Recent years have seen growing concerns about the infringement of individual rights and government overreach.
The ways in which COVID was handled certainly put a spotlight on this. Though even in the aftermath of that, these concerns are very much alive.
One case out of Pennsylvania especially shines a light on this. Questions have since been raised about the First Amendment and the extent to which it’s being upheld for various groups of people.
Breaking news from WND just revealed that a Christian man was arrested in this state for reading Bible verses during a Pride event.
Violation of the First Amendment?
A man in Pennsylvania was caught on video having a conversation with police officers. The conversation dealt with him reading a Bible in front of a demonstration celebrating Pride Month.
In the video, a police officer is seen telling the man to “let [people celebrating Pride] have their day.” However, the Christian man responds by noting he has every right to be where is he, seeing as everyone was on public property.
A Christian man in Pennsylvania has been arrested for reading the Bible at a Pride event.
Damon Atkins was reading a verse from 1 Corinthians 14:33. pic.twitter.com/W7IUlH6gve
— Daily Christian Tweets (@JesusSavesUs777) June 7, 2023
The officer conceded that all parties involved were on public property and then walked away. Though after the Christian man resumed reading the Bible out loud, this is when the police officer returned, put him in handcuffs, and escorted him away.
America Reacts
On social media, many conservatives have suggested that law enforcement violated the Christian man’s rights to free speech and protest, both of which are covered under the First Amendment.
Likewise, given that the man was on public property, questions have also come up about what legal grounds the officer had to arrest him in the first place.
In Pennsylvania a man standing across the street from a pride event, was arrested for holding a Jesus sign in protest of it. I have always been on the side of cops, but their behavior in Covid and at things like this is starting to change how I feel.
— sandra hill (@zandrahill) June 7, 2023
Law enforcement, on the other hand, described the Christian man as engaging in conduct that was leading to “public inconvenience,” triggering alarm or annoyance, and in keeping with fighting, violence, or tumultuousness.
Unsurprisingly, this is an issue that’s not being picked up or publicly talked about by the mainstream media.
