When the law punishes prayer…

Catholic Culture, Phil Lawler:

From Great Britain, the nation that gave us our much-admired legal tradition, comes the news that a man has been fined for praying in public. Not even praying aloud; praying silently.

If Adam Smith-Connor hadn’t acknowledged that he had been praying, there would have been no concrete evidence against him. He was penalized not for any external action, but for what was going on inside his head. The law in its majesty now proposes to regulate his thoughts. Report is here.