A federal judge issued an order Tuesday that will permit a Christian ministry to hand out literature and speak about religious viewpoints at a public event in St. Louis. The court order, requested by the Alliance Defense Fund, restrains city officials from enforcing a policy they used two years earlier to silence the same group.
"Christian groups shouldn't be penalized for expressing their beliefs," said ADF-allied attorney Rick Nelson. "Being threatened with arrest simply for expressing a religious viewpoint is something we'd expect in other nations, but not in the United States. We are encouraged that the court is allowing our client to exercise their First Amendment rights while this case moves forward in court."
In June 2006, members of Apple of His Eye were threatened with arrest by St. Louis officials for handing out Christian literature and speaking about their faith at Tower Grove Park's "PrideFest," which celebrates homosexuality. In April 2008, Nelson filed a lawsuit and a motion for a preliminary injunction against the city of St. Louis.
