Written by Pastor John Sherwood, the Christian street preacher arrested last year in West London for alleged homophobic hate speech, has been cleared in Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court. His colleague Peter Simpson confirmed his acquittal on April 7 to the Conservative Woman website. Mr Sherwood’s defence centred on his freedom “to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority” as set out in Article 10 of the 1998 Human Rights Act, Mr Simpson said. On April 23 2021 Metropolitan police officers arrested the pastor near Uxbridge tube station. He had been preaching on Genesis 1:27 and said that the family unit as ordained by God consisted of a father and a mother, not two fathers or two mothers. Some passers-by complained to the police that he was using homophobic hate speech.
The pastor, then 71, was arrested, held overnight at a police station and in September was charged under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, which outlaws “threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress”. The nature of Mr Sherwood’s arrest, which was captured on video, was condemned as “brutal” by campaign group Christian Concern. At the trial almost a year later, “the public gallery was full with Christians showing their support for a man of God who is willing to stand up for the truths of Scripture,” Mr Simpson reported. Pastor Sherwood defied the convention in English courts since the Covid outbreak of defendants and witnesses not holding a holy book but instead reading out from a card the affirmation that they will speak the truth. He insisted on bringing his own Bible and the presiding judge allowed him to swear on that. “How appropriate to swear on the book which would form the basis of his defence,” Mr Simpson said.
Source: Christian street preacher cleared of hate speech charges | ChristianToday Australia
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
Matthew 17:5
Man eyed Minnesota’s Mall of America for attack, pledging allegiance to ISIS, federal prosecutors say
An 18-year-old man accused of telling an FBI informant he planned to carry out an attack later this month at Mall of America was arrested at gunpoint Tuesday in Richfield, Minnesota,…
Keep reading
US Bases Get New Shield: Pentagon Picks 4 Directed-Energy Weapons For Anti-Drone Pilot
The US military is moving directed-energy weapons from demonstrations towards operational testing at American bases, selecting four systems for a new homeland counter-drone pilot. The Pentagon said the weapons chosen are…
Keep reading
Social media captures Southern California squirrels “splooting” in midst of sweltering heat wave
With sweltering heat still lingering over Southern California, many social media users have started capturing an adorable phenomenon sweeping across the region’s squirrel population — splooting. Splooting, also called pancaking, is…
Keep reading
Israel marks three years since October 7 attack with memorials and protests
Three years to the minute after the start of the deadliest single day in Israel’s history, the country marked the somber occasion with a series of ceremonies, memorials and protests at…
Keep reading
Russian plague scare — what we know so far
Russian authorities have sought to allay global worries over the death of a young woman who worked at a Siberian anti-plague laboratory. But moves to isolate her contacts and introduce new…
Keep reading
Kemp expands fuel relief for Georgia farmers and truckers
Georgia is giving truckers and farmers more time and flexibility as high fuel costs continue to strain their budgets. Gov. Brian Kemp has extended the state’s motor fuel tax suspension through…
Keep reading
Twin baby girls separated in NICUs at 2 Boston hospitals. Parents pleading to get them back together.
Premature twin baby girls are separated, hospitalized in two different neonatal intensive care units in Boston. The parents, from Canton, Massachusetts, say they know the babies are getting the vital care…
Keep reading
Understanding God’s Love: Truth and Protection
Real love protects the innocent, refusing to ignore harm, standing for truth, and courageously defending the innocent from anything that would celebrate wrongdoing or threaten their God-given dignity and safety. “Love…
Keep reading
Protecting Faith: The Church’s Responsibility
What if the way you live today could either strengthen someone’s faith, or quietly destroy it? But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it…
Keep reading
FBI arrests alleged Chinese agent at LAX after she allegedly surveilled son of Taiwanese president
The FBI arrested a suspected Chinese agent at Los Angeles International Airport after she allegedly surveilled the Taiwanese president’s U.S.-based son, law enforcement sources told CBS News. Wanying “Heather” Zhang, an…
Keep reading
Courage and Strength: God Is With You Always
When life feels like you’re walking into the battle alone, remember this: you never take a single step without God beside you, His strength goes before you, His presence walks with…
Keep reading
Faithful to the Gospel When the World Wants You to Change It
Not every message that sounds Christian is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the world pressures us to change God’s truth to make it more acceptable, we must remember that faithfulness…
Keep reading
Skateboarder ends 1,200-mile journey
Skyler King has completed his 1,200-mile journey from Oxford to New York City on a skateboard. He left Oxford on Aug. 1 and arrived in NYC on Sept. 12. King made…
Keep reading
Baby rhino and baby zebra raised together after losing their moms
Since 1977, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has led one of the biggest rescue and rehabilitation wildlife operations in East Africa. Although they specialize in elephant care, their sanctuaries are home to…
Keep reading
Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar Recovers, Neighbour Highlights Family’s Strength
‘She Was Calm’: Neighbour Shares How flydubai Pilot’s Wife Reacted To CrisisWhile Captain Smit Machchhar recovers from the attack, his wife’s calm response to neighbours’ messages has highlighted the strength of…
Keep reading
Slow to Speak: The Secret to Wise Reactions
Talk less, listen more, because wisdom speaks after it understands, not before. If you want stronger relationships and real influence, master this: control your tongue, calm your anger, and lead with…
Keep reading
Christian Persecution September 25-October 2 2026
Recent reporting (roughly September 25–October 2, 2026) on Christian persecution centers on continued lethal violence in Nigeria, house-church detentions in China, and related pressures elsewhere. Nigeria Attacks attributed to Fulani militants…
Keep reading
California bans child marriage, a practice still legal in 32 US states
California has officially banned child marriage, with Governor Gavin Newsom signing legislation to end the practice that is still legal in 32 US states. The new law, which will come into…
Keep reading
DPS arrests man for threatening ‘violent attack’ on Texas Capitol
The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested a Bexar County man Wednesday in connection with the threat of a “violent attack” on the Texas Capitol. He has since been charged federally…
Keep reading
Standing Strong in Christ: Praying the Armor of God Each Day
You are in a spiritual battle, whether you recognize it or not. God has not left you defenseless, He has given you everything you need to stand firm. “Finally, be strong…
Keep reading
SpaceX launches Starship on giant rocket’s first flight to orbit
SpaceX launched the company’s Super Heavy-Starship on its first flight to orbit Monday — an abbreviated three-hour mission that marked a major step toward perfecting the world’s most powerful rocket for…
Keep reading
Roman Space Telescope, NASA’s next “great observatory,” launches into space
Using a donated Hubble-class mirror originally built for a spy satellite, NASA’s Roman Space Telescope launched Sunday on a $4.3 billion mission to open a new window on the universe, taking…
Keep reading
Christians Came Together to Help Defeat UK’s Assisted Dying Bill
When Alicia Edmund heard the Parliament vote count for the UK’s assisted dying bill last week—286 noes to 270 ayes—her immediate reaction was shock. The bill had been defeated. As…
Keep reading
U.S. confirms for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space. China and Russia have responded.
The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, prompting separate warnings from China and Russia. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told the Air…
Keep reading
NASA plans unpiloted Starliner test flight after astronauts got stuck at space station in 2024
NASA is working with Boeing to launch an unpiloted Starliner capsule in the December-to-January time frame to test upgrades and improvements ordered in the wake of a 2024 mission that suffered…
Keep reading
Trump and Rubio question U.K. handling of possible plot against air base after 5 men released on bail
President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have criticized British counterterror police’s handling of a possible plot targeting a U.K. air base used by U.S. forces, with Rubio calling it…
Keep reading
FlyDubai flight to Israel makes emergency landing, passenger says “co-pilot tried to murder the pilot” and crash jet
A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent attempt by one of the pilots to seize control…
Keep reading
Trusting God Amid Life’s Storms
Storms often reveal what we truly believe about God’s presence and power. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:40…
Keep reading
North Texas man finds more than $128,000 on top of a bank’s ATM; and returns every dollar
A routine trip to a Lewisville ATM could have changed one man’s financial life a bit. Instead, it revealed something rich about his character. Lewisville police say a 37-year-old man found…
Keep reading
For God so Loved the World
“God loved you enough to send His Son, Jesus loved you enough to give His life, and through faith, you are offered a hope this world can never take away.” “For God…
Keep readingSomething went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Discover more from Drink of Jesus
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.