Thousands Demand UK Prime Minister Protect Right to Pray Silently

Tré Goins-Phillips : Nov 4, 2024
Faithwire.com

"The slippery slope is clear; if the criminal law requires us to refrain from 'offensive' thoughts anywhere, there is simply no logical endpoint. Today, it's pro-life views that offend progressive social orthodoxies; tomorrow, it could be gender-critical views and gender-critical buffer zones. A genuinely democratic society must champion diversity of thought and the free and frank exchange of views."

[Faithwire.com] In the wake of a series of arrests of pro-life advocates praying silently outside abortion clinics, thousands are petitioning the prime minister of the UK to safeguard the rights of British citizens. (Image: Pexels)

This latest revelation comes on the heels of British military veteran Adam Smith-Connor, a Christian, facing conviction charges after being arrested for praying silently inside what was dubbed a "buffer zone" at an abortion clinic in Bournemouth in November 2022, CBN News reported.

"Buffer zone" laws—known as public spaces protection orders (PSPOs)—set up a legal perimeter around abortion clinics in the UK, blocking protesters from any form of protest or demonstration within 150 to 200 meters (around 500 to 650 feet) of the facilities' premises.

He was sentenced in mid-October to a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay more than £9,000 ($11,500) in costs.

According to the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing Smith-Connor, their client had been praying silently for about three minutes when a local council officer approached him and demanded to know the "nature of his prayers." Soon thereafter, legal proceedings began against Smith-Connor.

The newly published petition, with some 60,000 signatures, is calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to defend those who choose to pray silently and keep it from being classified as a criminal offense... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Continue reading, and watch the CBN News report Here.