Tony Rollins Arrested For Preaching re: Gays

[Michael]

June 25, 2008

Tony Rollins called me last night to inform me he had been arrested for preaching on the street against homosexuality. The police have told him what he saying “was unacceptable”. Tony has a legal representative who told him to say nothing to the police, etc.

Tony is to appear in court next Tuesday…July 1 2008.

I am planning to see Tony on Friday afternoon ( June 27 ) to give him any pertinent articles which may help in his case.


Michael.

P.S. Video clips of Tony on Youtube are at:-

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NmfrzWyeA78

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Qna63-K4tUE

[andrewchapman]

Very important to support him in this. (I presume of course that Tony does not hate homosexuals but hates homosexuality - I am sure that is the case.) There must be no compromise on this and we must all be willing to go to prison if necessary rather than adjust our beliefs to conform to this world. I hope he will receive much support. If a hundred Christians were outside the court singing praise songs...

[andrewchapman]

I expect you know that the Christian Institute have much legal expertise regarding this matter, and have a full-time lawyer who is willing to help I believe.

[stevepugh]

Please get in touch with me as l would like to support Tony as much as possible. Please pass on my number to Tony.

Steve 07981021174

[Michael]

Update Friday, June 27, 2008 4.30pm

Have just talked to Tony and he told me the court case is at 10:00am July 1, 2008.

Venue:

Birmingham Magistrates Court
Victoria Law Courts
Birmingham

Charge is ...
words/behaviour - harassment alarm distress.

Contrary to section 5(1) and (6) of the Public Order Act 1986.

Also Tony has talked to The Christian Institute.

Tony said he welcomes support but please make in it the Holy Spirit.

Tony's Email ad is :- [e-mail]

[andrewchapman]

What happened when he was arrested? What was the content of his message? Did somebody make a complaint or contact the police? I watched Tony's testimony and he strikes me as being a kind and inoffensive person by nature, so presumably it was the content of what he said rather than his manner which aroused somebody's ire. I think the most effective response would be to have many people preaching the gospel on the streets of Birmingham on Tuesday, and let there be a harvest of souls, Lord.

[andrewchapman]

Public Order Act 1986, Section 5

"(Harassment, alarm or distress)

5.—(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he—
(a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour,
or disorderly behaviour, or
(b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation
which is threatening, abusive or insulting,
within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment,
alarm or distress thereby.
(2) An offence under this section may be committed in a
public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words or behaviour are used, or the writing, sign or
other visible representation is displayed, by a person inside a
dwelling and the other person is also inside that or another
dwelling.
(3) It is a defence for the accused to prove—
(a) that he had no reason to believe that there was any
person within hearing or sight who was likely to be
caused harassment, alarm or distress, or
(b) that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to
believe that the words or behaviour used, or the writing,
sign or other visible representation displayed, would
be heard or seen by a person outside that or any other
dwelling, or
(c) that his conduct was reasonable.
(4) A constable may arrest a person without warrant if—
(a) he engages in offensive conduct which the constable
warns him to stop, and
(b) he engages in further offensive conduct immediately or
shortly after the warning.
(5) In subsection (4) "offensive conduct" means conduct the
constable reasonably suspects to constitute an offence under this
section, and the conduct mentioned in paragraph (a) and the
further conduct need not be of the same nature.
(6) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable
on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the
standard scale."

Certainly a sinner might well be distressed by the exposure of his behaviour as a sin before God, but (3/c) it is a good and reasonable thing to help him to understand this.

Andrew

[Michael]

Hi Andrew,
In reponse to your questions, I understand Tony was speaking out Bible scriptures.

The venue was New Street, Birmingham at about 3 pm in the afternoon.

A man walking by stopped and made a phone call to the police, who arrived shortly therafter. Tony was cuffed and bundled into a police van and taken to Steelhouse Police Station ( in central B'ham).

There were two Christian witnesses of the event .. Conrad and Ronald.

Tony informed me last Friday he has been assigned a born again lawyer through contact with the Christian Institute.

Usually Christians are out on New Street, B'ham on a Tuesday pm doing street witnessing.

[andrewchapman]

Thanks, Michael. Did the police say what was the nature of the complaint eg 'The preacher was saying that homosexuals would burn in hell, and that offends me'? Was a warning given by the police - if not, and assuming there was no warrant (which I think is impossible), the case will collapse immediately, as I understand it - see 4(a) and (b) above.

Having posted what the law of the land says, which is obviously important, I felt that I should also have posted what the bible says about street preaching, which is infinitely more important:

So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard.' (Acts 4 vv 18-20)

and after crying out to God with the other believers, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and 'spoke the word of God with boldness' (v 31)

which I believe proves that the necessity to preach the gospel to lost and dying men may override the general injunction of Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 vv 13-14 and Titus 3 v1 to submit to the authorities of the land.

Jesus was a street preacher and so were the apostles and it is an integral part of the Christian faith. If street preaching is banned, then Christianity is banned and so they ought to arrest everybody who professes to be a Christian including possibly themselves! I pray that the Lord calls many more Spirit-filled Christians into this crucial ministry and into the prevailing corporate prayer which must accompany it.

[Michael]

Tuesday July 1 , 2008

Tony pleaded Not Guilty and the court case is adjourned until August 15, 2008.

[andrewchapman]

Thanks for letting us know. Could there be a demonstration of support on that day?

[Michael]

Hi Andrew, Would say that the main place of influence is prayer and fasting!

[Michael]

August 15 2008

The judge was only provided with the necessary papers 30 min prior to the case! Therefore the case was adjourned until Sept. 11, 2008 at 10.00 am.

The actual Bible verses quoted in June on the street were:-
Romans 1
1 Cor. 6: 9, 10
Rev. 21:8

Today there was a "silent witness" outside the court building with Christians displaying banners/ posters with the following scriptures:-

Matt. 19:4-6
Proverbs 14:34
2 Cor. 5-10

See Photograph at
oawitness.angelfire.com/tony3.html

Tony asks again for your support on Sept 11.

[Michael]

Article which appeared in Birmingham Mail August 16, 2008 is posted at

oawitness.angelfire.com/tony2.html

.... together with a brief reveiew of events to date!

[Michael]

Sept. 10 , 2008

Have just heard that Tony's Court Case for Sept. 11 , 2008 has been dropped.

Two of the reasons
1. The volume of mail asking for the case to be dropped.
2. The judge said, " it is not in the public interest!"

WHY THEN SHOULD TONY HAVE BEEN MADE TO APPEAR AS A CRIMINAL BECAUSE A MAN IN THE STREET DISAGREES WITH THE BIBLE?