First Amendment Dead in Dearborn? UPDATE: They were arrested.
A twitter friend tweeted this video and I was shocked to see what I saw. Christians detained for passing out the Gospel of John on a public street in Dearborn, Michigan. While they weren’t arrested the Christian group was directed to be at least 5 blocks outside of a Muslim festival in order to pass out the Gospel of John on a public sidewalk.
Unless the group who rented the festival area also rented the 5 block area around the festival, this is an apparent violation of the First Amendment, right? Watch the video and see what you think. I’m going to call the Dearborn Police Department and see if they have an explanation. (I did and it’s below the video)
Just got off the phone with the Dearborn Police. The lady I talked to in the Public Information office was very nice and was glad I called to get more information. She did decline when I asked if I could record the conversation for playback here, but this is what she told me.
Apparently the City has a right to establish a “Freedom of Speech” area, which they did for this event. A designated area where all groups were welcome to pass out material.
All groups were welcome to rent booths from organizers of the street fair. Four Christian groups did just that and another was allowed to have a booth by court order (not sure what happened there).
No one was prohibited from walking around the street fair and talking to whomever they pleased. However, passing out of materials was restricted.
The group in the video was not arrested. They were detained for awhile so that the rules could be explained to them. It’s not known if they knew the rules ahead of time.
200,000 people attended the street fair and apparently it was a very successful family friendly event.
The City of Dearborn hopes to have a comprehensive response at CityOfDearborn.org in a day or two.
In conclusion, I wonder if the Christian group that made the video was being provocative? Would a better strategy have been to rent a booth and reach others through smoked turkey legs (for example) (mmmm) and the Gospel of John?
There is probably even more to this story, but I think we all have to be careful not to jump to conclusions when we see a video like this. I’m glad I called the Dearborn Police to find out more. Sheds a little different light. If the rights of the Christian group were violated, they should call the Alliance Defense Fund. If not, I would recommend they get a booth next year and see what God can do with some corn dogs (mmmm) and the Gospel of John!
UPDATE: I guess they WERE arrested.
Stars Really Do Sing
A Star is Born!
Scientists are discovering what God knew all along. Stars are musical. You could even say they sing. Gives new meaning to being a star.
Let’s start in Job 38. God is basically asking Job who he is to question God’s judgment. Starting in verse 3:
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,10 when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
Read the whole thing. It’s very cool!
Did you notice verse 7?
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
The morning stars sing together? Really? Really!
I blogged about this a few years ago, but today I found an update. Scientists have now recorded some of the music that our Sun is “singing”
From the article:
Astronomers at the University of Sheffield have managed to record for the first time the eerie musical harmonies produced by the magnetic field in the outer atmosphere of the sun.
They found that huge magnetic loops that have been observed coiling away from the outer layer of the sun’s atmosphere, known as coronal loops, vibrate like strings on a musical instrument.
I guess God knew what He was talking about.
When I was a kid in Sunday School and a lover of science, I still remember how my Sunday School teacher told me that the Bible talked about springs in the ocean. Springs that scientists were just discovering. Doctors know that laughter does do good like a medicine! Studies also show that prayer works.
You can trust God! And that is music to my ears.
