After claiming that a so-called “transwoman” was actually a “man in woman’s clothing,” a Christian street preacher was reportedly referred to the UK’s counter-terrorism police.
David McConnell, a Christian preacher, had already been convicted of “harassment” in a British court of law over the incident last year, with the preacher being sentenced to a 12-month community order with 80 hours unpaid work after saying that the transgender individual was really a “gentleman” and a “man in woman’s clothing”.
At the time of the incident, the Christian man was preaching, and his sermons reportedly resulted in him being abused, assaulted, and even having some of his belongings stolen by passers-by, before being arrested by British law enforcement, ostensibly for his decision to espouse his religious beliefs.
However, the Christian man was also reported to the UK’s Prevent counter-terrorism programme over his views, which were deemed radical enough for them to be contacted.
The man was “viewed to be persistently and illegally espousing an extreme point of view” with his preaching, according to McConnell’s probation officer, prompting the government official to “routinely” liaise with counter-terrorism police.
Many Christians in the country have been outraged by the revelation, with many already expressing shock at McConnell’s conviction for preaching his Christian beliefs.
“This case represents a troubling trend in our society, in which members of the public and professionals are being prosecuted and reported as potential terrorists for refusing to celebrate and approve LGBTQ ideology,” Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, was quoted as saying about the case.
“The Bible clearly teaches that we are born male and female; this belief, as well as the freedom to express it in public without fear of being arrested or reported as a terrorist to Prevent,” she continued.
Although it may be upsetting for many Christians, the fact that the UK’s counter-terrorism initiatives were involved in the investigation of a Christian street preacher is not surprising given the state of British law enforcement.