Oh dear lord, Westboro have spawned in Adelaide...

[Panacea]

Time for an update to kick off the New Year (my time )

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/s...-1226233997664

Short version: now they're moving onto the trains. And this can only get better, since one of those trains is a line I catch on a semi-regular basis (when I want to go into the city since the carparking fees are ATROCIOUS). This guy is really crying poor....he basically WANTS to be fined, so he can challenge the law in court. I'm tempted to start rocking up outside their church building holding up signs that say "There is no God" and "these people are not a religion, they are a cult!" Since after all, I'm merely utilising my right to freedom of speech that they worked so hard to enforce

Send pictures if you do, would like to see

I love what one of the preachers had to say:

Mr Corneloup denied preachers were hassling commuters and claimed their methods aboard trains were conducted in a "more gentlemanly" way than the Rundle Mall gatherings.

"It is a really good environment for preaching," Mr Corneloup said. "You have got a captive audience and it is much easier to get your message across. You are able to preach in a lower voice."

On the one hand, he admits to keeping a "captive" audience (which is true, they can't get away from him if they want to catch the train they paid for), yet denies he is harassing commuters?

I call BS on that one.

I'm not sure how that would play in the US. They'd probably get away with it here, I think the courts have pretty much ruled street preaching OK unless it creates a public disturbance, and even then it has to be pretty extreme.

[Rapscallion]

Not sure it would fly in the US. The US effectively says that public areas are fine, but who owns the trains? If it's a private corporation running them, then it would be up to them.

Rapscallion

[fireheart17]

Not sure it would fly in the US. The US effectively says that public areas are fine, but who owns the trains? If it's a private corporation running them, then it would be up to them.

Rapscallion

In Ausland, the ruling is generally "Don't be a dick" meaning that you CAN preach in public areas, but you can't be a nuisance about it (the ruling protects buskers and people who hand out religious pamphlets).

As for the question regarding trains and buses, they're contracted out to a company. In my state at least, there's 2-3 companies that DRIVE and maintain the fleet, but the ticketing system is another company altogether. TransAdelaide (I think) maintains the trains and tram, while Southlink and Transfield maintain the bus routes. Adelaide Metro handles all the ticketing stuff.

So to sum up, it's the responsibility of TransAdelaide to handle these idiots. And given that they are starting to crack down on fare evaders, there will be a LOT more security on the trains.

ETA: Given the comment regarding "paid for a train trip", it is in all honesty REALLY easy to fare evade if your train does not have an inspector on it. The ONLY train station around that requires you to insert a ticket is the Adelaide station, while all the other stations aren't enforced as such. So if you were going along the Tonsley Line (one of the VERY rarely-used lines these days), if you got on before Tonsley and then got off at the Tonsley station, you basically just received a free pass.

[fireheart17]

So more of an update: they've started canvassing other wholesome fun places. Including two beach towns. >.>

And the event that would have resulted most likely in their deaths:


http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/dont-c...-1226238926537

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/s...-1226239247166

Both these articles sum up the Blessing Of The Waters, which occurs on 6th January each year. Not being Greek Orthodox, I don't fully understand what picking up the wooden cross means, but it was rumoured that the preachers were going to attend.

They didn't. I guess it was a good thing: you do NOT want to piss off a bunch of Greek Orthodox men wrestling for a wooden cross about the size of one's head.

[Nyoibo]

They broke the cross this year.

[fireheart17]

They broke the cross this year.

Glenelg yes, Henley Beach no. The preachers didn't attend either event strangely enough. O.o

Although I should add that the preachers MOTHER started trying to message us on the group I'm part of (the open one, the other one I'm part of is a closed group). Her comments went along the lines of "Don't believe the media" (I asked her why she didn't sue for defamation, she quoted with a Bible verse), "I'll be praying for you" (she was promptly shot down and she deleted her own comment)....etc.

From what we did learn though, their ENTIRE belief system is backed up purely on New Testament beliefs.

[Nyoibo]

From what we did learn though, their ENTIRE belief system is backed up purely on New Testament beliefs.

That I didn't know, I've seen a few of her posts, she basically just cut and pastes passages from the bible to respond to anything.

[fireheart17]

That I didn't know, I've seen a few of her posts, she basically just cut and pastes passages from the bible to respond to anything.

Except that when I've argued about Old Testament passages she marks them as irrelevant.

And the reason for my latest post:

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/street...-1226250753041

Now they're crying poor and saying that Adelaide City Council "defamed" them.

I get the feeling that the last time they won a suit, they received some money and their "church" was surviving on that. Now they're down to nothing.

[fireheart17]

This one's a new one and it's not in the news but...

according to them, yoga is the tool of the devil. Why? Because people get "possessed" during a yoga class. I can't wait to see them storming a yoga class at the local gym. Them vs. 30 very flexible men and women.

[Beckpatton]

Fireheart, I can't find the preachers FB group! I must go there and tell them to die in a ditch!

Am also wondering what groups you are in, the only ones I found when I searched had less then 1000 people in them. Most were between 200-800 people. I was of the understanding that there were much larger groups on FB protesting these hateful morons!

If you could PM some links to me I would appreciate it!

Can't believe how they aren't just locked up for disturbing the peace! They don't have permits to hold their sermons in public, and they are going well above normal "street preaching". Thankfully they've brought in the new laws to give on the spot fines for the preaching with amplification, should bring the shopkeepers some small relief!

[fireheart17]

Can't believe how they aren't just locked up for disturbing the peace! They don't have permits to hold their sermons in public, and they are going well above normal "street preaching". Thankfully they've brought in the new laws to give on the spot fines for the preaching with amplification, should bring the shopkeepers some small relief!

For the record, if they get a bit too overexcited and start attacking people, then they can be held liable. One incident that sticks out from memory was that one of the preachers stole some buskers drumsticks. They also ripped down someone's sign. So yeah....needless to say, they've been locked up a few times.

And a slightly new development on that front: one of the folks on one of the groups mentioned that they'd threatened her with pepper spray. She also said that they'd threatened legal action. Funnily enough, their lawyer makes several easy spelling and grammar mistakes and can't be found on the lawyers database.

(pepper spray is ILLEGAL down here)

[fireheart17]

Finally, I have another update:

High Court hears a ban

The High Court of Australia are seriously considering hearing an appeal about said bylaw to ban the preachers from the mall area.

On top of that, in an ironic twist, one of the members of the group is actually suing one of the councillors for defamation. The claim? Apparently the group are preaching a "vicious hate-filled message" according to this particular councillor. That is going to go nowhere...given that the protest group formed out of their OWN ranks and not on behalf of the Adelaide City Council, I suspect that HE thinks there's a link between the Adelaide City Council and the protesters.

[fireheart17]

And yet another update:

Pentecostal Vs. Stupidity

My only question is: How much would you pay to see those two go in a boxing ring?!

[fireheart17]

And they're off in the High Court Now.

I think I want to throw up.

[draco664]

And they're off in the High Court Now.

I think I want to throw up.

This case has the potential to make "freedom of speech" a proper, documented right. It goes beyond the petty street preaching that spawned it.

Of course, if the court finds in their favour, there's nothing stopping anyone from putting a soapbox next to an obnoxious street preacher and loudly pointing out all their distortions, hypocrisy and idiocy.