English Army Veteran Found Guilty of Praying for Dead Son: “This Isn’t Orwell’s ‘1984’”

English Army Veteran Found Guilty of Praying for Dead Son: “This Isn’t Orwell’s ‘1984’”

BREAKING: BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND—A grieving father has been found guilty after silently praying for his deceased son in a designated “safe zone” near an abortion clinic.

Adam Smith-Connor, 51, fell victim to the U.K. government in November 2022 when he bowed his head in prayer at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in Bournemouth, England, as reported by the BBC.

Police approached him, inquiring, “What is the nature of your prayer?” according to the Christian legal organization ADF UK. At the time, a public space protection order prohibited any activity supporting or opposing abortion within the area surrounding the facility. This safe zone was established just one month prior to Smith-Connor’s private vigil.

While the Bournemouth council claims the majority of locals support the zone, Smith-Connor shared that he was praying for his unborn son, who was aborted 22 years before his silent conversation with God.

District Judge Orla Austin deemed Smith-Connor’s actions “deliberate” and imposed nearly $12,000 in fines along with a two-year conditional discharge. The ruling has left Smith-Connor, along with legal experts and politicians, appalled.

“Today, the court has decided that certain thoughts—silent thoughts—can be illegal in the United Kingdom,” Smith-Connor told ADF UK. “That cannot be right. All I did was pray to God, in the privacy of my own mind—and yet I stand convicted as a criminal?”

Miriam Cates, a former Conservative Party member of the U.K. Parliament, likened the situation to a dystopian, George Orwell-esque nightmare. 

“This isn’t ‘1984,’ but 2024—nobody should be on trial for the mere thoughts they hold in their mind,” Cates stated. “It’s outrageous that the local council is using taxpayer money to prosecute a thought crime at a time when resources are stretched thin.”

Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF UK, called the judge’s decision a “turning point of immense proportions,” arguing that the nation is “hardly sinking any lower” in its abuse of basic human rights.

Local residents and people across the United States may wonder how this story from abroad relates to their lives on U.S. soil. 

It’s crucial to remember that the United States, a longstanding beacon of hope and freedom, has its roots in the persecution of individuals for their faith in the British Isles. While prayer remains legal in America, the enshrinement of abortion in the progressive agenda could pose a future challenge to this fundamental right.

Support Christian Journalism

Freedom ​is Not Free! Free Speech is essential to a functioning Republic. The assault on honest, Christian Journalism and Media has taken a devastating toll over the last two years. Many Christian media outlets have not survived.

It is through your Generosity and Support that we are able to promote Free Speech and Safeguard our Freedoms and Liberties throughout our Communities and the Nation. Without your donations, we cannot continue to publish articles written through a Biblical worldview.

Please consider donating or subscribing today. A donation of any size makes a Big Difference. Thank you for your Support!

Katy and Fort Bend Christian Magazines

Katy and Fort Bend Christian Magazines have over fifteen years of experience in getting Christian-centered messages out to the Greater Houston area and national communities on issues of significant sociocultural and economic interest and represent the only suite of family-oriented publications of its kind in the Houston metropolitan region. As a gold standard in parachurch publications, Katy and Fort Bend Christian Magazines pride themselves on the values of enterprise, family, and truthfulness, and have helped foster a culture of fearless honesty, rigor of business and industry, and interconnected networking among the readership.