Tony Miano is a retired deputy sheriff and former chaplain with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A little over a week ago he went to London with the ministry group called Sports Fan Outreach International to do street preaching outside the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. While doing this, he was arrested. When a woman heard Miano mention that the Bible was clear about homosexuality being a sin she cursed at him, then called the police who arrived shortly thereafter and arrested him. The charge was “using homophobic speech that could cause people anxiety, distress, alarm or insult.”Upon arriving at the police station he was fingerprinted, had a DNA sample taken, then was interrogated. After a thirty minute interrogation and seven hours in jail, Miano was released when police decided to not pursue charges against him. A transcript of his interrogation can be found here. It is a bit lengthy but I highly encourage it be read. It appears Miano’s interrogator was open to his purpose in London and came to understand that Miano was not promoting fear or hatred of homosexuals. Miano said he did not focus entirely on homosexuality, but addressed all forms of sexual immorality using I Thessalonians 4:1-2 – a biblical passage that mentions sexual immorality.
After being released Miano expressed concern that the same thing could happen here in the United States. He said, “I believe that’s what our government is going to eventually do here. I believe homosexuals or others who are sensitive to their point of view will be visiting churches to listen to what preachers say from the pulpit. And I believe that pastors will be arrested in their pulpits for teaching what the Bible says about homosexuality and other sins.”
This is not the first time a preacher has been arrested in the United Kingdom for speaking negatively about homosexuality and probably not the last. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the British Christian Legal Centre, said a clampdown on religious free speech regarding Christian views on sexual ethics is already under way.
How long will it be before such a clampdown begins here in the United States? Will preachers begin to be arrested for preaching against homosexuality? I agree with Miano that one day it will happen here under the guise of ‘hate speech.’ Homosexuals do not like to be told their choice (yes, choice) of lifestyle is wrong and sinful. Silencing the opposition has always been a staple in the leftists playbook and being able to use the threat of arrest for ‘homophobic speech’ is something I’m sure that homosexual activists are already examining.
Naysayers will probably scoff at my belief, but I would ask if just twenty or thirty years ago would anyone have believed gay marriage would one day be legal in parts of the United States? Or that gays would be openly serving in our military? Or that gays would have prominence in movies and television shows? Or that corporations would offer employee benefits to same sex couples? Any honest answer would be no to all the above. And yet all these things have happened. Can it be much longer before our country ‘progresses’ to the point where speaking negatively about homosexuality earns you some silver bracelets and a free ride in a police car? If it can be done in the United Kingdom then it could one day happen here. That day is coming; it’s just a matter of when.
I have no doubt that you are right. Little by little, our freedom of speech is being twisted and turned into something hateful and forbidden. Speaking the truth is frowned upon, especially if it uncovers the truth behind the homosexual movement.
People just don’t like to hear the truth about things sometimes because they would then be responsible for acting accordingly.