated and later released with the warning to stop open-air preaching.
 
The incident occurred on Wednesday as Williamson decided to conduct a street outreach in his community after spending time with his family. In a blog post outlining the matter, Williamson explains that he began by distributing tracts and speaking with passersby just before noon, and then proceeded to deliver a sermon from John 8.
 
“Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin,” the Scripture text, the words of Christ, read. “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

 “My emphasis was one: truth, slavery, and freedom. I spoke about how Christ is true, and we can trust His words,” Williamson recounted. “I preached on how we are all enslaved to sin, and how it is only by Jesus Christ that we can be free.”
 
He said that at this point, some of those that began to gather mocked his message and spewed profanities.
 
Minutes later, a police van pulled up and parked in the area where the crowd had assembled. As Williamson continued to preach, an officer approached and ordered him to stop preaching.

“I asked him what law I was breaking, and he replied that I was in breach of the peace,” he stated. “When I asked him to explain, he pointed to my mp3 recorder and said I was too loud. … I then asked him what a reasonable sound level would be. The police officer replied that the noise level isn’t the issue, but rather that a complaint had been made. I tried to reason with the officer, explaining that such argumentation is subjective as anyone can claim anything is too loud.”
 
During this time, a bystander spoke up and urged the officer to allow Williamson to continue preaching. When the officer shoved him away, the man turned to the crowd and began speaking about the importance of freedom and civil liberty.
 
The police again contended to Williamson that he must discontinue preaching, to which he replied that he was not in violation of the law.
 
“At this the officer said, ‘If you do that I’ll arrest you,’” Williamson recalled. “My answer was, ‘I guess you had better arrest me then, as I’m not breaking the law.’ With this the police officer placed me under arrest for breach of the peace.”
 
The man who had been addressing the crowds about civil liberties during this time was also taken into custody for breach of the peace.
 
Moments later, a female officer reiterated to Williamson that he was under arrest. He remarked that he was surprised by her response to his inquiry as to what law he had violated.
 
“It was at this point she told me that the content of my message was illegal. I found this amazing, since I was only preaching the Gospel,” he stated. “She also said people had accused me of swearing at those in the crowd. I pointed out that was a lie, and that I have an mp3 recording of the whole open-air.”
 
Williamson was later transported to the local police station and was interrogated, but the preacher refused to speak when officers declined his request to record the interview and/or allow legal representation to be present.

“Towards the end of my interview, the officer said to me, ‘You seem reasonable. Why don’t you just stop preaching?’” he remembered. “I replied by saying, ‘Let me ask you a question, is it better to obey man or God?’”
 
Williamson was then released, but with the warning that if he continued preaching, he would be arrested and interrogated again.
 
“Praise God the Gospel went forth despite the opposition,” he wrote on his blog Wednesday. “Please pray for us!”

http://christiannews.net/2013/09/19/scottish-street-preacher-arrested-for-breach-of-the-peace-over-illegal-gospel-message/

[Psalm 51:17]

“Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin,” the Scripture text, the words of Christ, read. “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

 “My emphasis was one: truth, slavery, and freedom. I spoke about how Christ is true, and we can trust His words,” Williamson recounted. “I preached on how we are all enslaved to sin, and how it is only by Jesus Christ that we can be free.”

He's not using the KJV...

John 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

[Kilika]

Scripture holds true again. He didn't agree with his adversary quickly, so off to jail he went!  

[Mark]

Scottish Police Arrest Preacher Again for Proclaiming Gospel in Street

...On Saturday, as Williamson was preaching from the Bible in a commercial district of Perth, he was again approached by police, who claimed that they had received complaints because he was elevating his voice to address the people.

According to video footage of the incident, as Williamson was speaking, a female bystander began to call out, “What does the Bible say about standing in the street shouting?” He then cited the command from Christ to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”

“Yes, you’re correct to say that, but does it actually say in the Bible that you can shout in the street?” she contended.

Moments later, a female officer accompanied by a male constable approached Williamson and announced, “[Y]our shouting has been upsetting members of the public.”

She then detained Willamson and escorted him to the police vehicle, where the two engaged in further discussion about the matter. Bystanders began laughing as Williamson was led away.

“This is what happens when you preach the Gospel of Christ!” he declared. “Men love the darkness and hate the light. They won’t come to the light lest their deeds be exposed as evil. Christ has come into the world to save sinners and I get detained for it. May Christ be glorified!”

As the officer proceeded to tell Williamson that she had received “numerous complaints” about his activities, he asked why she did nothing to interfere with a busker down the street who was much louder than Williamson’s preaching.

“I’ve not had a complaint about anyone else,” she replied. “The complaint is about yourself.”

When Williamson asked what volume level would be acceptable, she replied, “Talking.”

“But that’s not preaching,” he explained. “See, preaching by nature is projecting.”

However, the officer asserted that complainants bemoaned that Williamson had been shouting in the streets, and threatened him with arrest.

“If you fail to desist, then you will be arrested for breach of the peace,” she warned.

“Well, I’m going to continue preaching because I’m not breaking the law,” Williamson replied.

The evangelist was then informed that he was under arrest and was transported to the local jail, where he spent the next five hours after refusing the conditions offered to him.

“[The desk sergeant] said I was going to be charged, but there were two ways in which this could be done,” Williamson explained in a blog post on his website. “I [could] sign bail and be released, but that meant I wouldn’t be allowed in the city centre of Perth. This was unacceptable, as that would mean I couldn’t perform my pastoral duties or preach.”

“The other option was to not sign bail, and be kept in custody until I could see a magistrate on Monday, and then a decision would be made as to my future,” he continued. “I refused to sign bail, and as a result I was left in my cell.”

Although he was to have spent the next two days in jail, Williamson was released hours later after being permitted to speak with an attorney.

He does not know at this point whether he will face charges for his preaching.

“Please pray for us as we continue to preach Christ in Perth and throughout Scotland,” Williamson stated. “Soli Deo Gloria!”



http://christiannews.net/2013/09/26/scottish-police-arrest-preacher-again-for-proclaiming-gospel-in-street/

[Kilika]

More churchianity nonsense. These people are making a mockery of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the unbelieving public that are witness to it just laugh as these "preachers" get carted off to jail.

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7 (KJB)

[Psalm 51:17]

Matthew 20:1  For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2  And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3  And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4  And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5  Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6  And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:7  They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:8  So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Mat 20:9  And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Mat 20:10  But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat 20:11  And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Mat 20:12  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13  But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat 20:14  Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Mat 20:15  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mat 20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.