Christian Voice to infiltrate “blasphemous” poetry events
The readings are invitation-only, but Stephen Green (the national director of failed fundamentalist lobby group Stephen Green’s Voice, aka Christian Voice) is encouraging supporters to get themselves invited – so that they can show how offended they are.
Thanks to Green’s successfully intimidating Waterstones into cancelling a reading in its Cardiff shop, Welsh poet Patrick Jones has been invited by Borders and by members of the Welsh Assembly to read his work.
Clearly not one to learn from his mistakes, Green is now set to provide still more publicity. In a mailshot to supporters, he writes:
We are holding a Christian witness outside Ty Hywel from 11.30am and we shall hold another outside Borders (The David Morgan Building, 14 The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1AH) at 7.30pm. Both events are ticket only, but there is scope to apply for tickets by email. I am known, but you are probably not!
For the Assembly event, email: Helen****e@wales.gov.uk Say how much you would like an invitaton to the event, but don’t say you wish to protest! For the Borders event, email Patrick Jones on janey****1@btinternet.com
Say whatever is needed to get alongside and get a ticket without bearing false witness. You cannot give a false name for either event as ID will be required.
So Onward, Christian soldiers, Stand up, stand up for Jesus! If you are successful in getting a ticket, let me know urgently, as this is a spiritual battle and tactics among those with tickets will need to be co-ordinated.
Yay. Christians making a spectacle of themselves. What better way to brighten up a poetry reading?
(Thanks to Sinister Dexter for the intelligence)
UPDATE: (10 Dec) Tory Assembly leader Nick Bourne tried to invoke the Religious Hatred Act of 2006 in order to prevent the reading. The act makes “threatening behaviour” on religious grounds unlawful.
His appeal was turned down for obvious reasons. (It’s a poetry reading).
“don’t say you wish to protest”. God these people must be thick.
So thick in fact that if you should e mail the green thing and tell him you’ve got an invite, he’ll probably spill his guts to you about part two of his cunning plan in his war against poetry.
Surely saying that you would really like to attend but not stating this is because you wish to protest is “bearing false witness”. A partial truth is still a lie.
I was interviewing Green and inadvertently made him aware of the Borders signing. I then had the pleasure of listening in on the phonecall between Green and the manager from Borders, which was quite entertaining to say the least.
Wonder how likely I am to get a ticket…
What exactly are these fuckups going to say/do if they do turn up? They don’t realise that the more they do in defence of their invisifriend, the more they make people aware of their stupidity.
Curious how easy it is to justify deception when lying to the ‘unsaved’, don’t you think? I must wonder if his concerns over bearing false witness are motivated more by potential penalties under British law than any strictures inherent in his particular cult.