Pastor warned John 3:16 Bible verse display may violate ‘hate speech’ law

November 10, 2025

A British pastor was warned by a police officer that a Bible verse displayed on the back of his camper van could be considered “hate speech” if it were reported.

According to the Christian Post, the encounter took place at a fuel station where a police officer advised 59 year-old Mick Fleming that the Bible verse on his vehicle could be seen as offensive by some.

Fleming’s van features John 3: 16, which reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

The incident took place last month in Burnley, a town in Lancashire, where Fleming was approached by the police officer and given what the pastor described as a friendly warning.

The Christian Post reports that the officer told him,  “A bit of advice — the writing could be seen as hate speech in the wrong context. I am just giving you a heads up.”

Fleming stressed that the officer was not threatening an investigation or arrest but simply alerting him to the possibility that the display could lead to a police inquiry if a complaint were filed.

A former drug dealer turned pastor, Fleming said he has no plans to remove the display and said he found it troubling that a public expression of faith could provoke scrutiny.

Fleming said, “Maybe society is moving to a place where they don’t want faith-based people sat around a table in discussion with them.”

In the UK, the public display of Bible verses can face scrutiny, if the content is considered threatening or is being used to incite hatred.

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