FARCE: St Paul's 'bans CHRISTIANS' from reading bible outside iconic London cathedral
CHRISTIANS have slammed St. Paul’s Cathedral after worshippers were banned from preaching the Bible outside its landmark Dome.
I am not hurt or angry, but very surprised that St. Paul’s would support the Occupy London people but not support the reading of the Bible.”
One man was arrested for reading out loud the Holy Book and another says he was asked to leave.
The holy men’s claims come just seven years after a Occupy London’s leftist rent-a-mob’s tent city, erected outside the cathedral, was indulged for four months.
Preacher Allan Coote, 55, was detained in March when he refused to stop reading the Bible outside St Paul’s, according to the Mail on Sunday.
The bus driver said cathedral staff called police and officers read him his rights before driving him a few hundred yards from the Cathedral before releasing him with no further action.
In April, he returned to the spot to read from the Sermon on the Mount and was again spoken to by police, who told him to stop once more.
Mr Coote told the Mail on Sunday: “I am not hurt or angry, but very surprised that St. Paul’s would support the Occupy London people but not support the reading of the Bible.”
A pastor, The Reverend Peter Simpson, claimed he experienced similar treatment two years ago.
He said: “We did not say anything inflammatory as far as I can recall. We were just preaching from the Bible but we were told to move.
“We did not want to break the law so we moved to the edge of the grounds marked by bollards and preached from there.”
As the unholy row brews, Christian campaign group The Barnabas Fund has launched a petition demanding Parliament acts.
The charity’s head of research, Dr Martin Parsons said the furore “illustrates the slippery slope down which the UK is losing its heritage of religious freedom".
He added: “One of the first aspects of freedom of religion to be established in England was the freedom to read the Bible in public.
“A Royal decree specifically forbade clergy from stopping anyone reading the Bible in public.
“Now St Paul’s Cathedral is trying to stop someone reading the Sermon on the Mount in public.”
The Occupy London row split the Church of England, leading to the resignations of the Cathedral’s dean and canon chancellor.
The Express has contacted St Paul’s Cathedral for comment.