A Georgia man is threatening to sue the city of Ringgold after he claims his constitutional rights were violated by police last Friday night, when officials asked him to stop bothering strangers’ children about his beliefs in the Christian deity figure Jesus Christ.
Cleveland, GA resident Daryl Banther and his 8-year-old son were reportedly handing out religious pamphlets and questionnaires at an annual celebration in Ringgold when he was confronted by the city manager and chief of police, who interrupted his proselytizing because a parent filed a police report about a strange man in the parking lot approaching children.
He left after repeated requests and was not arrested, but Banther vowed to return the next day. He then contacted the media and informed a reporter for WTVC-TV that he did just as promised, returning on Saturday night to find that he was not hassled at all.
Appearing on camera, he claimed that Christians no longer have any rights in America, then seemed aghast that an atheist could possibly file a lawsuit to force government officials to stop showing a preference for a religion.
“They were all harassing me because I have a constitutional right to do what I was doing,” Banther insisted. “If I’m anything else, I have rights,” he said. “…But as a Christian, we have rights no more. They’re taking all the Christian rights away and I’m going to stand for what’s right this time.”
Apparently "standing for what's right" did NOT include following the guidelines in place for the event.
The city told the station in a prepared statement that the event, the 1890s Day Jamboree, has “established procedures” for participation, like getting approval to put on any kind of exhibit. “Those exhibiting must have prior approval, and have a booth to operate the activity they are conducting,” the statement explained.
So it wasn't that he was handing out information that was the problem, the problem was he was that he had not bothered to get approval or sign up for a booth, like every other participant had done.
But wait, it gets better!
Despite the man’s insistence that America has taken all the rights away from Christians, the city-sponsored event last Friday evening was a southern gospel music festival, featuring The Heritage Quartet among others.
Yes this poor guy had his Christian beliefs attacked at a Christian music festival, containing booths that offered Christian materials and pamphlets by individuals who could follow the rules. The poor bastard!
This idea that Christians are losing their rights or being persecuted in this country is so ridiculous that you almost cannot believe that anybody really thinks it to be true. But these people are told repeatedly that the forces of darkness are arrayed against them and ANY time they are restricted from an activity they immediately believe THEY, or their religion, are under attack.
You know there's a reason they call it a "persecution complex."
