May 12, 2026
Retired Pastor Clive Johnston was convicted for preaching John 3:16 because he was near an abortion facility in Northern Ireland.
Pro-abortion activists continue to make it clear they want nothing — hope nor love nor help — getting in the way of them killing preborn children.
In Northern Ireland, retired pastor Clive Johnston was just convicted for “influencing” within a “Safe Access Zone” for preaching John 3:16, which reads “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
These “Safe Access Zones” are areas within 100 meters of an abortion facility where it has been made illegal to influence a woman from getting an abortion. The court decided that preaching the hope and love of the Gospel qualified as this illegal influence.
Criminalizing preaching the Gospel withing “Safe Access Zones” sets a dangerous precedent of violating religious liberty and free speech laws to persecute Christians. Johnston was merely preaching the love of Christ, a message of hope, not harassment, and it is a grave error to prosecute him rather than the abortionists killing preborn babies and harming women 300 feet away.
This isn’t confined to the UK. In the U.S., the FACE Act has been weaponized to silence and prosecute pro-life advocates praying and peacefully protesting at abortion facilities.
It is a major problem when governments work to protect the killing of preborn children, yet silence those who peacefully oppose it and offer resources to mothers and children.
Students for Life Action will continue to fight for Life, defend free speech, and offer hope and support to women and children until abortion is illegal and unthinkable — and stays that way.
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