Even George Orwell probably never had a clue just how right he would turn out to be when he wrote 1984. Then again, good old George never had any idea that he would live to see times such as these. He would likely scoff at the suggestion that a story such as the one playing out in Poole, England involving Adam Smith-Connor could be taking place in the modern era. Mr Smith-Connor was recently convicted at Poole Magistrates Courts on charges of "disapproval of abortion" after he was found to have been praying in front of his abortion clinic. He was ordered to pay court costs as part of his conditional release, but the courts aren't done with him yet. (Premiere Christian News)

A Christian man has been found guilty of breaching abortion clinic buffer zone rules after silently praying for his deceased son.

Adam Smith-Connor, a military veteran and father of two, was sentenced at Poole Magistrates Court on 16th October to a conditional discharge and was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £9,000.

A conditional discharge is a type of conviction that means Smith-Connor will only be sentenced if he is convicted of any future offences in the next two years.

In its decision, the court reasoned that his prayer amounted to “disapproval of abortion” because at one point his head was seen slightly bowed and his hands were clasped.

Granted, this is taking place in England, not the United States, so the bar is set quite a bit lower in terms of religious freedom, but this is still simply bonkers. Mr. Smith-Connor was seen in front of an abortion clinic. He was not inside of it or blocking anyone's access. While he was probably praying for his own sons (he had previously paid for an abortion for his girlfriend and is repenting), he was not doing so aloud. The sum total of the charges against him consists of the fact that his hands were "clasped" and at one point his head "appeared to be bowed." That was it.

For this, the man had to pay roughly 9,000 lbs for a conditional release. This means that if he demonstrates any further "disapproval of abortion," there will be further sentencing imposed. The accused summed it up himself best. He said, "Today, the court has decided that certain thoughts – silent thoughts – can be illegal in the United Kingdom. That cannot be right. All I did was pray to God, in the privacy of my own mind – and yet I stand convicted as a criminal?"

We've already seen similar examples crop up in the United States, though thankfully nothing this extreme yet. What we do know is that the current DoJ loves to pursue cases against people who protest at abortion centers far more vigorously than they do rioters supporting BLM or any liberal causes of the day. Do you honestly believe it could never happen here? If so, how sure are you about that?