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A retired Baptist pastor has been charged with violating the controversial buffer zone law near an abortion clinic in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, after delivering an open-air sermon based on the Bible verse John 3:16.
The 76-year-old pastor, Clive Johnston, a former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, faces two charges under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act, including allegedly seeking to “influence” individuals accessing abortion services and failing to leave the area when instructed by police, according to The Christian Institute, which is defending Johnston.
Pastor Johnston’s sermon took place on July 7, 2024, on a patch of grass near Causeway Hospital. The location was separated from the hospital by a dual carriageway, and about a dozen people attended the service, which included hymn singing and a wooden cross as part of the gathering.
Despite the absence of placards or any mention of abortion in his sermon, authorities deemed the service a violation of the buffer zone regulations.
Calvert argued that the buffer zone law, designed to prevent harassment or protests near abortion clinics, is being misapplied in this instance. “It’s just not reasonable or rational to suggest that preaching the Gospel, with no reference to abortion, is a protest against abortion. The Police and the Public Prosecution Service are over-stepping the mark. This is not what buffer zones were designed to do.”
John 3:16, the focus of Johnston’s sermon, says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Complete Article
www.christianpost.com
The 76-year-old pastor, Clive Johnston, a former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, faces two charges under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act, including allegedly seeking to “influence” individuals accessing abortion services and failing to leave the area when instructed by police, according to The Christian Institute, which is defending Johnston.
Pastor Johnston’s sermon took place on July 7, 2024, on a patch of grass near Causeway Hospital. The location was separated from the hospital by a dual carriageway, and about a dozen people attended the service, which included hymn singing and a wooden cross as part of the gathering.
Despite the absence of placards or any mention of abortion in his sermon, authorities deemed the service a violation of the buffer zone regulations.
Calvert argued that the buffer zone law, designed to prevent harassment or protests near abortion clinics, is being misapplied in this instance. “It’s just not reasonable or rational to suggest that preaching the Gospel, with no reference to abortion, is a protest against abortion. The Police and the Public Prosecution Service are over-stepping the mark. This is not what buffer zones were designed to do.”
John 3:16, the focus of Johnston’s sermon, says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Complete Article
Baptist pastor prosecuted in Northern Ireland for open-air sermon on John 3:16
A retired Baptist pastor has been charged with violating the controversial buffer zone law in Northern Ireland after delivering an open-air sermon based on the Bible verse John 3 16
www.christianpost.com
