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Post by eric on Oct 17, 2007 8:25:23 GMT -5
Please pray for Miles today as he is in court due to 'trespassing' on OCC campus. Pray that the charges are dropped and the admin will allow for 1st amendment free speech. This is huge because my campus group, BASIC, has been 'shut up' by admin and this case will hopefully overturn policies that will allow for our evangelism efforts to continue.
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Post by rebecca on Oct 17, 2007 8:51:55 GMT -5
prayed and praying!
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Post by joem on Oct 17, 2007 8:53:20 GMT -5
Praying.
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Post by openairforce on Oct 17, 2007 14:34:30 GMT -5
Praying... please keep us posted
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Post by Jesse Morrell on Oct 17, 2007 18:49:56 GMT -5
Praying. Let us know as soon as there is any word.
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oaora
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Post by oaora on Oct 18, 2007 13:25:50 GMT -5
Praying....
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Post by celebrity on Oct 18, 2007 17:06:53 GMT -5
According to your faith, it is done already.
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Post by Rhema Seeker (Guy) on Oct 18, 2007 19:12:20 GMT -5
What ever happens, if it goes Miles way or it goes the prosecuters way, I pray Jesus gets all the GLORY. For even in our sufferings, HE is GLORIFIED.
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Post by Jesse Morrell on Oct 18, 2007 20:09:37 GMT -5
So what is the update?
He went to court yesturday. How did that go?
They no doubt tried to offer him a plea bargain before going to court. What type of a plea bargain did they offer him? When I was arrested for trespassing on a campus, the plea bargain was like 60 days confinement.
Did Miles reject the plea bargain?
Did Miles plead innocent and did they give him a trial date?
Is he going to have a trial by jury or a trial by judge?
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Post by Miles Lewis on Oct 18, 2007 21:34:53 GMT -5
I didn't have an attorney. My lawyer friend from ADF told me to just plead not guilty and that they would give me another date to appear. That is exactly what happened. I hardly said a word. I had to wait 1.5 hours to get called up though. The judge really seems like a reasonable guy. I am hopeful about the case. That is about it. Katie and her mom and also another friend from Richland's church came down to be there with us in support.
So my next court date is Tuesday, November 13.
Blessings,
Miles
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Post by Miles Lewis on Oct 29, 2007 22:42:31 GMT -5
So I now have an attorney and I will be meeting with him next Tuesday, Nov. 5. We will be looking at the video footage and audio and such. He said he wants to do a civil suit, though he used more lawyerly language when saying it. I am not exactly sure but I am wondering if he is thinking about suing. I am curious as to hear some of your thoughts on this. I really don't think suing for money seems right. No matter how wrong the campus is, I have a difficult time making gain from them. I think that would really ruin my testimony on the campus. How can you love your neighbor and sue your neighbor at the same time? I will have to talk with my lawyer more to see just what his plans were. I also don't know how he gets paid if there is no monetary settlement. I would suppose it would come out of my pocket unless he does this pro bono.
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Post by alan4jc on Oct 29, 2007 22:46:56 GMT -5
Hi Miles, my wife and I read your post about suing for money and we both agree that it would not help the cause of the Gospel. We will pray for you and the attorney.
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Post by Rhema Seeker (Guy) on Oct 30, 2007 6:26:20 GMT -5
Would Jesus sue? How about Paul, Peter or any other founding father? They led by example. That is where I get my lead from.
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Post by Kerrigan on Oct 30, 2007 8:31:39 GMT -5
The only reason I would "sue" is to pay for the lawyer fees. Nothing should have to come out of your pocket being that it is their fault this whole thing happened in the first place. I don't see anything wrong with that, although if you wanted to pay for the lawyer yourself that would be a "better" testimony. I just don't see how the college paying for your lawyer that you needed to get because of their unlawfulness would "hurt" your testimony. If you were suing for gain, then that's another story. If you did that, I would have to come up to NY and knock some sense into you. ;D
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Post by Jesse Morrell on Oct 30, 2007 8:34:32 GMT -5
Paul appealed to Caesar. A lawsuit is the only way that you can bring a police officer before a judge to consider the situation.
But you don't get money from free speech issues anyways. The only money the court will pay will be lawyer fees. But what you will get is an open campus. The judge would rule that the officer was wrong and that free speech is protected.
The only thing you would get out of the case would be free speech.
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Post by Miles Lewis on Nov 6, 2007 21:45:34 GMT -5
I met with my lawyer today and he wants to do a civil lawsuit. I wouldn't get any money but there would likely be a lawyer fee payout. Because of the nature of this case it would be a high publicity case. If there were to be a payout to me I could have it set up before hand that I would be donating the money. I would rather give it right back to the school just to show that I am not in this for the money. My lawyer thought that was a great idea, that would really make them think. However, it is still suing and I just can't reconcile loving your enemies, resist not the evil, if a city does not receive you shake the dust from your feet, whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, among other scriptures, with suing. I really wish there was another way. I guess I was hoping that it would just be a regular trial and that after an acquittal the campus would be open. I asked my lawyer if we could just do the criminal trial and skip the lawsuit. He said it would be easy to get it dismissed if I promised not to preach there again... But that is not my intent. Also, that would cost me money. So right now I am in a quandary. I have no idea what to do. I told my lawyer that I would go ahead with the civil suit and then I called a good pastor friend of mine and asked his council. By the time my lawyer came back in the room with papers to sign, I told him I needed more time to think about it and that I still have a lot of reservations about doing this. I told him I would get back to him by tomorrow though. So as of now I am not going forward with it but I also don't really know what my other options are. I need wisdom. I wish this was easy.
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greg
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Post by greg on Nov 6, 2007 23:07:14 GMT -5
Miles I will be praying for you. This is a really hard decision. I can offer only this to you and its this. We are commanded to honer God and God alone to love and follow him to the death much easier said and typed than done. We need the power of God to fall on this situation and pray that it will glorify Him. I will also offer this; we need revival and it won't happen if we or any of us back down. God bless and God be with you.
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greg
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by greg on Nov 6, 2007 23:12:05 GMT -5
One other thought. What a testimony it would be if a part-time campus preacher who could use the money was to go ahead and give it to the campus. For that matter use it to sponsor a Christianity course!!! Or I know that the atheist are hurting for reasons to find that Darwin was correct. LOL.
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Post by John McGlone on Nov 7, 2007 14:28:23 GMT -5
Hey Miles, difficult decisions surely are the most responsible. I believe the Bible tells us not to sue our brother, ie to bring a brother in Christ before the heathen for judgement. (If I am wrong about this, please post scripture) In this circumstance I believe you should monetarily pinch the college and then return the money. The world understands money and respects the same. If you desire to continue to preach there unhindered this will be a good recourse; but prayer is most effective.
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oaora
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Post by oaora on Nov 7, 2007 19:49:59 GMT -5
I think you should sue Miles because I believe that it is Biblical in order to hold our public officials accountable......Christian or not. I say this because when the officer was wearing the badge he wasn't acting as a Christian.
It would be cool to give the money to someone. But I wouldn't give it to the college because they'll just use it to fund some detestable program or club. I think you can make a donation to the school under the condition that the money be used for a specific purpose. I bet you could think of an interesting Christ honoring proposal.
God bless!
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Post by danlirette on Nov 7, 2007 20:05:50 GMT -5
It may be no sin to sue, but it is a greater testimony to bear the reproach of Christ and suffer persecution for His Name's sake.
Can you imagine Jesus walking into a Roman Courthosue and filing a lawsuit against Ceasar?
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oaora
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Post by oaora on Nov 7, 2007 20:10:31 GMT -5
Well possibly...a civil court action is what is available to the citizenry to right a wrong. I truly believe that Jesus taught to hold the Government accountable. To keep them honnest.....I think it would be irresponsible to not take them to task. Its a Christian duty.... Ponder this, what is the proper response to unjust government actions?
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Post by Rhema Seeker (Guy) on Nov 7, 2007 21:21:27 GMT -5
It may be no sin to sue, but it is a greater testimony to bear the reproach of Christ and suffer persecution for His Name's sake. Can you imagine Jesus walking into a Roman Courthosue and filing a lawsuit against Ceasar? I agree. Why not put it in the HANDS OF GOD. Is HE not able to accomplish what HE called us to do. This is the time to test your faith in believeing that GOD is a GOD WhO says HE is or just a figment of our imagination. If HE wants that preacher on that campus preaching HIS WORD, then HE will make provision without our worldly ways of doing things in mans way. TRUST IN GOD and not in flesh.
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Post by Rhema Seeker (Guy) on Nov 7, 2007 21:26:56 GMT -5
Jeremiah 17:5, "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."
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Post by Rhema Seeker (Guy) on Nov 7, 2007 21:36:03 GMT -5
I say, take all this energy that you was going to put into this lawsuit in prayer and fasting, seeking the FACE and FAVOUR of GOD for accomplishing such a work as HE has called you for.
But who am I to express my thoughts. Serve your MASTER as you will BROTHER.
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oaora
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Post by oaora on Nov 7, 2007 21:44:18 GMT -5
You have wildly misinterpreted Jeremiah 17:5 as it relates to holding a civil magistrate accountable for his unlawful actions. You can't just trust God to do everything for you. Don't confuse "meekness" with "weakness". I maintain that we were given freedom by our founders for a long as we will fight to keep it. God just wouldn't do it for us. Blood was spilled to win those freedoms......
Government authority is ordained of God to do the will of God. But, when government denies the existence of God and persecutes the people of God, it is not of God but of the Devil.
It would be wrong to do nothing. He must take them to task for their violation of public trust.
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Post by Rhema Seeker (Guy) on Nov 7, 2007 22:07:23 GMT -5
The missionaries that we have supported in INDIA have been beatened,threatened and murdered for preaching the GOSPEL. Not one time has one of them went to lawsuit for such. But their knees have turned calast and their vocal chords have become raspy for the hours upon hours of prayer unto their MASTER. And because of such, fruit is being seen in these villages like not seen in AMERICA with it's fleshly christians depending upon their own strength and upon the power of a worldy judicial system to get the WORD OF GOD out to the lost. GOD HAVE MERCY ON US.
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Post by Rhema Seeker (Guy) on Nov 7, 2007 22:17:10 GMT -5
Jeremiah 17:7, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is."
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Post by Rhema Seeker (Guy) on Nov 7, 2007 22:27:35 GMT -5
Matthew 5:38-40, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also."
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Post by Miles Lewis on Nov 7, 2007 22:58:20 GMT -5
So what do you suggest I do? Not show up to court and just trust God? I can't represent myself. I can't just do nothing. My attorney will only defend me if we do a civil suit. I can't plead guilty because that would be lying. I already pleaded not guilty. I have to show up for court and so far nobody is willing to do my case pro bono unless we do a civil suit.
Saying "trust God" is really easy if you don't understand how the system works. I hardly understand how the system works. Is trusting God contending the campuses actions using due process the way the law says and trusting the outcome in God's hands? I really don't know what to do. In Acts 22-23 Paul challenged the legality of their actions vs. 3 of 23.
In Acts 4 the apostles did not obey what the ordinance of man said, they resisted the evil... They COMMANDED them not to preach and threatened them... but their response was that they had to obey God more than man. They appealed to a higher law. I would be appealing to a higher law, the law if this land that says that public property is a perfectly legal place to practice freedom of religion and speech.
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