As prayed for and expected, the Crown Prosecution Service today withdrew the case against a Christian man accused of a public order offence for offending two homosexuals.
Paul Shaw was charged by Essex Police with a 'hate crime' after an election address was distributed in Colchester calling - in very moderate language - for a review of whether sodomy and other homosexual acts should remain legal.
But after raising questions of freedom of speech in a preliminary hearing four weeks ago, the CPS decided today that there was 'not enough evidence' to proceed.
Paul Shaw was understandably unhappy that they had not withdrawn the case completely and apologised.
The police have yet to return Paul's diaries seized in a completely over-the-top search of his flat in June. Christian Voice have promised to underwrite the costs of any action Paul decides to bring against the police for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.
We also believe action should be taken against the two homosexual men from New Park Road, Colchester, whose vexatious complaint led to the police action.
A dozen Christians, from Colchester and farther away, came down to support Paul on the day.
THANK GOD that the case against Paul Shaw has been dropped. PRAY that action will be taken against the police to stop them doing the same to others. PRAY for positive reporting of the case in the press and for God to be glorified.
Continue to protest to the CPS:
Chief Crown Prosecutor of Essex
Ken Caley
County House, 100 New London Road
Chelmsford, CM2 0RG
01245 455800
EMAIL: eastern.goc@cps.gsi.gov.uk
and Essex Police:
Chief Constable of Essex
Jim Barker-McCardle
Police HQ
PO BOX 2
Springfield
Chelmsford, CM2 6DA
EMAIL: chiefconstable@essex.pnn.police.uk
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9 comments:
I am a believer in Jesus Christ, and I believe that Paul deserves free speech like anybody else. I think police involvement was unnecessary and wrong.
However this could have been avoided by common sense. Significantly more people commit adultery, gossip and engage in other sins. God commanded stoning for adultery in the Old Testament, does Paul Shaw advocate that as well? Why does he not feel it worthy to target other groups of sinners? Why does he feel that gays deserve special condemnation.
I believe that police involvement here was unnecessary and wrong. His freedom of speech was violated. However he could have avoided this. I speak as one who trusts in Jesus Christ myself but why do so many Christian feel it necessary to target gays? Does Paul Shaw advocate making adultery a criminal offence? Significantly more people commit adultery, gossip, slander and commit other sins and to my knowledge he says nothing about this!
I pray that Christians like him will learn to be more gracious towards sinners.
This was an election leaflet not a sermon. He was not condemning people but questioning a law.
According to Christian Voice and CCFON:
Mr Shaw wrote in the leaflet that he believed that “homosexual and lesbian acts are immoral and that the law should reflect that; by making them unlawful as they once were; and so acting as a deterrent to such behaviour. The concept of homophobia is nonsense and a play on words; it is not and has never been a phobia! A phobia is an un-natural fear; whereas a rejection of perverse behaviour; is a righteous godly fear; that fears to do wrong because it knows that there are consequences and punishment otherwise! This is the most pronounced example of a nation that has lost its way.”
This sounds like a sermon and condemnation to me.
A condemnation not a sermon. Why single this out politically? Because no other acts have gone from criminal to commended in 50 years. This is not an attack on people but an attack on conduct.
It's a pendulum swing reaction. Adultery, and many other sins, have never been illegal (to my knowledge). Although socially unacceptable, people committing other sins have never been subject to bullying and persecution in quite the same way (including physical violence). Attitudes to other sins like have stayed on an even ground.
I'm not saying that the pendulum swing reaction is right, just offering a different perspective. I don't like the way our freedom is being eroded and I agree that we have a freedom of speech.
One may have to go back over 300 years but i am sure adultery was once criminal. But I take your point. However the law has swung far beyond decriminalising and has established homosexual acts as a human right which is IMO reprehensible. One cannot now run a Christian hotel or B&B and keep within this stupid law.
You may be interested to know that even Peter Tatchell agrees that this is a violation of freedom of speech. He says that the government should concentrate on those who are inciting physical violence (which Paul Shaw is not and would not).
Yes he generally favours free speech.
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