Christian street preacher told two gay men homosexuality is a sin - Cleared

[Crimson Dynamo]

John Craven, a Christian preacher, was arrested and kept in police cells for 19 hours after he quoted the Bible's stance on homosexuality at two gay teenagers

A Christian preacher arrested and imprisoned without food and water after he told two gay teenagers the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, has won £13,000 in compensation for poor treatment by police.

John Craven, 57, says he was held by Greater Manchester Police after he told the couple 'God hates sin, but he loves the sinner'.

The young men then kissed in front of him and approached a police officer and claimed Mr Craven's comments were 'insulting' and had caused them 'harassment and distress.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2593217/Christian-preacher-wins-13-000-wrongful-arrest-telling-gay-couple-Bible-says-homosexuality-sin.html#ixzz2xXu6VAuS


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/31/article-2593217-1CB7FB3300000578-144_306x447.jpg




I guess he had run out of flipflops to give put so thought he would
do some counseling?

[Kizzy]

John Craven, a Christian preacher, was arrested and kept in police cells for 19 hours after he quoted the Bible's stance on homosexuality at two gay teenagers

A Christian preacher arrested and imprisoned without food and water after he told two gay teenagers the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, has won £13,000 in compensation for poor treatment by police.

John Craven, 57, says he was held by Greater Manchester Police after he told the couple 'God hates sin, but he loves the sinner'.

The young men then kissed in front of him and approached a police officer and claimed Mr Craven's comments were 'insulting' and had caused them 'harassment and distress.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2593217/Christian-preacher-wins-13-000-wrongful-arrest-telling-gay-couple-Bible-says-homosexuality-sin.html#ixzz2xXu6VAuS


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/31/article-2593217-1CB7FB3300000578-144_306x447.jpg




I guess he had run out of flipflops to give put so thought he would
do some counseling?

Excuse me?

[Crimson Dynamo]

Excuse me?

I beg your pudding?

:suspect:

[arista]

[The young men then kissed in front of him
and approached a police officer and claimed
Mr Craven's comments were 'insulting' and
had caused them 'harassment and distress.']

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2593217/Christian-preacher-wins-13-000-wrongful-arrest-telling-gay-couple-Bible-says-homosexuality-sin.html#ixzz2xY0nltmM


They went up to a copper


Whatever next

[Kizzy]

I beg your pudding?

:suspect:

I note the skit on the street angels, for the 3rd time they are not all christian.
And not all christians are street angels.

[Cherie]

He is allowed his opinion, free speech should work both ways, and if he is telling the truth then the couple were harrassing him.

[daniel-lewis-1985]

Its his own fault, why would he randomly go up to someone and tell them they were sinners and an abomination lol.

****ing idiot, I wouldn't have called the police but I would have made out with a guy just to piss him off if he had randomly started preaching to me.

Those two guys need to get a ****ing grip though, they cost the tax payeer £50,000 by throwing a hissy fit.

[Shaun]

*sighs* No one should be arrested for saying things.

[user104658]

Well, he wasn't lying, the bible does say that

They should just have told him where to jam his bible and moved on. As should anyone who finds them being hassled by a street preacher.

I once had one of those sad little fellows that hang around spouting bible nonsense in little grey suits (Jehovah's Witness maybe, although I'm thinking he was actually Mormon?) Literally CHASE after me in a panic saying "Please!! Please you have to listen I don't want you to be DAMNED!!! LISTEN TO MEEE!!". It was disconcerting, yet hilarious. Have to hand it to him, he clearly does 100% believe what he's peddling :joker:

[the truth]

the 2 teens went out of their way to cause trouble , goading the man for his opinions, he quotd Biblical text, the teens then verbally abused the preacher man, then a copper made the absolutely idiotic decision to arrest the preavcher man and detain him for 19 hours.....end result everyones a loser, everyone behaving idiotically , everyone wasted precious tax payers money. idiots thelot of them

[Kyle]

Would have saved a whole lot of time and effort if they told the bible basher to take his bible and shove it up his arse. If he was a choir boy as a kid it should have no problem fitting.

[Cherie]

Would have saved a whole lot of time and effort if they told the bible basher to take his bible and shove it up his arse. If he was a choir boy as a kid it should have no problem fitting.

Precisely, if I phoned the police every time I was "harrassed" in my own home by Jehova witnesses, cold callers on the phone etc, I may as well move in down the cop shop. A bit of common sense was called for here, PC in all senses of the word gone mad.

[Kyle]

Precisely, if I phoned the police every time I was "harrassed" in my own home by Jehova witnesses, cold callers on the phone etc, I may as well move in down the cop shop. A bit of common sense was called for here, PC in all senses of the word gone mad.

Aye true. I mean don't get me wrong I don't want to diminish the experience they would have had from getting lectured by this man for no reason but if anyone was watching you can guarantee they would side with the 2 lads every time. Nobody would give him and his views the time of day. Complete non-story.

[Livia]

If you're going to have freedom of speech it has to cover everyone, even people you don't agree with. The man who did the "preaching" has been called a fair few names on this thread, suggested he be told to "shove his bible up his arse", called a "****ing idiot" and accused "jokingly" if that's possible, of being buggered as a choirboy. He is entitled to his religious freedom, just as the gay couple were entitled to express their love by kissing in front of him. Calling the police was just ridiculous.

[Nedusa]

Just saw this on the News the preacher wasn't even talking about homosexuality when the two young gays went up to him and started harrassing him. They wound him up by standing in front of him kissing, he quoted biblical scripture to them and they went off and found a policeman and I can only imagine they told the policeman a pack of lies.

Now the story gets worse, this man was not given a chance to explain his side of the story and was subsequently locked up for 19 Hrs without food or water or medication.

I do not understand why the first Policeman decided to arrest him and why he was treated so badly in the Police station. I hope the arresting officer and the custody officer both receive serious reprimands.

Glad this man was awarded compensation, ridiculous treatment over nothing.

The Policeman should have arrested the two gays as well rather than blindly believing what they were saying.

[Cherie]

Aye true. I mean don't get me wrong I don't want to diminish the experience they would have had from getting lectured by this man for no reason but if anyone was watching you can guarantee they would side with the 2 lads every time. Nobody would give him and his views the time of day. Complete non-story.


I completely disagree, if anyone was watching judging from the story these guys went up and were deliberately provocative towards the preacher but he was marched off because of our ridiculous PC culture.

[Vicky.]

I remember being literally chased through durham by a preacher who was screaming at me that I was going to hell because I didn't believe in god. Good times :laugh:

[Black Dagger]

Ah, street preachers, I've had my fair share of 'debates' with them </3

[Kizzy]

I remember being literally chased through durham by a preacher who was screaming at me that I was going to hell because I didn't believe in god. Good times :laugh:

A manic street preacher?............ I'll get my coat. :joker:

[Nedusa]

I am more disturbed by the actions of the Police in this story, the arresting officer only had the word of the two young lads to go by and in the event did not even allow the preacher to give his side of the story. So to arrest this man based only on the word of someone else is ridiculous.

But then more seriously to imprison him for up to 19 Hrs without food and water AND to deny him his medication is nothing short of scandalous.

It makes you wonder when you hear of stories of people being found dead in police cells or having committed suicide in Police custody.

I think a higher level investigation needs to be undertaken as this should not be happening given all the measures that are supposedly in place to avoid exactly this type of situation happening.

[Kyle]

I completely disagree, if anyone was watching judging from the story these guys went up and were deliberately provocative towards the preacher but he was marched off because of our ridiculous PC culture.

Why is he quoting verses from the bible to them? If someone is trying to rile you up by showing of their homosexuality and kissing in front of you the last thing you would do is start reeling off lines about it being a sin and immoral. Just ignore them. The moral high ground tends to take a huge paradigm shift when you start telling them what his religion thinks of their acts.

[Niamh.]

This story is stupid and I'm betting there was more to it then the Police just taking the two gay guys word over the preacher as well

[Cherie]

This story is stupid and I'm betting there was more to it then the Police just taking the two gay guys word over the preacher as well

He got 13.000 in compensation though, he must have been compensated for something. It's quite likely he was highly annoying but even so you can't just chuck somone in a cell and forget about them.

[Niamh.]

He got 13.000 in compensation though, he must have been compensated for something. It's quite likely he was highly annoying but even so you can't just chuck somone in a cell and forget about them.

people get compensation all the time though, I'm sure there's some element of truth in there and I'm sure the Police could have handled it better but I bet that Preacher was genuinely being a disruptive arsehole

[Nedusa]

people get compensation all the time though, I'm sure there's some element of truth in there and I'm sure the Police could have handled it better but I bet that Preacher was genuinely being a disruptive arsehole


Why ? based on what ? your intuition.....

Do you just hate Preachers........if not why such a hostile assumption

The two gay guys were probably the real arseholes in all of this:nono:

[Tom4784]

Both sides seem like arseholes to me.

[Marsh.]

If you're going to have freedom of speech it has to cover everyone, even people you don't agree with. The man who did the "preaching" has been called a fair few names on this thread, suggested he be told to "shove his bible up his arse", called a "****ing idiot" and accused "jokingly" if that's possible, of being buggered as a choirboy. He is entitled to his religious freedom, just as the gay couple were entitled to express their love by kissing in front of him. Calling the police was just ridiculous.

Sense.

[Niamh.]

[/B]


Why ? based on what ? your intuition.....

Do you just hate Preachers........if not why such a hostile assumption

The two gay guys were probably the real arseholes in all of this:nono:

Oh My :laugh:

Based on the fact that I don't think a Police officer would have arrested him and locked him up like that without more reason then just the word of the two guys

[Nedusa]

Oh My :laugh:

Based on the fact that I don't think a Police officer would have arrested him and locked him up like that without more reason then just the word of the two guys

But that's exactly what happened and in the absence of any other reported unruly behaviour by the preacher we have to assume the policeman in question has acted totally unprofessionally and as the preacher was finally awarded a large amount of damages this reinforces the scandalous behaviour of the Police in this case.:shocked:

[Niamh.]

But that's exactly what happened and in the absence of any other reported unruly behaviour by the preacher we have to assume the policeman in question has acted totally unprofessionally and as the preacher was finally awarded a large amount of damages this reinforces the scandalous behaviour of the Police in this case.:shocked:

I don't believe that it's exactly what happened, not because I hate Preachers or whatever you accused me of in your previous post but more because I don't think Police officers would behave that way, just because he was awarded compensation doesn't mean I have to believe his account of the scenario exactly.

[Cherie]

He must have had serious evidence of mistreatment to get compo though, don't cells have CCTV, easy enough to discount his claims if it didn't happen (the no food/water/medication thing).

[Niamh.]

He must have had serious evidence of mistreatment to get compo though, don't cells have CCTV, easy enough to discount his claims if it didn't happen (the no food/water/medication thing).

I believe that part of it which is probably why he got compensation but I bet he was probably acting pretty badly to get himself arrested in the first place

[Cherie]

I believe that part of it which is probably why he got compensation but I bet he was probably acting pretty badly to get himself arrested in the first place

oh yes possibly :laugh:

[Crimson Dynamo]

Both sides seem like arseholes to me.

no pun intended

[the truth]

Aye true. I mean don't get me wrong I don't want to diminish the experience they would have had from getting lectured by this man for no reason but if anyone was watching you can guarantee they would side with the 2 lads every time. Nobody would give him and his views the time of day. Complete non-story.

these idiots approached him for his opinions, not the other way round, so they isntigated it all. theyre all as bad as each other

[Nedusa]

Since when did it become fashionable or acceptable to flaunt one's sexuality like this.

Chances are this preacher would have traditional views on family,marriage probably in keeping with the Bible he was preaching from.

So why did these guys think it was acceptable to ram their homosexuality down his throat (so to speak) and then when he gave his view which by all accounts was quite restrained they went off to find a policeman and goodness knows what tissue of lies they told him, next thing this guy is arrested and hauled off to a police cell for nothing.

Those guys must have thought it was the funniest thing they had seen in ages, probably had a right laugh about it.

shameful behaviour

[Marsh.]

Those pesky homos. :fist:

[Kizzy]

It's not a case of pesky anyone tbf, there is a conflict of interest here, on one hand we have freedom of speech and on the other we have the hate laws.... This was handled totally cack handed imo.
There is a really difficult transition to be made here, those with traditional not too long ago acceptable views from a religious perspective at least are for some reason being treated as criminals... I don't feel this was what the hate laws were created for, they were not designed to be used as a weapon of mass suppression.
The police need not have used such a heavy handed approach, more diplomacy needs to be used here.

[MTVN]

It's not a case of pesky anyone tbf, there is a conflict of interest here, on one hand we have freedom of speech and on the other we have the hate laws.... This was handled totally cack handed imo.
There is a really difficult transition to be made here, those with traditional not too long ago acceptable views from a religious perspective at least are for some reason being treated as criminals... I don't feel this was what the hate laws were created for, they were not designed to be used as a weapon of mass suppression.
The police need not have used such a heavy handed approach, more diplomacy needs to be used here.

:thumbs:

[lostalex]

Disgraceful that he was ever arrested. If he was following them or harassing them then I could understand, but it doesn't sound like he was doing that at all.

[Ninastar]

*sighs* No one should be arrested for saying things.

If you're going to have freedom of speech it has to cover everyone, even people you don't agree with. The man who did the "preaching" has been called a fair few names on this thread, suggested he be told to "shove his bible up his arse", called a "****ing idiot" and accused "jokingly" if that's possible, of being buggered as a choirboy. He is entitled to his religious freedom, just as the gay couple were entitled to express their love by kissing in front of him. Calling the police was just ridiculous.

this

[the truth]

Disgraceful that he was ever arrested. If he was following them or harassing them then I could understand, but it doesn't sound like he was doing that at all.

agreed. jobsworth coppers

[Sticks]

The problem stems from two pieces of legislation brought out at the same time, the rules about incitement of religious hatred, used to ban Christmas decorations in the workplace because it might offend other faiths and none, and the one based on orientation.

The Orientation rules at least don't have self contradiction like the religious hatred rules do, but that is by the by.

It has now been pointed out that now under the rules, reading out loud, in public, Romans 1:24-28, even in a church, could leave the reader open to a public order offence.

There have been stories of other people trying to explain Biblical opposition to homosexuality only to be arrested just for stating what they believe, based on what they read in the bible.

With efforts to woo the gay community, there is a suspicion some elements of the constabulary are willing to make examples of those who they think are enemies of said gay community.

The real question is Wither Voltaire... (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/voltaire109645.html)

[Nedusa]

The problem stems from two pieces of legislation brought out at the same time, the rules about incitement of religious hatred, used to ban Christmas decorations in the workplace because it might offend other faiths and none, and the one based on orientation.

The Orientation rules at least don't have self contradiction like the religious hatred rules do, but that is by the by.

It has now been pointed out that now under the rules, reading out loud, in public, Romans 1:24-28, even in a church, could leave the reader open to a public order offence.

There have been stories of other people trying to explain Biblical opposition to homosexuality only to be arrested just for stating what they believe, based on what they read in the bible.

With efforts to woo the gay community, there is a suspicion some elements of the constabulary are willing to make examples of those who they think are enemies of said gay community.

The real question is Wither Voltaire... (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/voltaire109645.html)

Yes I agree that was the impression I was starting to get , that the policeman was more concerned about appeasing the two gay lads that he didn't stop to consider the preachers rights.

Positive discrimination gone mad if you ask me.

[lostalex]

I have no problem with someone reading the koran/bible/torah in public, or someone tearing up the koran/bible/torah and throwing it in the garbage in public.

As long as you aren't harassing people or infringing on their rights (and no, you don't have a right to not be offended) then let people do/say what they want.

[Ninastar]

I have no problem with someone reading the koran/bible/torah in public, or someone tearing up the koran/bible/torah and throwing it in the garbage in public.

As long as you aren't harassing people or infringing on their rights (and no, you don't have a right to not be offended) then let people do/say what they want.

i actually agree...

what i dont like is when people are being nasty and offensive on purpose.

its odd, but i kind of want to be in a situation like that to see what I would do. I always think that I'd say something to help, but i really dont know what I would do in the heat of the moment.