UK: Christian Guilty of Praying

An army veteran was declared guilty in England of silently praying near an abortion clinic.

“That cannot be right,” said Adam Smith-Connor. “All I did was pray to God, in the privacy of my own mind and yet I stand convicted as a criminal?”

A court found Smith-Connor guilty on Oct 16 of an act of “disapproval of abortion,” for thinking about his son who had been aborted many years before, according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International.

The father of two children was ordered to pay prosecution costs of 9,000 British pounds ($11,700 USD), Christian Daily International reported.

Smith-Connor had bowed his head and clasped his hands on a public green in a buffer zone near an abortion facility in November 2022. He stood behind a tree and did not speak to anyone.

Police officers asked him, “What is the nature of your prayer?”

Adam Smith-Connor violated a buffer zone under a Public Spaces Protection Order, according to a ruling in the town of Poole. The buffer zone was created on streets near the abortion clinic to stop pro-life beliefs being expressed near the facility, including offering help or prayers to women in crisis pregnancies.

The court sentenced him to a conditional discharge, which means he will be sentenced only if convicted of another offense in the next two years.

Sir Edward Leigh, the most senior member of the UK parliament, said, “It is disgraceful that in Britain in 2024 someone can be put on trial for praying silently in his head. Unfortunately, we have seen repeated cases of free speech under threat in the U.K. when it comes to the expression of Christian beliefs.”

“I served for 20 years in the army reserves, including a tour in Afghanistan, to protect the fundamental freedoms that this country is built upon,” Smith-Connor said. “I continue that spirit of service as a healthcare professional and church volunteer. It troubles me greatly to see our freedoms eroded to the extent that thought-crimes are now being prosecuted in the U.K.”

Pray for:

Freedom to pray in the UK.

Christians to courageously pray despite the risks.

Legislators and citizens to defend the freedom of religion.

God to answers prayers to protect unborn children and their mothers.