The above headline is true, but there's one more detail. The defendants were reading the Scripture passages while surrounded by a brigade of angry "Pink Angels" activists at Philadelphia's annual gay-pride event, Outfest.

The confrontation was captured on videotape, and it may be seen on the Web site of the protesters' organization, Repent America or on the site of the American Family Association legal divsion that's representing them. [I can't see the video on my Mac, and would be grateful for your description of it in the comments below.] Originally all 11 protesters were charged, but WorldNetDaily reports that charges were dropped against six "apparently because they were not seen quoting Scripture on the videotape."

Eight charges were filed against the five defendants: criminal conspiracy, possession of instruments of crime, reckless endangerment of another person, ethnic intimidation, riot, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct and obstructing highways. WorldNetDaily reports that "the ethnic intimidation charge stems from Pennsylvania's 'hate crimes' law—to which the newest 'victim' category of 'sexual orientation' was recently added."

None of the Pink Angels were cited or arrested.

It is hard to conceive of something like this happening in America, where five people could be charged with felonies carrying prison sentences of up to 47 years for each defendant, when all they did was walk into an angry mob with a bullhorn, shout Bible passages, sing hymns, and warn homosexuals that they were at risk of going to hell. No violence actually came about because of their protest.

A look at the Repent America Web site suggests that while the group takes a hard-line biblical view of homosexuality, its mission is to encourage repentance—not, as with Fred Phelps' odious "God Hates F-gs" group, to spur hatred.

But then, what if those protesters were Phelps's group, and they were doing the same nonviolent actions as Repent America—just shouting Bible passages, singing hymns, and preaching to an angry crowd? Or what if it were the March for Life and a Planned Parenthood crew broke in, nonviolently reading from the Book of Moloch and shouting anti-Catholic slogans?

Does anyone in America deserve to face a possible forty-seven years in jail just for exercising free speech in the wrong place?

The Repent America Web site includes contact information for the Justice Department, which the organization's lawyers are trying to get involved in the case. But it's not going to be easy: WorldNetDaily reports that homosexual Justice Department attorneys participating in Outfest advised the policemen who arrested the protesters.

I believe that many Christian groups are afraid to involve themselves in this case because the defendants are not a nice cuddly bunch of "tolerant" people. But they'd better get involved soon, because this is it. This is the test case for the self-appointed "Tolerance Teachers", to prove that they can put Americans away for the rest of their lives—just for preaching God's Word where people don't want to hear it.