2 Pastors arrested in Norway for talking about Jesus
Pastor Dale Morgan
2 Pastors arrested in Norway for talking about Jesus*
Trial scheduled after 'violations' during freedom celebration
Posted: May 22, 2008
Two preachers, including an American who specializes in delivering the
message of the Gospel in public places, have been arrested and face a
July trial for carrying a sign telling people about Jesus at a freedom
celebration in Norway.
Larry Keffer, who works through the Biblical Research Center in Tampa,
Fla., was accompanied by Norwegian evangelist Petar Keseljevic when both
were arrested for sharing the Gospel along a parade route in Oslo,
Norway, according to officials with the International Human Rights Group.
Spokesman Joel Thornton of the IHRG, which is working with a team of
Norwegian lawyers to represent the ministers, told us that the event
last week was the nation's birthday holiday.
"Larry and Petar were standing in pedestrian areas behind the crowds
gathering for the celebration holding an evangelical sign and sharing
the Gospel with those who were gathered for the parade," the IHRG said.
"Police asked them to move away from the palace of the king and take
their message anywhere else along the route. They moved and were then
approached by other police officers. Larry was never told that he would
be arrested if he did not leave. One of the officers talked with Petar
in Norwegian for a few minutes and then arrested them both," the IHRG said.
"The two men were not even preaching. Petar was holding a sign on a tall
post and both men were conversing with the crowd. They were not using a
bullhorn and their message was one of the need to be born again,"
Thornton said.
The sign read: "Only Jesus can save you from hell, read the Bible for
the details."
"Several people cursed them and one person cursed America since one of
the men was American," he said.
Thornton said the IHRG is working with a team of Norwegian lawyers to
try to resolve the case against the two ministers.
Keffer said that the situation developed because police treated the
preachers as if the nation didn't recognize individual speech rights. He
noted that a critic attacked Keseljevic while police were watching, and
officers did nothing.
He also noted that his taping caught what appears to be a man stealing
something from a parade fan, (at about 5:19 on the second video) but
police were concentrating too much on stifling the Gospel message to see it.
"It's ironic," he said. "Here's Norway celebrating a day of freedom and
independence and the cops walk right by a true criminal. They can't see
him."
Thornton said if needed, the case will be taken to the European Court of
Human Rights to protect "the right of Christians to non-disruptively
share their faith in public in Europe."
He said both Norwegian and European laws support the rights of
individuals to share their faith in public.
Keseljevic said the arrests support the argument that the "last days"
have come upon the Christian church.
"If people really understand what it costs to preach the Gospel, you'll
understand the times we are in," he said.