UK's Creeping Apostasy: How Authorities Are Turning the Bible into "Hate Speech" and Why Islam Gets a Free Pass, By Richard Miller (Londonistan)
Picture this: A humble pastor, fresh off ditching his worldly possessions to live in a campervan and serve the homeless, gets a friendly tap on the shoulder at a Burnley petrol station. The cop's words? "A bit of advice – the writing could be seen as hate speech in the wrong context." The "writing"? John 3:16 – that timeless beacon of hope: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." No threats, no slurs – just the Gospel's core message of redemption. Yet, in 2025 Britain, it's flagged as potential "hate."
Mick Fleming, 59, isn't some firebrand extremist. A former drug runner turned anti-poverty crusader, he's rubbed shoulders with Prince William and Kate, earning nods from the royals for his Burnley outreach. Now, parked at a pump, he's warned: Report this, and police investigate. Trouble could follow. Fleming's stunned YouTube plea – "Where have we moved to as a country?" – has gone viral, sparking outrage from X users decrying a "Gestapo" police force targeting Christian patriots while ignoring daily fireworks and "death chants" from other quarters.
This isn't isolated. It's the latest salvo in a chilling UK trend: Authorities increasingly viewing Christianity as a threat, while bending over backward for Islam. From silent prayers outside abortion clinics to street preachers yanked for "anxiety," the Bible's bearers face scrutiny that feels like outright persecution. Flip the script – an Islamic verse on that van? Cops might've snapped a selfie. Welcome to two-tier tolerance, where "hate speech" laws shield one faith and shackle another.
The John 3:16 "Incident": A Microcosm of Christian Erasure
Fleming's encounter on October 27 wasn't hostile, the officer was "really nice," offering a "heads up." But the implication? In our hyper-sensitive era, that verse's exclusivity – belief in Christ or perish – could "stir hatred" under the Public Order Act 1986, which criminalises speech inciting hostility based on religion or orientation. Fleming, founder of Church on the Street Ministries, sees it as societal rejection: "Maybe society is moving to a place where they don't want faith-based people sat around a table."
He's not alone. In June 2025, Met Police halted Christian preachers outside King's Cross, deeming John 3:16 "wrong" amid complaints of "anxiety." February 2024: Officers in Uxbridge threatened arrests over alleged "homophobic" Bible quotes – later debunked as a response to a false report. And don't forget the 2025 arrest of a Christian teen at Speaker's Corner for debating Islam peacefully – hauled off for "breach of the peace" while his Muslim interlocutor walked free.
These aren't just rogue cops; they're symptoms of a system where "hate incidents" – non-crimes logged forever – disproportionately tag Christians. The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC) ranks the UK among Europe's most hostile to believers, with 702 anti-Christian hate crimes in England and Wales (April 2023-March 2024) – up 15%. Vandalism, arson, assaults: Churches hit 9,648 times from 2022-2024, averaging eight crimes daily. Yet, authorities downplay it as "social hostility" or bias indifference.
The Double Standard: Bibles Banned, But Islamic Displays? High Fives All Around
Now, the hypocrisy that boils the blood: If Fleming's van sported Surah Al-Baqarah – "Islam is the religion of truth" – would Lancashire Police applaud diversity? History screams yes.
Contrast: June 2025, Tower Bridge hosts the adhan (Islamic call to prayer) broadcast – pre-approved, no fuss. A Christian preacher's mic? Yanked in Brighton for "causing anxiety." Muslim patrols in East London (2013-14)non-Sharia adherents – condemned by mosques, but sparked "Christian patrols" in retaliation, which drew far more heat. Britain First's "armoured" response? Labelled extremist; the original? "Utterly unacceptable," but no mass arrests.
Fast-forward: Post-2024 riots, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper pumps millions into mosque security – "important places of worship" – while church arsons simmer unchecked. 40% of mosque attacks now flaunt Union Jacks and "Christian nationalist" slogans, per the British Muslim Trust – yet anti-Christian crimes? Crickets. A dropped Quran in a school? "Non-crime hate incident," as if blasphemy laws rule. Dropped Bible? Laughter.
X erupts: "UK's anti-Christian bias and favouritism toward Islam," blasts one user, citing Met apologies for overreach, but only after the damage. Another: Reform UK's suspension of a candidate for calling Islam "false," while imams preaching supremacy skate free. Evangelist Hatun Tash, arrested for a Quran and Charlie Hebdo tee, wins damages, but only after wrongful detention. Ian Sleeper's "Ban Islam" placard? High Court loss, deemed "abusive" post-terror.
This isn't equality; it's capitulation. As Frank Haviland notes, police "surrender" to Islam's street takeovers – pro-Hamas chants, fireworks – while Christians whispering prayers face cuffs. Why? Fear of "Islamophobia" labels, per experts like James Holt: Laws don't distinguish faiths, but enforcement does.
Broader Assault: From Schools to Tribunals, Christianity on the Ropes
Zoom out: 2024-25 saw church leaders warn PM Starmer's "conversion therapy" ban could morph into an "anti-Christian charter," jailing parents and pastors for biblical views on sexuality. Tribunals oust lay members for "anti-Christian" social media, delaying appeals for sacked chaplains like Bernard Randall. Street preaching? Nearly banned in one council till Christians pushed back.
A Vision poll: Over half of 1,562 Christians faced ridicule for faith-sharing; 75% say discrimination's dismissed. US State Dept notes 8,241 religious hate crimes (2023-24), with Christians targeted alongside Jews, but Muslims top at 44%. Globally, UK frets Christian persecution abroad (Iran: 139 arrests; Nigeria: 4,100 deaths). At home? "Marginalisation."
Secularism's the culprit, per OIDAC: Graffiti, arson, assaults rise, but "zero tolerance" lags for Christians. Even fostering: Denied to Christian couples over gay views.
The Stakes: A Nation's Soul at Risk
Fleming's van isn't just vinyl – it's a litmus test. In a UK where Islam grows 44% (2011-21), hitting 17% by 2050, Christianity's sidelined. Authorities, chasing "inclusion," foster exclusion, for the faithful who built the nation.
Reform? Statutory FoRB envoy, per Open Doors. But X rages: "England now has a blasphemy law" – for Qurans, not Bibles. Christians, rise: Your verse isn't hate; it's hope. Demand equal scales!
Fleming's right – real change starts here before John 3:16 joins the scrap heap in the UK.
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