Christian couple could lose hotel for offending Muslim woman.

Let me tell ya kids, it's days like this that I thank God I live in Canada.

Not the States.

Not England. (Great Britain)

Not the rest of Europe, because they don't speak English.

Nope.

Canada.

Or Maybe Australia.

Here's why!

Guest post by John Bingham, The Telegraph;

A Christian Couple face losing their livelihood after being charged with a criminal offence because they offended a Muslim woman by saying that Islamic dress is oppressive.

The couple's hotel has suffered a major drop in bookings because of the case.

Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang are awaiting trial accused of breaching public order by insulting a guest at their hotel in Aintree, Liverpool, about her religion.

The couple, who are members of an evangelical congregation, were arrested by police after getting into a discussion with the woman about the differences between Christianity and Islam earlier this year.

Mrs Vogelenzang, 54, is understood to have described Muslim dress as putting women into “bondage” while her husband, 53, allegedly described the Prophet Mohammed as a “warlord”.

The Christian Institute, which is funding the Vogelenzangs’ defence, said that the case showed that Christians are suffering growing “persecution” by officials who use the law to prevent them speaking about their faith.

“It is just a consequence of the case that not only are they worrying about criminal charges but they may also lose their business,” said Mike Judge, a spokesman for the institute.

It is understood that the argument happened on the last day of the woman’s stay at the hotel in March when she appeared in Muslim dress.

The woman, who has not been named, is said to have told them that Jesus is considered a “minor prophet” in Islam while the debate also touched on the status of Mohammed.

The guest complained to Merseyside Police who called the couple in for an interview.

They were questioned twice before being charged with a religiously aggravated public order offence.

They appeared before magistrates last week where they denied the charges and are due to go on trial later this year.

If found guilty they face a fine and a criminal record.

Mr Vogelenzang denies calling the Prophet Mohammed a “warlord.”

It is understood that his wife accepts that she used the word “bondage” about Islamic dress but denies deliberately causing offence.

“Even if the court accepts that these things were said, I have read this sort of thing in many western criticisms of Islam,” said Mr Judge.

“If we are really saying that someone can’t express that without having the police brought in, I think we are in a very worrying situation for freedom of speech.”

He added: “There is a persecution of Christians and I think public officials are misusing the law in that way.”

Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don't want you to know......!) and is available as an E-Book H E R E! and H E R E! And as a paperback H E R E ! and H E R E !