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“Good morning, everyone,” he says to a group of 15 onlookers waiting outside the Hemet California Division of Motor Vehicles. “I would like to read a little bit of the word of God this morning.”

The video, shot in February of last year, ends with Mackey’s arrest. SEE VIDEO AT LINK BELOW

“You can preach on your own property,” an officer from the California Highway Patrol tells Mackey as he leads him away in handcuffs. “Folks, this is what the United States is coming to,” Mackey says to the crowd, who were standing outside waiting for the DMV to open. “You can talk about anything you want, but you can’t talk about the Bible.”

Mackey is a reverend with Calvary Chapel Hemet, a conservative Christian church that practices an “evangelical ministry,” requiring public testimonials and Scripture readings.

Church officials believe Mackey was arrested because of “Christian bigotry.”

The officer who made the arrest disagrees, claiming he arrested Mackey for preaching to a public audience who had no choice but to listen.

“You’re not allowed to preach here," he told Mackey, “because this is a captive audience.”

Mackey’s lawyer calls that “ridiculous.”

“That doesn’t make sense in America,” says Robert Tyler of Advocates for Faith and Freedom, a non-profit law firm which defends Christian Liberties. “If the doctrine of the captive audience is going to apply broad brush, no one is going to be allowed to [preach in] a public park…that’s not America.”

Tyler also points out Mackey was cited for “impeding an open business,” but he points out the DMV wasn’t even open at the time.

“The DMV was closed,” he said. “They had no business arresting him.”

Not so, observes constitutional attorney Dan Conaway, saying those waiting for the DMV doors to open have no choice but to listen to Mackey.

“He's creating an intimidating situation for people who simply want to get their drivers licenses renewed,” says Conaway, who says it’s OK to preach in public, but not when your listeners can’t leave.

“He does not have the right to intimidate others and force them to listen and impede their ability to do normal business activities such as going to the DMV.”

Tyler points out that the “captive audience” statute requires more than simple intimidation.

“Mackey had to be threatening them. Is reading the Bible threatening?”

Tyler says that, in the end, Mackey has simply been charged with trespassing.

How can that be trespassing?” Tyler asks. “This is a public place. He was not blocking or impeding anyone. He was standing over 50 feet from the entrance. This is crazy.”

Mackey sees it in biblical terms.

“The devil is holding everyone captive to do his will," he said as he was led away. “Repent, and trust in Jesus Christ. Judgment Day is coming, folks.”

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/29/taking-liberties-arrested-for-reading-bible/

OMG!!!!!! Unbelievable! Did anyone notice that the cops talked and acted kind of gay? Probably why he was so eager to arrest the Pastor!

I saw that on FoxNews. No, Kristi, I failed to even notice if that CHiP was (gulp!!!) a homosexual or not. I do know, that he's certainly NO Erik Estrada, that's for sure.

When I saw that Pastor, thoughts of Auther Blessett carrying the cross came to mind...and what would happen to him if he were to be standing there with his cross. As well as hearing how all the news media would handle this. Anyhoo, that's my food for thought.

BTW, even Auther has been in worst situations throughout his travels with his cross, hasn't he?

Maranatha!
Tammy

Kristi,
I rarely if ever respond in a fashion that could be considered argumentative or confrontational as that is not at all my nature, but I beg of you please to not be in any way degrading or making judgement against another person for "being gay".
It is not our place to judge those who have chosen that lifestyle, nor is it our place to ostracize them. Please let God and God alone do the judging. We are called simply to love and to share the sacrifice Jesus made for ALL peoples, and to represent the true nature of God's love we should never make a person feel inferior for any lifestyle choice, even if it is one you do not personally agree with. By making that statement you may have inadvertently made someone feel that way.
Just a head's up for you as I am sure you did not intend for it to come across that way.
Blessings to you!

I have always been taught, to love the sinner, hate their sin. God loves the sinner, but He hates their sin. Be it a sin of Homosexuality, or Living together Common law, commiting fornication, without being married, etc.

Remember Jesus died for all sinners!
However the Lord never condoned Sin; He told the woman who was going to be stoned because she was caught committing adultery.. Jesus told her your sins are forgiven and specifically told her to Go and Sin no more!

We can not condon Sin, if we do, we are not in agreement with God's word or His ways.

We should remind people in all walks of life, that
God hates sin, but loves the sinner, that is why He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross!
For God so loved the world....!

Just as it is wrong, bashing a homosexual, or gay person, it is just as wrong bashing, a hetersextual person a Bible believer, for reading his Bible!

Jesus did and said things done in love of the person!
People, should learn to do the same, as the Lord, or at least try their very best to do so.

I trust the Lord in all things, and want above all to please Him first and foremost.

Jesus loves us!

Valerie

This makes me so sick, I couldn;t even watch the video. I used to live near Hemet and likely have friends who go to that church...

Thank you Valerie, that is what I was trying to communicate here but I am not as eloquent as you. :)

My sisters,
I absolutely agree and am not condoning nor am I standing up for this lifestyle. Let me put it in perspective for you though. What if Kristi had said

"OMG!! Unbelievable!! Did anyone notice that the cops talked and acted kind of (Gulp!) DIVORCED!?? Probably why he was so eager to arrest the pastor!!"

Divorce is also a sin in the Bible. But with that one small statement lots of potentially hurtful things were communicated to any person falling in that category. Do you see what I mean?

For me, reading comments like that I immediately think of the folks who will be personally hurt by what is implied within comments such as those. I feel that this is not the place to be making such statements, this has always been a forum of encouragement, joy, and hope in the soon coming of our Lord, with no group of people, no matter what their lifestyle, being excluded or made to feel bad. Remember the wonderful example of Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman. He loved her intensely despite her sin. He taught her that her sins were wrong by daring to be associated with her, by spending time with her, by simply loving her.

That was my intention here as well. There are folks on this site who have asked for prayer and help with their homosexual lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with letting them know that it is a sin, gently teaching them, helping them in any way we can and praying with them. However making them feel badly, or inferior or unloved by small comments such as those shows all people that we do not come in love, but in judgment. There is a big difference to me between not tip-toeing around an issue (standing up and speaking out for what's right) and making comments such as the one above, which was clearly not made out of love. That is what I was trying to say here, that we should be always loving and mindful of other's feelings, not other's lifestyles or sins.

I love you my sisters, I love coming here daily for encouragement and hope. Let us always come to one another in love.

May our hearts and minds be always filled with the love of our precious Lord Jesus, may we always be able to lift one another up, to feel unconditionally loved and supported no matter where we are at in our lives. Let us continue to look for Jesus soon return, and our hearts fill with joy when we hear him call our name and say "come here my child!!"

Deepest apologies for stirring up dissention here. I most agree to let this go!

Back on topic that I inadvertently put us on a tangent, this article is certainly another indication of the soon rapture of the bride and coming destruction and judgment on this sad world. Let us take encouragment from it! Although it may seem terrible it encourages me to look up every moment, and to "stay in the ark". :)