I'm so relieved.

When a Christian trained by the Inquisition hears the command "fire," he grabs a burning torch and lights the fagots* underneath a stake with a religious dissenter tied to it.

[font size="1"]*In this context, let's make it clear that a fagot, spelled with one g, is a bundle of dry sticks used for fuel.
[/font]

Forgive me for being skeptical, but I'm having a hard time believing this story.

Dude handed her a flyer from his church.

And I really doubt the ACLU would start a lawsuit in federal court over it unless they were damn sure it had happened. Note also that the highway patrol hasn't denied it. And, here's a link to the complaint. http://www.wlwt.com/blob/view/-/28966924/data/1/-/6bds09/-/ISP-trooper-lawsuit.pdf

Sounds pretty real to me.

I will be interested to see if the trooper admits this actually happened. I realize the highway patrol hasn't denied it, but it doesn't seem that they've confirmed it either.

It's not only a plausible and reasonable event, considering the location, it's quite likely that it did.

They'll set up traffic stops to ask who is, or isn't, born again.

"Policing for Jesus." Go to the story at the OP link, which includes a link to the pamphlet the cop gave her.

This is from another site:
http://www.alan.com/2014/10/06/lawsuit-cop-preaches-christianity-during-traffic-stop-hands-woman-policing-for-jesus-ministries-pamphlet/

It's so bizarre that I have trouble believing it. I would like to hear what the trooper has to say.

and risk a countersuit if they didn't have good reasons for believing her story.

a statement to the effect of "trooper admits he did this" or "trooper doesn't deny." Then again, I would also think the trooper and the highway patrol would have gone out of the way to deny this if it weren't true.

Admitting guilt in the outset could increase the settlement amount. Not admitting it might get you a better deal.

Not to mention, if he admitted it he might get fired or suspended. (That may have happened, I admit to not having read everything.)

on the IndyStar story. It might change your opinion. We are talking barking at the moon crazy on some of the comments. I am sure these would be the first to go high order if the officer said, "Allah be praised" as part of the conversation.

I wonder if those have been anybody's last words yet.

literature regarding a radio show put out by a police officer (Trooper Dan Jones).

Does that change your skepticism. The argument seems to be whether he gives up his right to proselytize while conducting his official duties which to any sane person the answer should be Yes, but we are talking about Indiana here.

I can't imagine anyone could argue otherwise. I kind of hope the RWNJs walk down that plank.

And I don't find it hard to believe at all.

Secondly,

I'd have told the dickweed "First Church of Satan" just to see the response.

Given what is going on I think she did the only correct thing. If he has been shown to have done this, I hope he is fired and she wins her lawsuit. I cannot imagine a much more coercive setting to proselytize.

And I'd contest it in front of a judge, recounting every word the kkkop said.

then I remembered that cops can kill you without any repercussions for any reason they see fit.

Half of them have no idea what the word means.

...is to look him in the eye, nod slowly, and say with GREAT and SOLEMN significance.

"Oh, yes, I have, for quite some time now. And He told me, just this morning, that I'd have an encounter with a State Trooper today, and I should warn that Trooper that if he doesn't stop taking the name of the Lord in vain, he's GOING TO HELL."

....pause....

"You're the only Trooper I've met today, Sir."

Nod solemnly.

Never once crack a smile during this. Look very serious and a little intense.

Of course, it won't work if you have a Metallica bumpersticker or anything like that...

Anyway, I hope she gets one helluva settlement and donates it to the Freedom From Religion foundation.

amusedly,

Bright

I love your posts.

May I give you a hug?



You deserve all the hugs you can take.

No we're not.

We don't do crap like this, but this crap happens to atheists frequently.

With a damned x-tian fish on their car if they understood and accepted the scientific reality of Darwin's Theory of Evolution of Species by Natural Selection??

They would be mad as all git (and they would be probably right to be so) and that would be the headline on every nightly news broadcast in the country, you can bet your ass.

and all the Republican candidates would work their outrage into their stump speech.

An armed representative of the state has asked me whether or not I am saved...I will say whatever puts distance between me and his gun. The hard part is, you really don't know what the right answer is, or what the consequences of a wrong answer might be. Best bet, pretend to read the brochure and mouth the words as you go. Then say, "I'm with you fellers."

One stopped me here last year and asked me if I was a Christian.
I gave him a Constitutional lesson. Poor fellow was apologetic by the time I was finished with him.

when they take a job with a branch of our government.

It isn't a secular conspiracy to keep them from telling others about Christ. It's simply a matter of respect for others, especially the taxpayers of varying beliefs who pay their salaries.

There was a sign on the road into town that said,

"God, guns, and guts made America great. Let's keep all three."

Pretty country in southern Indiana, though.

told him I would keep the speed down (if that's what the stop was for), and asked "am I free to go?"

Since the conversation was no longer about driving, the woman was free to go. She should told the officer that she would safely return to traffic and wish him a good day.

when a man with a gun isn't standing outside your car.

I have been stopped a few times over the years, four times for speeding (three tickets), a busted tail light, a burned out headlight, etc. I just sit there with my hands on the wheel and answer the LEO's questions. I always have given them respect and have received the same in return.

It does appear this trooper went iver the line and got too personal. He should habe made it clear the traffic stop was finished and he was representing his own views when he brought up religeon and the radio program.

(I may have been intimidated if he had his hand on his holstered weapon after I handed him my DL.

America has become what we used to laugh at .

I have absolutely no fear of alien intruders. No one would ever be that stupid.

It's difficult to comprehend what's this country has become.

wouldn't serve food for a (hypothetical) gay wedding because of their Christian beliefs? It was a small, slow restaurant in a small town, reporters found the place and the owners, then the story came out in the news. Much business and public backlash yet owners were gifted a lot of $ online. Must be very, very religious there, and many other places...
I've been a federal govt. and city govt. employee, pls. forgive my ignorance but this is bizarre.

At least some of them do.

Remember this story! Get to the polls and vote out these republicans.

" I'm a Catholic whore, currently enjoying congress out of wedlock with my black Jewish boyfriend who works at a military abortion clinic. So, hail Satan, and have a lovely afternoon, madam. "

Here in the Bible Belt we get this kind of thing a lot.

I was eating breakfast one morning and a guy just walked up and sat down with the man eating behind me and started one of these raps.

I think it's the Evangelicals who are into this stuff. It's way more than annoying and it's incredibly rude.

But for law enforcement officer to pull this shit is just do far out of line he should lose his job. It shows horrible judgment.

establishing God's kingdom on earth?

...or as a private citizen?"

Regardless of how the trooper answers her question, her response is "It's none of your business".