Politics
Friday December 17, 2004
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
Prayer and Scripture Reading During Gay Celebration Could Cost Christians 47 Years in Prison
"Stalin would be proud", says lawyer for defendents
PHILADELPHIA, December 17, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A group of eleven Christians were arrested on October 10 for praying, singing, and reading scripture during an annual "gay pride" event known as "Outfest" in Philadelphia. The members of the group were charged with three felony (criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation, and riot) and five misdemeanor charges.
An appeal to a federal appeals court to stop the prosecution was denied Tuesday. Further, charges were dropped against seven of the men and women. However, Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan ordered four of the group members to stand trial on the charges. If convicted, they could face up to 47 years in prison.
Since the federal courts did not intervene to halt the state prosecution, the last route for the four in question would be an appeal to the Supreme Court according to their attorney Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy.
"First, symbols of Christianity are removed from the public square, now, Christians are facing years in prison because they preached the gospel in the public square. Stalin would be proud," Fahling said.
The federal appeals court in Philadelphia denied emergency relief despite video footage Fahling calls "undisputed evidence" that shows the Christians cooperating with police and continually being harassed by the Pink Angels, a group of homosexuals organized to impede the Christian group.
The Philadelphia city prosecutor in the case, Charles Ehrlich, attacked the Christians as "hateful" and referred to preaching the Bible as "fighting words." The judge agreed.
"The Philadelphia case represents another example of discrimination toward Christians," said Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association national headquarters. "The past month has poured forth cases of Christian persecution seen in the higher education institution, public school systems, and the judicial court system."
See the Video (Windows Media format)
http://www.afa.net/clp/videos/philly11.wmv
jhw
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- UK Bishops’ Document on Homosexuality Praised by Prominent Anti-Catholic Homosexualist
- Abortionist Pleads No Contest to Felonies, Faces up to 10 Years in Jail
- Unprecedented Restrictions Placed on Religious, Political Clubs at Lakehead University
- Bush Interview: "I Didn't Sell my Soul for Politics"
- Life Prizes Announces Winners of $600,000 Pro-Life Award
- Author of French "Right to Die" Law Opposes Efforts to Legalize Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
- Purchase of Christmas Music CD By Pro-Life Priest is Great Way to Support LifeSiteNews
- Another Priest Urges Confession for Catholics who Voted for Pro-Abortion Obama
- Australian Health Minister Fires Men’s Health Ambassador for Documenting Risks of Homosexuality
- IKEA’s Polish Catalogue Introduces “Ian and Steve” as a Model of the New Family
- Abortion Increases Women's Mental Health Problems: New Study
- Conservative Attorney General Seeks to Quash Morgentaler Order of Canada Challenge
Most Read this Week
- Behind the Scenes of Volition: Coincidences and Startling Circumstances
- Ad Showing Woman Seducing Santa Promotes Free Morning-After Pills and Condoms for Christmas
- Belgian Couple Sells Baby on EBay
- Leading Canadian Pro-Life MP Relates Shocking 20 Year Lack of Support From Catholic Clergy
- Naming the Anti-Life Appointments in the Obama Administration
- Cardinal on Biblical Condemnation of Homosexuality: We're Not Allowed the Cowardice of "Politically Correct" Silence
- A Painful, Disease-Ridden Death Isn’t So Bad if You’re Just a White, Heterosexual Male
- Film Review: Volition
- Just In Time for Christmas - Gift Cards for Abortions from Planned Parenthood
- Abortion Now Number One Cause of Death in Spain
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.