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    Pastor Arrested for ‘Talking to People’

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    Pointing out no one has ever complained of his activities at the mall, Snatchko told WND the guard demanded he leave because he was “walking around and talking to people.”

    The pastor, 23, said he “kind of laughed,” insisting he wasn’t doing anything wrong, because “everyone else was walking around and talking as well.”

    A second security guard then joined the encounter and informed Snatchko he was being placed under citizen’s arrest for “trespassing.” The pastor says he agreed to leave peacefully, but, instead, the guards grabbed him, roughly shoved him against a storefront window and handcuffed him tightly enough to draw blood. Snatchko later was taken to the police station where he was booked on charges of battery and trespassing.

    You can read more of the article here at World Net Daily.

    Charges were dropped against a Sacramento-area youth pastor who was arrested while sharing his Christian faith one-on-one with shoppers at a mall. Matthew Snatchko, who regularly takes a small group of youth from his church to the Galleria Mall in Roseville, Calif., said he was interrupted by a security guard May 8 while in the middle of a conversation.

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    1. Todd Rhoades on Tue, June 27, 2006

      Sorry about that Randy… I’m still learning this new system; and forgot to program the link!  http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif


      Todd

    2. Daniel on Tue, June 27, 2006

      Since there were no complaints on the part of the people being talked to, this is simply silly.  But here’s my question: should churches and/or Christian individuals be so quick to countersue??  It’s one thing to have legal defense against an unlawful arrest, but doesn’t sueing the police department take it one step too far?  Since when is Christianity about demanding your civil rights?  The apostle Paul used his roman citizenship when it was convenient to get him out of trouble, but he didn’t spend his time petitioning various governors and magistrates to pass laws or enact legislation protecting Christianity…


      Has anyone read Boyd’s ‘Myth of a Christian Nation’?  There’s a chapter called “When Chief Sinners Become Moral Guardians”… I think it’s potentially damaging to the witness of the ‘power-under’ Christian Church to use ‘power-over’ methods.  I don’t think the Church has any business sueing anybody.

      Any thoughts?

       

    3. Brent on Tue, June 27, 2006

      I think the whole thing makes Christians look bad.  We need to work harder at earning the right to be heard rather than demanding it.  Try reading “Finding Common Ground” by Tim Downs.

    4. chris on Tue, June 27, 2006

      Brent,

      You’re right, “Finding Common Ground” is a great book.


      However, I still think there is a place for people who are intentional about creating conversations with people in public places. They’re still “sowing” as Tim Downs talks about - just in a more obvious way than you or I may go about it.


      I’m sure there’s more to this story than what meets the eye, but don’t read anything initially that makes me think this guy was doing anything to hinder the gospel. He wasn’t forcing people to listen to him, or screaming at the top of his lungs. I don’t read anything in this link that makes it seem that this pastor was “demanding” the right to be heard - just seeking out people and asking if they would talk to him.

       

      I respect his courage.

       

    5. Daniel on Tue, June 27, 2006

      Chris, I’m not sure Brent meant to say anything about this youth pastor talking to people at the mall.  As long as he wasn’t being a jerk (and we have no reason to think he was), it’s all well and good.  The interesting question (or at least one of the interesting questions), I think, is whether or not the response to the arrest was the best one possible.  Defending the pastor is good.  It’s this line that tripped me up: “A civil suit is now being considered against the mall for violating the youth pastor’s First Amendment free-speech rights.”  That’s what I think is a (very, very, very) bad idea.

      My two cents.

       

    6. shadowette on Tue, June 27, 2006

      I can appreciate the thought that it’s bad for churches to sue.  Maybe even bad for Christians.  But what about Americans?  It may be wrong for a Christian to sue, but what about an American citizen?  The first amendment’s right to free speech is HUGE in this country and a rare commodity in the rest of the world.  I believe, when the need arises, it must be fought for.  If we do not fight for this right as Americans, to speak our minds freely without prohibition by government, then who will?  Will Frenchmen stand for our rights?  Or Mexicans?  Christian or not, there was a violation of free speech in this case, and it should not go unnoticed or uncorrected.

    7. Al on Tue, June 27, 2006

      I believe it is perfectly correct to sue the Mall in this instance.  If no one stands up to the wrong, then eventually no one will be able to stand up at all.  If you want the right to free speech you had better stand up for it, if it is ever assaulted!

    8. Daniel on Tue, June 27, 2006

      Al and shadowette, thank you for your time and your insights.  As Americans, it’s true that we have a right to stand up for our rights… However, I would personally stay far far away from any kind of lawsuit lest God’s holy (non-coercive!!) Kingdom be marred by my own demands.  I dare say, American Christianity could do with a real dose of persecution.  I’m no fan of suffering, but I’m tired of Christians whining every time they get their legal toes stepped on.  Is that really what the Kingdom is about?  Historically, the Church has grown the most when Christians had no rights!  They went to the lions blessing those who persecuted them (not demanding a fair trial!) and overcoming hate with love.  Love to the death.  Much like Jesus…

      My two cents.

       

    9. Dan Robison on Fri, June 30, 2006

      The article is right, getting the charges dropped does not set a precedent nor does it really send a message to the Mall Security office.  It says the guards handcuffed him tightly enough to draw blood, which is excessive.  I was an Army Interrogator for years, and when you bind someone with ecessive force it can be accidentally or it can be on purpose.  In this case either way a message needs to be sent that this is not acceptable behavior, neither the arrest nor the handcuffing.


      I say sue them and donate any settlement/award to a good ministry cause outside this church, just so it’s not seen as the church trying to profit.

    10. Benjamin on Mon, July 10, 2006

      Brothers…  I have been both an American and a Child of God for more than 1/2 century.  As a pastor and a counselor of autistic and challenged children and their families I have been both honored and persecuted.  When I first became a minister even the lost and ungodly would at least honor my calling and give me the benefit of the doubt so that I could share the Gospel with them and those that were lost in their home or group.  Today, if I stand on God’s Word related to any publicly debated issue that is clearly defined in scripture I can expect to be ridiculed, lied about, and persecuted even to the point of physical aggression or arrest.  Each day, by the Grace of God, I help children and parents that are both believers and non-believers and with all the love and understanding God grants me I work with, pray with and counsel these folks.   But even professing Christian parents have become indifferent to the anti-Christian actions of school boards and teachers, governments, and social intities that work diligently to limit our religious liberties.  The “Go ye therefore” was each Christian’s commission to go first into our own local shopping mall, the next block, the courtyard, then to our countrymen and then the world!  If I lived in a Christian society that was open to my evangelical giftedness as was when I first entered adulthood, I would say, let’s grant grace to the security guard and hope to witness to him at a later date.  But, that day is gone in main street USA.  We live in a society that believes they have a right not to listen to someone, the messenger of God, that points out the result of the sin in their lives (Rom. 3:23), and lovingly tries to win them to Christ.  They believe that right means that they can have such a “terrible person” arrested if they obey the call of Christ on their life to fulfill their calling (Rom. 12:1-10).  And yes “free will” gives them the right to say NO.  But, if I don’t ask they cannot say no.  Rom. 10:14 says, “How will they call on Him…without a preacher?”  One final thought, my family came to America from Germany in the 1740’s after being persecuted as “dunkards”.  They have fought in every war, enjoyed every prosperous time and worked hard to be Americans because this is appropriate citizenship according to scripture.  When a youth pastor gets arrested for sharing his faith in a shopping mall and his Constitutional Rights are infringed upon, if he doesn’t stand we all loose the right to do the same thing.  The next young Christian attempting to share his or her faith in that mall will get the same treatment.  Then a family sitting in a pizza parlor in that mall will be arrested for praying together before they eat their pizza, when someone is offended by their prayer.  Then what’s next?  Our enemy is not nice, neither does he care about our feelings.  Our victory is in Christ!  God’s speed!

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