GASP! A Christian tried to SAVE someone! Oh! The horror!!!! Oh! The human rights violation! Those Christians! There should be a LAW!
(You can bet the ACLU will go to the rescue of these lost - to help assure the lost remain lost...)
Cop 'tries to convert' pagans during arrest
Couple with 'Druid Thing' bumper sticker say Christian officer violated civil rights
Posted: June 26, 2005
5:00 p.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
A traffic stop in Greer, S.C., this month is turning into a holy war of sorts, as a practicing Druid couple claim they were targeted by a Christian police officer who tried to convert them away from their pagan belief.
Debra and Tony Gainey say they were pulled over because they had a bumper sticker reading "It's A Druid Thing."
Druid couple believe this bumper sticker prompted traffic stop
Tony Gainey was driving at the time of the stop June 10 and was taken into custody on charges of driving with a suspended license, operating a vehicle with an improper tag and failure to have proof of insurance.
"The reason they were stopped was the tag was improper on the vehicle," Greer police Lt. Cris Varner told WHNS-TV.
But Debra Gainey, a minister at the local Emerald Sanctuary Druidic Church, believes it was the druid sticker that prompted the traffic stop, as evinced by the conversation with officer Tony Stewart.
"[Stewart said], 'Did those bumper stickers come on the car or did you put them on?' and I said I put them on," Debra said.
She says the officer asked if she knew what they meant.
"So he started talking to me about God and Jesus Christ. ... I just felt like he was really getting into it, I had never expected to actually follow-up with a letter or anything."
According to Mrs. Gainey, the officer sent a card and letter to her home address days later.
"In this letter, he promises our problems will continue unless we listen to the words of the Baptists," she told the station. "We're feeling like those are threats."
"It's just kind of flabbergasting to be told that because it says Druid that we were singled out," she continued. "I don't think it's a matter of his religion or my religion, it's a matter of violation of our Constitution and trying to take that away our freedom that we are guaranteed."
The Gaineys have filed a civil-rights complaint, and the matter is now under investigation.
"The issue is the stop," police chief Dan Reynolds told the Greenville News. "Did they stop them because of the stickers? That's what we're trying to determine in our investigation. What was the reason for the stop?"
Tell me again, why you think the end is NOT near???
JN
There is a law - called the first amendment. It makes it illegal for someone who has the law enforcment privilges to do this while in an official capacity (i.e. it is not legal, or nice, to witness using a 9mm).
On the personal side it is wonderful Mr. Stewart has such strong faith, even if he used poor judgement. We Bless him for it. But this would have never happened if 1) he had remembered his oath of duty; 2) knew his Christian history better (i.e. Celtic Christian Church and the founding reason of the modern Fundamentalist Christian movement); 30 had bothered to listen to the fact that he was already talking to a Christian. Assumptions will get you in a world of hot water.
Author