- Feb 5, 2002
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A British pastor was warned by a police officer that a Bible verse displayed on the back of his campervan could be considered “hate speech” if reported. The conversation occurred at a petrol station and was described as advisory.
Mick Fleming, 59, a former drug dealer-turned-pastor who now lives in his van, had John 3:16 prominently displayed on the vehicle. The verse reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
The incident took place late last month in Burnley, a town in Lancashire, where Fleming was approached by a police officer who tapped him on the shoulder and offered what the pastor described as a friendly warning, The Telegraphreported.
The officer reportedly told him, “A bit of advice — the writing could be seen as hate speech in the wrong context. I am just giving you a heads up.” Fleming said the officer emphasized that the warning was not part of an investigation or arrest but was intended to alert him that the display might lead to a police inquiry if someone filed a complaint.
Fleming recounted the exchange on his YouTube channel and posed the question to his audience about whether a Bible verse such as John 3:16 could reasonably be considered offensive.
Continued below.
www.christianpost.com
Mick Fleming, 59, a former drug dealer-turned-pastor who now lives in his van, had John 3:16 prominently displayed on the vehicle. The verse reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
The incident took place late last month in Burnley, a town in Lancashire, where Fleming was approached by a police officer who tapped him on the shoulder and offered what the pastor described as a friendly warning, The Telegraphreported.
The officer reportedly told him, “A bit of advice — the writing could be seen as hate speech in the wrong context. I am just giving you a heads up.” Fleming said the officer emphasized that the warning was not part of an investigation or arrest but was intended to alert him that the display might lead to a police inquiry if someone filed a complaint.
Fleming recounted the exchange on his YouTube channel and posed the question to his audience about whether a Bible verse such as John 3:16 could reasonably be considered offensive.
Continued below.
Pastor warned John 3:16 Bible verse display may violate ‘hate speech’ law
A police officer warned a pastor that a Bible verse displayed on the back of his campervan could be considered hate speech if reported The conversation occurred at a petrol station and was described
www.christianpost.com
