A judge has found that a street preacher used “threatening” language when he quoted the Bible while speaking about homosexuality.
Christian Today reports Mike Overd was convicted under the Public Order Act after he quoted the Bible when preaching about homosexuality in Taunton in June 2014.
The judge at Bristol Crown Court said Overd should not have used the Leviticus 20:13, which uses the word “abomination.”
"The judge is effectively censoring the Bible and saying that certain verses aren't fit for public consumption,” said Libby Towell, spokesperson for the Christian Legal Centre.
Overd has been fined about $200 and is required to pay another $1,300 in costs and compensation to a homosexual man, who was listening to Overd preach.
Overd, who is a former paratrooper, has been preaching on the streets for about five years. In the last few years, he has faced similar charges.
Also in 2014, he was charged after he said that Mohammed could not compare to Jesus. He said if a man marries a 9-year-old, “we call that paedophilia.”
"There's been a concerted campaign to stop him speaking the word of God on the streets of Taunton," Towell said. "Today was the result that the police had been looking for.
"He's not preaching his opinion. He's preaching what God's word says."
Publication date: March 24, 2015
