Christian tracts censored at tribute to vets

Christian tracts censored at tribute to vets
County-sponsored July 4th event orders pastor out of public park

A Maryland church pastor attending a July 4th community band concert and fireworks in a city park to honor veterans is reporting he was told by officials to leave, because he was handing out Gospel tracts.

Dennis L. Watson, an associate minister at Pleasant View Baptist Church, initially revealed his experience at the publicly funded festival in North East, Md., on a website for a men's group, called Men of Valor.

He called it a "slap in the face" to the veterans whose heroics were being honored at the "Salute to Cecil County Veterans" because of the fervent belief of those who founded the United States that "We have no king but King Jesus."

"The reason that I mention this is because as I took the opportunity to pass out tracts at the event I was asked to stop because a public park that the taxpayers of Cecil County [paid for] and for which our soldiers have died was considered rented property and not a public venue for that night," he wrote.

Cecil County manager Alfred Wein told WND that it was a separate group that obtained permission to use the city park, and therefore it was a private event. However, when told that the county had allocated $2,500 from its tax budget for the event, he said he would have to check.

City officials in North East referred WND to a mail box set up for the committee that ran the event, and telephone calls to Carol England, identified by the city as the director of the event, went unreturned.

Watson told WND that he had gone to the event with family and friends and it was a wonderful tribute to veterans. He said he was handing out a variety of tracts, including "million-dollar bills" as well as those saying "ticket" to heaven.

"I was asking [people] if they wanted them or not. Some would say yes, and thank you, and some would say no."

Then unidentified officials for the city approached him and told him to leave.

"So I went outside the gate, then passed out some more tracts, but they told me, 'You're still on private property because of the event, go out there to the street,' which is what I did," he told WND.

It was the first year he had gone to the July 4th celebration. "When you get thousands of people together, it's a great opportunity to pass out tracts," he said.

After all, the Bible's "Great Commission," instructs Christians to go out into the world and preach the Gospel, he noted. "I've a great burden to reach people who are without Christ," he said.

Watson said in the United States it has gotten to the point that Christians are criticized for "hate," even if they do not speak against any particular issue, such as homosexuality.

"All I ask [people] to do is examine themselves in light of God's test of the Ten Commandments," he said.

Watson told WND city officials accused him of "soliciting." "They said there was a rule that said no soliciting," he said.

But the tracts weren't seeking donations, or support, or membership, and in fact didn't even have his church's name, he said.

"The fireworks were great, the bands played well and our veterans alive and gone were treated with respect and honored," he said. "Some of the veterans that I spoke to were upset about the freedom of speech/religion issue and said that they would bring it up at a veterans meeting coming up because they fought and died for these freedoms too.

"Sadly theses freedoms are becoming more and more silenced in our country. Some of the very issues that started this country are now being considered 'hate crimes' by some. I lost a cousin in Iraq when the war started and though my aunt was upset about the war and our president, she stated that her son believed in what he was defending and the freedoms of … this country," he said.

Michael Marcavage of Repent America also sent his support.

"I appreciate and am encouraged by the work you are doing," he wrote to Watson, adding that would offer whatever other support he could.

Marcavage is no stranger to such situations. He was one of the "Philadelphia Five" whose freedom of speech was violated when they were arrested while open air street preaching at an event on the city's public streets several years ago.

Chad L. Marshall, a veteran, told WND he was disturbed by the course of events.

"I am outraged that both freedom of speech (in passing out and speaking to people about Christ) and freedom of religion (to follow the Great Commission) was so blatantly disregarded on a day set aside to acknowledge the sacrifices made in birthing these very freedoms and this great nation," he said.

WND has reported several times on Gospel tracts, including those that look like million-dollar bills, being confiscated or censored.

But those situations generally have been because of the tract's resemblance – albeit distant – to official currency. (There is no real million-dollar bill in circulation).