Britain: London Police Threaten To Arrest Christian Street Preacher

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Police officers in the United Kingdom recently threatened to arrest a Christian who was preaching the Gospel of salvation on a London street after they received a call claiming he had made a homophobic statement through an amplifying device, the Daily Mail reports.

The nine-minute exchange on Uxbridge High Street, west London was filmed by the unnamed preacher and can be seen on the Contagious Christian YouTube channel.

“’Currently there’s allegations of a hate crime, a public order offence, section 4a [and] allegations of homophobia,” the first police officer says to the preacher, who is with other Christians that are out of view. The officer asks for the preacher’s personal details, but the preacher says he wants to know what the allegation is first. The officer answers that the preacher could be arrested if he refuses to give his name and address.

“Listen, we’re trying to be the most fair with you as possible,”the officer says. “If I do walk away and I see offenses, and the victim wants to press charges… I could have failed a potential victim…If you don’t give me your name and address, I have the grounds to arrest you…If you’re preaching here, it also depends on what you say. You might be committing criminal offenses as well. If you’re making members of the public (feel) harassment, alarm or distress, it’s a criminal offense.”

The street preacher responds: “I’m aware of that. What we’re doing is preaching our religion. We’ve been preaching about the gospel and Jesus Christ and the Bible says in the book of John, chapter three verse 16. For God’s love of the world, He gave His one and only son so that whoever, any person whatsoever – black, white, homosexual, drunken, liar, thief or a prostitute – whoever believes in him shall not perish and have everlasting life.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but he sent his Son into the world that all can be saved. And that is the message of the Gospel,” the preacher continued. “That’s what we’ve been preaching.”

The preacher eventually gives his details, after a second officer arrives and also threatens to arrest him if he does not. The officers never explained what the allegation was. Three other officers arrive and surround the Christians, causing passersby to question why they are harassing preachers instead of dealing with “real crime.”

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