Carlisle council admits it was wrong to stop man handing out Christian leaflets

Carlisle Council has been forced to apologise for getting the law wrong after it tried to stop a street evangelist handing out gospel tracts.

An official from Carlisle Council told Keith Bullock, an evangelist with Open-Air Mission (OAM), that he could not hand out Christian literature in the city centre without their permission.

The Council claimed it was exercising legal powers that came into force last year. The new powers are aimed at preventing litter caused by large numbers of handbills handed out by nightclubs and other businesses. However, Carlisle Council seemed unaware that these laws do not apply to religious literature.

Open-Air Mission contacted The Christian Institute for help. After checking out the law we helped their Director, Andy Banton, write to Carlisle Council explaining their legal rights. He pointed out that religious literature was exempt and asked for confirmation that Mr Bullock could continue his work.

The council responded immediately with an unconditional apology. OAM have asked for the religious exemptions (found in section 1(4) of Schedule 3A to the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005) to be brought to the attention of other council officials so this unfortunate mistake is not repeated.

After the Council climb-down, Andy Banton said, "We are grateful to The Christian Institute for helping us. It was their advice that has enabled us to resolve this issue so quickly and protect our freedom to proclaim the gospel. We appreciate the willingness of the Council to admit its mistake and we are glad Keith can get on with his work of bringing the Gospel to the people of Carlisle."

Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, said "This case illustrates the importance of Christians knowing the law. It also shows how public bodies can unwittingly go beyond the law. Christians have the freedom to handout Christian literature in the open air on public land without interference from the state. That is an important protection of free speech and religious liberty. We were glad we could help this street evangelist continue his good work."

Comments

Medical theories on the cause of death in crucifixion Matthew W Maslen and Piers D Mitchell

INTRODUCTION Crucifixion may be defined as a method of execution by which a person is hanged, usually by their arms, from a cross or similar structure until dead. It has been used in many parts of the world and in many time periods; but is perhaps best known today as a cruel method of social control and punishment in the Roman Empire around 2000 years ago 1 (pp 22-3). In modern times, the medical profession has shown considerable interest in crucifixion. The typical aim of articles by this group has been to determine how crucified individuals actually died; and they often focus on the case of Jesus of Nazareth. Since Stroud's book of 1847, 2 at least 10 different theories have been proposed ( Table 1 ), and many more articles have been published suggesting various combinations of these theories. The 10 examples referenced in Table 1 have been chosen merely as representing the wide difference of opinion in the published literature: it is not an exhaustive lis

What is TULIP in Calvinism? by Matt Slick

The TULIP of Calvinism is the acronym which represents the five primary points which represent Calvinism : Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints. Hence, they are called the five points of Calvinism. The five points "emerged from the Synod of Dort (1618– 19)." 1 "The system of Calvinism adheres to a very high view of scripture and seeks to derive its theological formulations based solely on God’s word. It focuses on God’s sovereignty, stating that God is able and willing by virtue of his omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, to do whatever He desires with His creation. It also maintains that within the Bible are the following teachings: That God, by His sovereign grace predestines people into salvation; that Jesus died only for those predestined; that God regenerates the individual where he is then able and wants to c

Light of Eternity: The Life of Leonard Ravenhill

Publisher: Free Grace Press (www.freegracepress.com) Binding: SMYTHESEWN CASEBIND Demensions: 6" x 9" Pages: 660 Book Weight: 2-lbs Language: English Bulk Order?: Please email (orders@ravenhillbiography.com) “My father lived daily in light of eternity, always seeking to please the One who enlisted him as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Before he ever stood in the pulpit, he stood before God. He was a man of prayer. Prayer was his life and his preaching reflected the fact that he had been alone with God.” DAVID RAVENHILL It is titled In Light of Eternity: The Life of Leonard Ravenhill Mack Tomlinson says this about the legacy of Ravenhill: In Light of Eternity...Ravenhill’s Biography – A Great Book for those seeking God Few are raving about a wonderful book I just read “In light of Eternity” The Life of Leonard Ravenhill by Mack Tomlinson....truly a masterpiece to be cherished and a goldmine of spiritual gems and inestimable treasures. I have often ponder

Belfast OutReach

Search This Blog