Faith

‘Burn in Hell’: UK Street Preacher Cleared of Verbally Abusing Gay Men

Street Preacher Michael Overd Cleared of Harassing Gay Men in the UK

Michael Overd

Freedom of speech has its limits. This is becoming increasingly apparent in the United Kingdom, where many religious people claim their rights to speak out on various faith issues are being trampled. If found offensive, certain words targeted at homosexuals, for example, could prove legally damaging to those who utter them.

Take, for instance, 47-year-old Michael Overd. While the court case against the Christian street preacher ended favorably for him, controversial words Overd uttered initially landed him in hot water.

On Saturday, he was cleared of two counts of using threatening words or behaviors against two gay men in Somerset, England. Overd was accused of telling Craig Manning, 36, and his civil partner Craig Nichol, 24, that they would “burn in hell” as they walked past him in July 2011. The Daily Mail has more:

Mr Nichol, giving evidence at the two-day trial, said as soon as Overd saw them from around 10 metres away on July 16 last year ‘the expression on his face changed’.

He said: ‘He said ‘I have already told these two sinners over here that they are going to burn in hell’.

‘He looked at us and pointed at us when he said it. His voice was quite loud and very clear. I felt angry, embarrassed and ashamed.

‘I asked him who he was to judge me and he said ‘it’s God’s words, it is in the bible’.

‘He said I should repent and ask God for forgiveness.’

According to Overd’s defense lawyers, the defendant was merely reciting scripture, as Overd went on to tell the court that he was pointing to the fact that the men were “sinners.” He claimed, contrary to their allegations, that he did not speak out and target them because of their homosexuality.

“Even these two dear men whom I have met before, caught in the sin of homosexuality, can have the forgiveness of the sin should they so repent,” Overd explained. ”I was not trying to draw to the public the fact that they were homosexuals, I was drawing the public to the fact that they were sinners.”

Overd maintained that he was not targeting the men’s sexual orientation.

“If I heard someone preaching the things I am accused of preaching I would talk to them about it,” he continued.

But the couple claims that Overd deliberately targeted them following a previous encounter they had with him in 2010. After seeing the two men holding hands in the previous incident, Overd apparently responded and was subsequently spoken to by police. The couple cited this incident as proof that the July 2011 encounter was purposefully provoked by the preacher.

The case ended up devolving into a he-said, he-said mashup. The Huffington Post has more:

The lay preacher claimed the couple threatened violence against him when they saw him on July 16 last year. Overd, of Creech St Michael in Somerset, was cleared at Taunton Magistrates’ Court today of two charges of using threatening words or behaviour against the couple.

Speaking after the end of the trial, Mr Overd said “something is wrong” when “Abu Qatada can preach about Jihad and death to the Jews but the police arrest me, a Christian preacher who cares deeply for Jesus Christ and the people of Taunton”.

Speaking with reporters following the trial’s conclusion, Overd said that “Christians are being harassed” and that the case should have never been brought against him.

Manning and Nichol, though, maintain that they were discriminated against. The couple is considering appealing to the European Court of Human Rights, as they feel they have been wronged by the legal system.

“We tried to stand up for our human and gay rights and we have been let down,” Manning said. ”We do not have a problem with the words of the Bible being preached, it was the manner in which he was preaching, trying to make an example of us in the middle of the high street.”

Street Preacher Michael Overd Cleared of Harassing Gay Men in the UK

Fames atheist Richard Dawkins

Interestingly, famed scientist and atheist Richard Dawkins came out in support of Overd. While he wrote a blog post that openly chastised the street preacher’s beliefs, he held them up as a product of free speech. Dawkins wrote:

Why the hell shouldn’t a street preacher express his opinion that two adults are going to hell? Why didn’t they just do what the rest of us do when harangued by a street preacher – simply laugh at him and walk on by? Why the rush to law? Why waste the time of a court?

The irony is that some religious adults fill children‘s innocent minds with terrifying stories of hell with society’s full approval. It seems that we have become more sensitive to the feelings of adults than we have to those of children, which is bizarre, to say the least. Unlike vulnerable children, this adult couple could scarcely plead that their fear of hell (if any) was materially increased by the words of an obviously ridiculous street preacher.

Prosecution would of course be appropriate if he had physically attacked the men, or seriously threatened them with violence, or incited others to attack them violently. But, as far as one can tell from the inadequate news reports, he did no such thing. Indeed, the only people accused of threatening violence (not very plausibly) are the gay men themselves.

Sometimes, the most unlikely of allies come together in the defense of free speech.

Comments (38)

  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on February 14, 2012 at 3:15pm

    It is hard to be a Christian preacher in Britain. The Brits are so eat up with PC and liberalism that a preacher has a hard time condemning sin without breaking some social law that these twits have set up. Let this be a lesson to us. Do not give up our right to bear arms. When the Brits did so..they were pushed into an abyss of liberalism.

    Report Post »  
  • JUSTANOTHEROPINION
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 2:56pm

    “Let those without sin cast the first stone”, I seem to remember reading this some where. “Judge not lest ye be judged”, I think I read that in the same book. The Bible says spread the word of God. So, I believe that means preach the word of God to those sinners in need of the Gospel, NOT to judge them. So, if you preach to them out of love and respect you are doing Gods work. The Bible does not give man the right to judge. The Bible does bestow on every Christian the obligation to spread the word of God out of love and repect for your fellow man (you know,”you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”). God bless the world and all who live here!!

    Report Post »  
    • deeberj
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 3:24pm

      Being a good preacher sometimes requires preaching the more “hard to hear” parts of bible. Like how we are all sinners and going to hell unless we repent. Street preachers are no different. And they have to get what they want to say in short bursts so that a person walking by can hear what they need to hear. It is not wrong of him to tell people they are going to hell. They are. The gospel is not all nicey-nice.

      Jesus himself said in Luke – 51-53 “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. ”

      I have known many street preachers in my time and most have gotten arrested, because people can’t stand being faced with the truth they are running from.

      Report Post » deeberj  
    • Silvertongue
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:50pm

      I love when people who have heard a few scripture but never read it try to play expert on what god wants a preacher to do. If your going to quote scripture at least use them in context

      Report Post »  
    • WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges10
      Posted on February 14, 2012 at 2:48am

      “Overd, of Creech St Michael in Somerset, was cleared at Taunton Magistrates’ Court today of two charges of using threatening words or behaviour against the couple. Speaking after the end of the trial, Mr Overd said “something is wrong” when “Abu Qatada can preach about Jihad and death to the Jews but the police arrest me, a Christian preacher who cares deeply for Jesus Christ and the people of Taunton”.”

      Amen.

      Report Post » WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges10  
    • WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges10
      Posted on February 14, 2012 at 2:57am

      @JUSTANOTHEROPINION

      Wrong.

      “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” -1 Corinthians 6, Holy Bible

      @Silvertongue

      Wrong, too.

      “For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.”Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt” -1 Corinthians 9, Holy Bible

      Report Post » WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges10  
  • qzak491
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 2:03pm

    And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, again thou shalt say to the children of Israel, If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
    Lev 20:13
    You will notice it says, say unto the children of Israel, not the world. This is meant for any Israelite that does this, the world is already condemned to death for it’s disbelief, so condemning them to death for being q.u.e.e.r.s. wouldn’t make much difference.

    Report Post »  
  • potvin
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 1:45pm

    Reverand!

    Report Post »  
  • woemcat
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:05pm

    i’m not thrilled w/ his actions, but i’ll defend his right to say what he said. same thing w/ pro-homosexual people who might say hurtful and hateful things. i’ll defend their right to say it too, even if i disagree w/ both of these folks.

    Report Post » woemcat  
  • schroeder123
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:03pm

    Just get a sex change . No more bla bla bla

    Report Post » schroeder123  
  • OneTermPresident
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 10:33am

    Gays are one of the best examples that can be found to give credence to the saying.. “The Truth Hurts.”

    Report Post » OneTermPresident  
    • TheDM
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:01pm

      Words can hurt and still be false. Any decent American worth his or her salt remembers being raised with ‘if you can’t think of something nice to say, then don‘t say anything at all’.

      If there is a god who would damn two people to eternal fire and suffering for nothing more than loving each other, then he would be a spiteful god indeed and as such undeserving of any praise or worship at all.

      Report Post » TheDM  
  • SamIamTwo
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:54am

    For one thing he is judging…not his job but God’s job. Hate the sin, not the sinner. Jesus did come for the sinners and not the so called righteous white washed sepulchers.

    Personally these sort of people drag baby Jesus thru the mud. JIMHO

    One on the cross, did go to heaven…do you not recall? People still live under a period of His Grace. They still have chances to change their mind but if they do harden their hearts, as I almost did, then GOD will turn away from those who continually reject him…and He gives you more chances than what a man would give you to get right with God.

    Report Post » SamIamTwo  
    • KAdams
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 10:01am

      When Jesus said to ‘take up your cross and follow me’… the ‘cross’ is one’s selfish lusts. One’s greedy wantonness. To forsake what you want, to follow Christ’s commandments and preach the Gospel. How hard is that to understand?

      Report Post »  
    • LegionOfOne
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:03pm

      So I suppose John the Baptist is hell-bound as well? He called men to repentance, but then, who is he to judge, right? If the minister was calling men to repentance, then he was engaged in the work of God. Calm yourself, and judge not.

      Report Post »  
    • deeberj
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 3:33pm

      The street preacher didn’t say he hates anyone. He said they are sinners and going to hell if they don’t repent. This is the truth.

      Report Post » deeberj  
    • deeberj
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 3:35pm

      And your baby Jesus comment makes no sense. What does baby Jesus have to do with this? It is the baby grown into the adult Jesus that died on the cross. The adult Jesus gave His life so we may live. The adult Jesus made the difficult, right choices.

      Report Post » deeberj  
  • Joisey
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:29am

    If that is the state of the law in the UK, it is irrevocably DOOMED.

    Report Post » Joisey  
    • Caniac Steve
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 11:18am

      if it is..they can as the article said they’ll run off to the European Court of Human Rights and they have in the recent past came down hard on harsh/insensitive words & speech…makews me glad i live here in the USA where for now you can still call something right or wrong..as you see and understand it

      Report Post » Caniac Steve  
  • Walkabout
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:13am

    Craig Manning, 36, and his civil partner Craig Nichol, 24

    Yes, 12 year age difference. That is going to work for a,long time. NOT!

    Being gay is a mental illness.

    Report Post »  
  • Molaki
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:13am

    Dudes…..I got your “rights” hangin here!

    Report Post »  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:09am

    .
    There is no such thing as a Gay Man, Sissy Boy maybe but Man. I don’t think so………

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • hi
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:03am

    Jesus loves all people. He wants gays to come to Him. We need to show gays God’s love and the Way to eternal life, not be mean to them.

    I am not saying to condone their actions, but hate is just as bad a sin.

    Report Post » hi  
    • KAdams
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:57am

      Depends on what you hate. I don’t entirely agree with that lukewarm sentiment.

      Romans
      9:12-14 “It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.”

      Hebrews
      1:9 “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

      Report Post »  
    • deeberj
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 3:43pm

      The street preacher is not hating people, he is reproving them openly so he is not held accountable for not telling them they are sinning.

      Leviticus 19:17 – Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, but reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him.

      Report Post » deeberj  
  • KAdams
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:58am

    If their lifestyle was so fabulous, why would they feel embarrassed or ashamed? Doesn’t make sense to me.

    Report Post »  
    • ChiefGeorge
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 10:48am

      Why would they say “Who are you to judge”? Obviously they know what is right and wrong to know that they are being judged. Jesus said first removed the plank for your own eye before you attempt to remove the splinter from your brothers eye. We will all be judged by the almighty. It does not mean that in this life we are not to have an discernment as to what is righteous and what is not. John the Baptist told of a judgement to come and railed against the sin in the world in a general way. Maybe street preachers would do well to not specifically single individuals out but to rail against the sin in the world to all who pass by.

      Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
  • calmandclear
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:36am

    I live in New Orleans, Louisiana and we have the same people in our French Quarter. Every weekend and certainly for every major event we have the preacher and his followers on Bourbon Street. They never tire of telling everyone they are going to hell. No one pays them any attention, they’re just part of the street scene. The rest of us are intent on having a good time and we’re not bothered. The two gay guys in this story must be terribly thin-skinned to be offended by this idiot preaching on the streets. If they were that incensed one of them should have been man enough to punch the guy a couple of times. What? It isn’t worth a little jail time to teach the fellow a lesson? Then you weren’t really all that offended, just angry he told you you were going to hell. Grow up and learn to laugh at idiots. Was it really smart to take him to court for something so trivial and then lose? In a word, no, you embarassed yourselves. Learn to tolerate idiots for they will always be with us.

    Report Post »  
  • Nations
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:21am

    I have had gay friends in my life since I once was deep into the Advertising, Marketing world. I was also a publisher of a metro newspaper that was almost totally gay. They are indeed incomplete personages who have missed out on half of the human experience. One can not remain a friend to them because others associate their lifestyle with a person who is just trying to be nice as buying into their ways. So, one can only watch them from afar and shake their heads. Gays, what a waste of human kind. But, to each his/her own. I hate that the Democratic Party has used them as pawns to sell us Hell. Mr. Obama is their king.

    Report Post » Nations  
  • Itsjusttim
    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:01am

    Richard Dawkins is right, why didn’t they just laugh at him and keep walking? Are they afraid the preacher is right? And it‘s interesting how blind they are because the real threat to their existence isn’t Christians.

    Report Post » Itsjusttim  
    • oldguy49
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:24am

      yep, if it was a mullah you would have had something cut off

      Report Post »  
    • Macman1138
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:36am

      Dawkins needs to learn some respect and tolerance. (Yeah, I know some people can‘t believe that’s coming from me.) If he believes religion is phony superstition and he’s a superior being, he needs to act accordingly.
      As for the preacher, we need some of his type in this country while we still have some rights left.

      Report Post » Macman1138  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:06am

      Preachers, real preachers, do get out into the public. They do things like pass out flyers. But they do not scream in the top of their lungs in public. It is amazing how it is always “street” preachers who have not been to seminary.

      Actually Mr Overd can say anything he wants one Sunday a month at Speakers Corner at Hyde Park in Central London. If some people consider what he says wrong ,they can mock him. The gay guys complaining are insecure (who knew?) about their lifestyle.

      Report Post »  
    • DeavonReye
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 10:08am

      @Macman – Did you read his comment? It WAS respectful, particularly to this street preacher. What he was saying about “scaring kids by telling them they are worthless and need to be saved from hell” is true. I remember feeling that fear, unnecessarily.

      If I were on the street and I came across a preacher who told me I was going to “go to hell”, I may debate him a bit as to why he’s wrong, . . . but I certainly wouldn’t take him to court. It’s just the christian thing to do to “tell people they are going to hell”. It is their doctrine.

      Report Post » DeavonReye  
    • deeberj
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 3:29pm

      Walkabout – not everyone called to preach goes to seminary. That is narrow minded thinking. Jesus didn’t go to seminary. His disciples were fishermen and tax collectors – not the educated rabbis.

      Street preaching requires being loud so people hear you.The whole point of street preaching is to make sure people who run from the gospel hear it. They don’t go to church, they don’t watch religious programming on TV. They avoid religious discussion and activity. They are unreachable. So a street preacher is doing his job to be sure they have been reached.

      Report Post » deeberj  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:54pm

      deeberj

      Any street preacher screeching when I am taking an exam at college or university is asking for trouble.

      Report Post »  

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