religiondispatches | If
you’ve watched the news or been on social media at all this past week,
you’ve by now probably heard that, along with two other
ministers, 90-year-old WWII veteran Arnold Abbot, was arrested last week
in Fort Lauderdale, FL for feeding the homeless, which he has done for
over 20 years through his organization Love Thy Neighbor.
Created in 1991 as a tribute to his wife, LTN provides, among other
things food, shelter, and counseling to Broward County’s substantial
homeless population. The non-profit, interfaith organization cites as
its motivation “two very simple concepts.
We believe that ‘We are out brothers keeper’ and we should ‘Love thy
neighbor as thyself.’” Under the new ordinance, Abbot and his
co-conspirators face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Although the city has received much deserved criticism we also wonder
why the ordinance, and Abbot’s arrest for allegedly violating it,
haven’t been portrayed in terms of religious freedom. The whole
situation has been labeled as silly at best and coldhearted at worst.
Nicki Grossman, who runs the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention &
Visitors Bureau, told the Sun Sentinel
that she has received emails telling her that the city “has no
heart.” But, at least as far as we can tell, it seems that virtually no
one has pulled out the First Amendment in defense of Arnold Abbot.
We draw attention to this because, as RD has frequently noted,
appeals to “religious freedom” have become commonplace in the face of
perceived government overreach. Indeed, the weekend before last,
thousands gathered at Grace Community Church in Houston for I Stand
Sunday to draw attention to religious freedom in the face of perceived
political intimidation. The immediate cause of the rally was the Houston
mayor’s office’s recent subpoenaing of the sermons of five area pastors
who supported a petition on a ballot measure to repeal an equal rights
ordinance. The speakers at the rally widely interpreted that
action—which, it is important to note, has since been limited—as a
direct assault on their religious beliefs and violation of their freedom
to practice them. Tony Perkins, president of the ultra-conservative
Family Research Council, said that the mayor’s office was “trying to silence the voices of the churches and the pastors.”
Although we agree that the mayor’s office overreached, no one in
Houston was or has been arrested, or even silenced. A rally is, by
definition, a pretty loud, visible event, and if anything it draws
attention to the fact that the freedom to gather and worship as one
pleases is rather healthy in this country. And yet, when Arnold Abbot
actually gets arrested for doing what he thinks his religion requires
him to do, it’s unfortunate but not, for these same activists, a matter
of religious freedom, despite the fact that Abbot seems to think it is. Commenting on the affair,
Abbot has said, “It’s our right to feed people, it’s our First
Amendment right and I believe in the fatherhood of God and the
brotherhood of man, and we should be allowed to feed our fellow
man.” It’s hard to find a stronger—and more convincing—appeal to
religious freedom and duty.
