Indiana state trooper: Do you accept JC as your savior?

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Ellen Bogan was rolling down U.S. 27 in Union County, Indiana when she was pulled over for a traffic violation. The state trooper let her off with a warning, but not before asking some bizarrely unprofessional questions:

    Did she have a home church?

    Did she accept Jesus Christ as her savior?

Ellen said she felt helpless to leave the traffic stop, even after the warning had been issued:

    "The police officer is representing the government ... so that means, as a representative, this person, while on duty, while engaged in official action, is basically overstepping and is trying to establish religion."

    Bogan, who lives in Huntington, said Hamilton asked her about her faith multiple times during the traffic stop. Because he was a trooper and his police car was still parked behind hers, she said she felt she could not leave or refuse questioning.

    "The whole time, his lights were on," Bogan said. "I had no reason to believe I could just pull away at that point, even though I had my warning."

The ACLU has joined Ellen Bogan to file a lawsuit against Trooper Hamilton. Key quotes from the complaint:

    1. After conducting a traffic stop at which Indiana State Police Trooper Brian Hamilton presented Ms. Bogan with a warning ticket, Trooper Hamilton prolonged the stop by asking Ms. Bogan, among other things, if she had accepted Jesus Christ as her savior and then presented her with a pamphlet from the First Baptist Church in Cambridge that informed the reader that he or she is a sinner; listed God’s Plan of Salvation, noting that the person must realize that “the Lord Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins; and, advertised a radio broadcast entitled “Policing for Jesus Ministries.” The actions of defendant Trooper Hamilton violated Ms. Bogan’s rights under both the First and Fourth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Ms. Bogan is entitled to her damages. * * *

    30. To the extent that Trooper Hamilton unreasonably extended the length of the traffic stop beyond the time necessary to present Ms. Bogan with a warning ticket Trooper Hamilton violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

    31. Trooper Hamilton’s proselytizing and coercive questions concerning Ms. Bogan’s religious beliefs violated the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The pamphlet he handed Borgan can be viewed here.

Indiana State Police are not commenting on the case.

The comments are great..
http://m.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/06/1334731/-Indiana-state-trooper-pulls-woman-over-and-asks-do-you-accept-Jesus-Christ-as-your-savior?detail=email

[Munch]

hoooo boy...

More crazy cop stories, at least he didn't shoot her or tazer her for not believing in JC.

Makes me wonder if I was pulled over, forced to take the pamphlet and gave it back saying I'm atheist what the cops lizard brain would react like.

[SGOS]

Not a big deal really.  I'm pretty sure that's the way Baptists hit on each other.  It's meant to quickly establish the existence of a common interest, and then ends in a hug if things go well.  Ordinarily, they would go have coffee, but I don't think that's going to happen this time.

[Hijiri Byakuren]

The comments are great...

This I've gotta see.

*reads comments*

Oh wow, that's much better than I thought it would be. I fully expected a mass of idiots defending the cop. Good show, internet.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

She should have asked, assuming she has dentures if he's given his teeth to her lord and savior the Tooth Fairyâ,,¢

[Munch]

She should have asked, assuming she has dentures if he's given his teeth to her lord and savior the Tooth Fairyâ,,¢

you know i think the best thing to do in these cases is to break out in full on high toned gospal prayer, and when you go to touch the cop on the head start to have a fake seizure saying the devils inside him.

[Atheon]

"Home church"? Is that some kind of fundie language?

[Poison Tree]

"Home church"? Is that some kind of fundie language?

A church you visit every week--your spiritual home. In many denominations if you are a member of a church then you can vote on minor local issues concerning it--appointing deacons, accepting new members, ect.

[SGOS]

A church you visit every week--your spiritual home. In many denominations if you are a member of a church then you can vote on minor local issues concerning it--appointing deacons, accepting new members, ect.

Accepting new members?  You mean like a hatchet committee in a frat house?  With all these Protestant micro sects springing up, it doesn't surprise me.  I just never heard of that before.  But "home church" I can identify with.  I've known a number of people that go around to different churches.  I suspect it's like shopping, or looking for other perspectives.  Sometimes you might need a church that has a happy Jesus, and sometimes you might prefer a mad Jesus church, depending on your mood.  But you always have your home church, the one that fits most of your needs.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

She should have whipped out her nuns costume and started chanting in some archaic Latin..

[Poison Tree]

Accepting new members?  You mean like a hatchet committee in a frat house?  With all these Protestant micro sects springing up, it doesn't surprise me.  I just never heard of that before. 

When I was attending SDA churches as a child/teen they voted on accepting new members, but I don't think I've ever heard of a new member not being accepted; I can't even say with confidence that I ever saw a single negative vote (they voted by show of hands/voice vote at the beginning of church). Really, I think it was all just a show to make people feel like they had ownership over the church.

[SGOS]

When I was attending SDA churches as a child/teen they voted on accepting new members, but I don't think I've ever heard of a new member not being accepted; I can't even say with confidence that I ever saw a single negative vote (they voted by show of hands/voice vote at the beginning of church). Really, I think it was all just a show to make people feel like they had ownership over the church.

I never saw that, but I was confirmed in a large Lutheran Church is the Chicago area.  Hell, I didn't even know 98% of the other members.  And I'd know even less about the new members.  No doubt we were eventually infiltrated by communists or some other undesirables.  LOL