Posted: August 2, 2007 WorldNetDaily.com Inc.  1:00 a.m. Eastern
Think of all the dangerous characters lurking around our schoolchildren these days:
• There are drug dealers;
• There are gang members;
• And there are the sex predators – more and more of them posing as teachers.
With all these threats to the safety and well-being of their students, guess who school authorities in the state of Florida have targeted with more than one prosecution?
The answer: Two member of the Gideons International, those dangerous subversives who give away Bibles to anyone interested – including students walking to and from school.
It all started when Annette Martinson, the principal of the Key Largo School, spotted Ernest Simpson and Anthony Mirto of the Gideons handing out free copies of the Bible to anyone interested. In nothing flat, she was on the phone to the Monroe County sheriff’s department.
Now, you might expect the police, trained as they are in law enforcement, to first ask the question: “Which law is being broken here?” Instead, deputy John Perez decided to subdue, detain and arrest these “suspicious” characters and ask questions later.
He threw in a little verbal assault and humiliation for good measure, roughly handcuffing the men behind their backs, shoving them into a sealed, un-air conditioned squad car for nearly an hour in 90-plus heat and injuring their wrists in the process.
Then he made sure their car was towed away and impounded.
“Now you can pray to Jesus all the way to jail,” the thoughtful and sensitive public servant told Simpson and Mirto once on their way to the station.
Thankfully – and not surprisingly – a judge later dismissed trespassing counts against both men, noting the clear First Amendment violation of arresting people for distributing religious literature on a public sidewalk. Kudos to the Alliance Defense Fund for its usual good work in defending religious freedom.
That might have been the end of it – and the whole thing could have been chalked up to some bad decisions by inexperienced local officials. But this is Florida – the state that gave Terri Schiavo the death penalty for her inability to eat without assistance. This is the state that might still be counting and recounting hanging chads if the U.S. Supreme Court didn’t intervene.
So what happened next?
Since the trespassing charges were summarily thrown out, officials searched the law books for some alternate charges to take these Gideons off the streets once and for all.
What they found is a law that prohibits anyone from being within 500 feet of a school property without having “legitimate business” or permission.
“The distribution of Bibles on a public sidewalk is not a criminal offense,” explained David Cortman. “The attempts by Florida officials to continue pressing for the prosecution of Mr. Mirto and Mr. Simpson is not only blatantly unconstitutional, it borders on religious persecution.”
And that’s the way the judge saw it, too. The new charges, like the old, were dismissed.
But there is a lot more to this case than the results. The very fact that charges were brought twice against these men for an action once considered commendable by American society gives me chills.
How many people in our culture have become persuaded that religious activity on or near public property is somehow illegal? How many people in our culture are being deterred from religious activity or political activity because of this kind of dangerous ignorance? How much longer can America remain free when police officers, prosecutors and school principals think they actually have the power – maybe even the duty – to arrest people for spreading the Gospel?
Think about that perverted standard of morality the next time you send your kid off to public school to be “educated.”
Today I heard two Gideon representatives speak at our church at Hornsby, Sydney, Australia, which they do almost annually. I have always been impressed by the work of the Gideon’s for God’s Kingdom and today was particularly moved to seek membership. My membership of course will be dependant upon God’s Will int this for them and me. I am already a little reticent when I found that it was for ‘professional men’ only [that is you must have a degree or diploma]. This aspect confused me somewhat as I believe God’s work should be open to all believers and followers of Jesus no matter what their cultural, socio-economic backgrounds or gender. Being one who has often bitten off more than he can chew for ministry with Jesus I am now rather cautious about entering ministries that do not feel right. I am not going to form an opinion about the great work the Gideon’s do on the, on the surface, discrimitory appearance. Rather I will do my utmost in researching them and listening to posts such as this one.
I was amazed to hear of the dilemma for these two souls of Gideons in Florida, but not surprised. After all hasn’t there been a steady undermining of God’s Power overall in the US over the last few decades? From what I read the removal of Prayer and allegiance to God is now removed from many schools across the US?
Perhaps these two good souls from Gideons were ministering in a ‘battlefield’ for the Lord that may surpass even those in difficult overseas countries. They say that the worst enemy of a follower of Jesus is an ex-believer in Jesus. Sadly too many in western cultures are turning their back on Jesus and worshipping areas of the flesh like, money, pleasure, leisure, lust etc. Good on the Gideons for persisting to push God’s word in a corrupted community. Didn’t Paul do exactly that too. The New Testament is full of the persecution Paul endured for spreading God’s word. Paul rejoiced on every occasion knowing the greater the persecution the more effectively he was doing the work for Jesus. After all Jesus suffered and was killed for showing love to others, why should his followers be any different?
I am sure these two good disciples of the Lord will be rejoicing also in their persecution. God Bless them! I am after reading your article a little more convinced that perhaps they are on the right track after all. Thank you for sharing this moving story.
Hi Rob,
My folks were Gideons and my wife’s parents too (which is actually how we met).
It is definitely unfortunate about the Professional and Business men policy (to correct you I don’t think it has to do with degrees etc as farmers join)
They do an awesome work at tenaciously distributing the Bible ( I think it is 1 million every 5 days). But you do have to overlook a few out dated, extra-scriptural positions which speak more to historical developments than the theology of the guys involved.
May the name of Jesus be lifted up and all our efforts be revealed for what they are… flawed.
Pete
I esteemed yours blog,
thanks the author a lot of useful to myself have found..
Hi, as a Gideon I will let you know that the Business and Professional requirement is about fundraising and “leverage”.
I think it depends on the Camp as we welcome “Professional and Businessmen” who do not have University qualifications into our camp.
We seek to use men of influence to negotiate regarding the placement of scriptures and men of means to fund the placement.
God bless you as you seek to do his will