It's considered the most famous line in the Holy Bible.
John 3:16 states: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Now, a retired pastor in Northern Ireland is facing prosecution for voicing the inspirational passage during an open-air sermon.
The charge is that Clive Johnston, 76, allegedly violated "abortion buffer zones laws," even though abortion was never mentioned in his message.
Johnston, former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, is facing two charges under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act for holding an open-air Sunday service on the fringes of a buffer zone on the other side of a dual carriageway from Coleraine's Causeway Hospital on July 7, 2024.
He's accused of seeking to "influence" people accessing the hospital's abortion services and for not immediately leaving the area when asked to do so by police.
If convicted, the grandfather of seven, who has never been in trouble with the police, faces a criminal record and ...
