Do you really think that these Chrsitians should get 47 years in jail for preaching the bible at a Homosexual Parade. Are you kidding me???? It violates the first amendment with right in speech.

http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200412\CUL20041216c.html

I think the article is not saying something....

In a country in which Nazi parties and NAMBLA are legal, I'd find it hard to believe that someone would be put in jail for 47 years for reading the Bible.

ahhhhhh NAMBLA i have no clue how they allow this to have it open...stupid ACLU but maybe its leaving something out.

ha could this be another lie from CBS News?

Whatever it is, it cannot be the entire truth.

It's an article from a religious web site and it doesn't tell the entire truth, unless your read deep and realize these people are being charged not for what they said, but for the fact that they were inciting a riot, intimidating others, blasting their words through loudspeakers against the city codes, and otherwise trying to start fights.

They could have been pro-gay rights speakers doing that and they would have been charged just the same.

In case anyone doesn't understand this -- and let's assume for the sake of argument that the DA, being a lawyer, has read the constitution -- you cannot punish people for what they say. You can punish them for how they say it though, and it seems to me that such is the case here.

Yeah, cnsnews is hardly a source one should trust, especially with articles like this one.

CNSNews, not CBS news.

And here are the charges as reported by the article.

However, the remaining four individuals have been ordered to stand trial on three felony counts -- criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation and riot -- and five misdemeanor charges. If convicted, Fahling said, they could face up to 47 years in prison.

Furthermore, Fahling said that a video of the confrontation showed Marcavage speaking through a bullhorn while he and his supporters were "being shouted down by irate gay activists."

However, city officials told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the video did not show the start of the confrontation, when they said Marcavage tried to interrupt an onstage performance with his preaching and then disobeyed a police order to move to the perimeter of the "block party" to avoid the potential for violence.

"They were not prohibited from preaching," said Karen Brancheau, a lawyer for the district attorney's office. "A reasonable request was made to prevent a situation from becoming dangerous to their own safety, as well as the safety of the participants."

People read the Bible all the time, day and night, in public and private, so it's unreasonable to suggest that reading the Bible alone would in any way lead to 47 years in prison.

I too noticed that their charges for which they can spend up to 47 years in prison are NOT "preaching the bible."


You guys and your misleading posts

What is the nature of the criminal conspiracy? What crime[/] did the parties "conspire" to commit ... reading scripture?

What were the acts to incite a riot ... perhaps reading a bible?

What is [u]ethnic intimidation as it applies to homosexuals? And can such a crime past constitutional muster?

Whatever else you call it ... it's the thought police at work.[/u]

I dont believe that BS article,they must have done something really bad if they could face 47 years in prison.Some murderes get less time.

Duh.

You can't conspire to commit something that is not a crime. Obviously, they conspired to commit a real crime.

Why do you assume that you, here, with absolutely no knowledge of the facts, can judge what it was like that day? Were you there? I am assuming tahat these people (as the article indicates) were using bullhorns, yelling things that can incite a riot (you know, you can't yell "fire" in a crowded theatre) and otherwise were disruptive. Certainly you have seen news coverage of people starting riots and otherwise beinga public nuisance? Do you believe that it is impossible for Christians to do so as well?

Most police officers are not liberals. Most police officers (like most people) are religious. I would have to assume that these police officers did their job and arrested these people not because they are "thought police" but because these people broke a law. Can we assume for the sake of argument that perhaps the police knew what they were doing, or do you just automatically assume that any officer who ever arrests a Christian must be a member of the "thought police" no matter the crime?

As for the 47 years, that is misleading. If they were charged with 4 things that have a maximum penalty of 10 years, one thing that had a maximum of 5 years and one of 2 years, you would get 47 years but nobody gets that. A felony usually has a 10 year maximum (meaning it is illegal for a judge to give more than 10 years) but a standard sentence for a particular crime may be only probation. Nobody gets the maximum. Just because your maximum may be 47 years doesn't mean you're going to get even a day in jail. (I can explain this better if you have any questions about the way sentencing works).