Fake Arrests of Ohio Ministers Designed to Sell Christian Persecution Myth

[Ichingcarpenter]

Because there is no actual footage of Christians being persecuted in this country – you know, because no Christians are actually BEING persecuted in this country – a group of Ohio ministers had to stage some arrests, employing actual cops to help them.

Hint: Groups that actually get arrested don’t have to stage arrests – they can show actual footage. Guess which group that doesn’t include: Christians.

All of this was, reports the Akron Beacon Journal, “to make people more aware of what it takes for pastors to defend the Christian faith beyond preaching on Sundays.” Yes, because American pastors are regularly subject to arrest by the government while preaching to their flock. Occupational hazard, I’m afraid. Seriously, they are more likely to be shot by fellow conservatives armed to the teeth by Republican lawmakers and fired up by Fox News.

A video of the “arrests” posted on the Internet made a big splash and forced Summit County Sheriff Steve Barry to explain that “the arrests were simulated as a prelude to an upcoming production at the Akron Civic Theatre.” The video, it turns out, was meant to be a marketing tool (it was a production of Larry James, who is general manager of Cleveland-based KAZ Radio Television Network).

Barry said, in defense of his actions (two of his deputies were actually on duty and being paid),

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/03/07/fake-arrests-ohio-ministers-designed-sell-christian-persecution-myth.html

Videos of fake arrests and more at the link.

Anyone can create the 'NEWS'

[shenmue]

1. So, not only a jackass, but he endangered public safety

Thanks, guy!

[rdharma]

2. The videos were removed from the internet ....... for some "odd" reason.

Exposed!

Sheriff Barry, you got some 'splainin' to do!

[loudsue]

6. Those videos need to be posted all over facebook and tweets need to

go out.

I don't do facebook or twitter, or I'd do it myself.

[rdharma]

7. I hope somebody can post those videos here.

Like you, I don't do facebook or twitter (privacy reasons).

[ohheckyeah]

24. One is still up....

[rdharma]

25. Many thanks for posting that!

The Sheriff and any of his folks that went along with this propaganda film should be fired!

[ohheckyeah]

26. You're welcome.

You can report it by clicking on Flag at YouTube.

[hobbit709]

3. Feed them to the lions at halftime-then they can cry persecution.

[jtuck004]

14. But not for long... <G> n/t

[Roland99]

19. Ndamukong Suh would munch them right up!

oh wait....wrong lions.

[Wounded Bear]

4. Godwin's Law, brought to you by your local Christo-Nazi...

[longship]

5. "Thou shalt not bear false witness."

Amazing that these same people want that, and the other pronouncements of the Decalogue, put into public buildings across the country, carved in stone. Hypocrisy anybody?

Interestingly, they never include the second account of the Ten Commandments which includes, "Thou shalt not seeth a kid in its mother's milk."

[loudsue]

8. Exactly. n/t

[Xyzse]

29. Agreed.

This upsets me, and I will be writing a sternly written letter.

[PeoViejo]

9. Video:

&feature=player_embedded

[Hassin Bin Sober]

22. So when one of these assholes gets shot in the face by some whacked out end-timer....

..... during a routine traffic stop I suppose we will have to feel sorry for them.

Nothing like whipping up the wing-nuts in to a frenzy to make your own job easier.

[exboyfil]

10. The Akron Sheriff plans to keep doing it

http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=22323

Barry added more simulated arrests are set to take place in the next few weeks.

[cui bono]

13. What happened to separation of church and state?

Even if they are doing this on their own time, isn't it wrong to be in uniform representing law enforcement while doing it?

[exboyfil]

21. YES YES YES

I just posted on my Facebook. They cannot use the trappings of authority to advocate for a religion. I often wonder if it is even appropriate that they wear their uniforms when engaged in private security. I know we probably get away with paying our officers less by allowing them to do private security, but my company for example has a policy against moonlighting. You can see potential conflicts of interest arising from private security not to mention acting as an agent of the employer while being in the uniform which represents the police department.

[JHB]

11. I remember Pat Robertson pulling this stunt on his 700 Club...

...with "dramatizations" of secular humanists rounding up poor, persecuted "Christians", presumably to haul them off to gulags.

[MrScorpio]

12. Sounds like these people was started their very own Ministry of Propaganda nt

Goebbels would be proud.

[liberalmuse]

15. Most of the Christians I've met...

aren't exactly the type I'd picture in Jesus' posse. And this is why I steer clear of them. They have no clue that they are the most obnoxious people some of us will ever encounter.

[MisterP]

16. careful now...

[tea and oranges]

17. Oh For Eff's Sake

Why don't they go tend to the poor instead of exuding lies, BS, & propaganda out of every known orifice?

[AtheistCrusader]

18. Well. That figures.

[hedgehog]

20. It's a popular fantasy among Right Wing Christians that some day they'll be living on the run

under persecution. I check out one web site which has serious discussions about how to locate a priest once the Church is suppressed, and what kind of guns Christians should be buying now to prepare. (Somehow te cognitive dissonance of martyrs carrying guns to defend themselves isn't recognized.)

Now - there are many areas across the word where religion is a marker for ethnic identity, and ethnic conflicts are presented as religious conflicts. You better believe that the Right Wingers take note of every incident involving Moslems attacking Christians. They even make up incidents and pass them around. This is proof that Christan's are facing prosecution overseas and will soon see persecution here. Somehow, they never notice the incidents of Christan's attacking Moslems, or Buddhists attacking Hindus, etc.

[ohheckyeah]

23. One of the YouTube videos has been

removed, another remains with the comments turned off. I reported it to YouTube as a fake/scam.

What a bunch of crap.

[Iggo]

27. Something something bear false witness something.

[FiveGoodMen]

31. The motto of these christians

Verbatim.

[madaboutharry]

28. This stunt should cost Summit County Sheriff Steve Barry his job.

What a jackass.

[Feral Child]

30. "they are more likely to be shot by fellow conservatives"

I'd say they're most likely to be shot by an enraged parent that discovers their child-molestations.