How should this be handled ?

You’re right there is more - worse - the article goes on to tell what will happen to them if they return to the self-declared ‘no go’ area - it’s on the net.

Thank you, amoeba. I also read that, and I knew some details were missing from the original story. This is not a case of religious persecution, this is a case of the authorities trying to keep the peace, and a junior officer not knowing exactly how.

amblessed, don’t you think, as a religious person yourself, there are more effective ways of proselytizing? Don’t you see how two Christians handing out religious literature in a Muslim neighborhood can be seen as disrupting the peace? Certainly religious freedom is something we’re all entitled to, but when exercising one’s freedoms, one must use common sense. What would you think of an anarchist going into a neighborhood of WW2 veterans, handing out pamphlets about why flag burning should be legal?

The UK does not enjoy the same religious freedoms the US has. Keep that in mind the next time you vote to undermine the 1st Amendment.

Sure, call the cops. I often want to when Christians come to my door with Bibles and preaching about Jesus.

I prefer to answer the door in my underwear; holding a whiskey bottle in one hand, and a V.S. catalog in the other… it always works… teehee

amblessed: you’re being overly dramatic. I was simply interested in knowing more details about the story than what you gave. And as it turns out, there was a lot more to it.

As for the proselytizing, I wasn’t talking about you, I was talking about the two guys handing out tracts. They should have used better judgement, and an alternative means of delivering their message.

I would like to call the cops when the jehovahs witnesses come to my door- don’t know how many times I have to tell them I am not interested before it sinks in. I might however ask them for 20 of their addresses so that I can go to their houses and talk about wicca and witchcraft with them and see how well that goes over. I think that what happened is the correct thing- forcing religion on others who do not believe in it is wrong and could be looked at as harassment, and should be treated as such.

I read a bit about the story. It seems the “officer” was a Muslim police community support officer who claims he was stepping in to diffuse a brewing fight between the two groups, preachers and muslim residents. The community officer is also said to have told the two men: ‘You have been warned. If you come back here and get beat up, well, you have been warned.’

A West Midlands Police spokesman said an investigation into the complaint had concluded that the PCSO had acted ‘with the best of intentions’ when he ‘intervened to diffuse a heated argument between two groups of men’.

A statement added: ‘Following this investigation, the PCSO has been offered guidance about what constitutes a hate crime and advice on communication style.’

Sounds to me as if a lower level “officer” panicked and flexed his uneducated muscle during a time when a level head would have been more appropriate.

I prefer to answer the door in my underwear; holding a whiskey bottle in one hand, and a V.S. catalog in the other… it always works… teehee

Ya know. . . . . when I was younger and wilder I did something like that. . . Except it was a bong in one hand and a copy of high times in the other. . .and I had my Gaspipe shirt on.

Wouldn’t you be annoyed if someone came to your door trying to get you to join them in their cause… that the sky is falling? or that you should believe in unicorns? or our world is corrupt with vampires that must be eradicated?

Ridiculous huh?

from a non-christian perspective it’s very similar.

Just wanted to shed some light on another point of view.

Of course in America they’d only be stopped if they were being harassing or in a “no solicitation” neighborhood. I find bible thumpers just as annoying as the Avon representatives.

xox Sika

Do what my dad does and let them in, but ask really awkward questions and watch them squirm!

The Bible is timeless, it includes all of us! Thank you, now GO and teach the Good News!

Sure, call the cops. I often want to when Christians come to my door with Bibles and preaching about Jesus.

mjax179 - I do the best I can - I am not perfect - no doubt you operate better - thanks for the judgement and yes, maybe I can do things better - I’ll remember that in my prayers - sorry I don’t meet your expectations but I strive to please my Savior, not man - the question was a factual event and legitimate - definition: proselytize - try to convert somebody: to try to convert somebody to a religious faith or political doctrine - NOWHERE in that question did I do that, did I ? - besides, my Bible says ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel’ - unless I’m mistaken ‘all’ means everywhere…Take care !!

it won’t happen in the u.s. because as long as we aren’t forcing people to believe a certain way, we can advertise how we believe as much as we want. I think it’ll be okay.

The Bible is timeless, it includes all of us!

…think so hmmm? Well, the next verses tell ‘ALL OF YOU’ to ‘cast out demons, handle snakes, and drink ANY poison with no fear of death…’

You’ve been procrastinating on those I bet. So, what are the chances we’ll be hearing from you again?

we aren’t forcing people to believe a certain way << - Excellent point hungryhungrychippo !!

Where did you hear about this? I’m sure there is more to it than what you’ve posted.

my Bible says ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel’ - unless I’m mistaken ‘all’ means everywhere…

Yes it does, but Jesus was clearly talking to “The Eleven” …not you.

I can’t speak for England but I can tell you what I think is right. I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I think it’s just as ok for you to come to my door and try to share your faith as it is for me to politely say “No, thank you,” and shut the door. I don’t need or want the government to protect me from people’s beliefs. And I certainly don’t want the government telling us what we can and can’t say politely and harmlessly to one another. Three cheers for the First Amendment - brought to you by America.

Now, if a person is harassing another, refuses to go away, pulls out a weapon, etc. - that’s a different story. I think most of us are wise enough to know the difference.

I don’t think that’s right. At least in this country, I think that so long as the preachers were being polite and non-invasive, they should be able to hand out pamphlets.

Well, amblessed and I looked at this from my British Christian perspective a bit, by funmail. Firstly, the British press, in agreement with my own experience of British cities, points out that this was an area with a large Muslim population, not a ‘Muslim area’. Thank goodness, there are no Muslim ‘ghettos’ where it is imposible to live if you are not a Muslim! So there were many Muslims around but also others of different faiths or of no faith. The ‘largely Muslim area’ I used to work in had a fair number of Rastafarian and Christian Afro-Carribeans living in it too, plus a smattering of Irish Catholics and other people of no particular religion. Thus, neither Muslims or Christians could lay claim to any area of a British city, as if it was exclusivley theirs.

I agree with the people who say that the special constable handled the situation badly - he was intervening in a loud and possibly dangerous argument, apparently, and took sides, perhaps, where he shouldn’t have. I think it is very unlikely that this is any kind of pattern which will be repeated over Britian, and I think that the special constable will have been disciplined.

From a Christian point of view, I think that there is sometimes value in visiting housing estates with leaflets. The ‘stand on the doorstep and bully you into believing’ has no value in my eyes. However, some churches visit with offers of prayer (people can fill in a prayer request card, anonomously if they want) and that goes down well. You can always say no, as people have said! But many people have a real concern in their lives (as I do with my mum’s illness), and having someone pop round and offer to be on your side in your spiritual battles is often appreciated by people of any faith or none. That’s just one example of Christian service which I believe will continue to be allowed in Britian.