Security officers at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, ordered a man to remove a T-shirt with the slogan “Jesus Saves” because, according to the officers, it was “offending people,” video posted to Twitter shows.
“You can take your shirt off and [do] your shopping, or you could leave the mall. Those are your only options right now,” said one of the officers. “Jesus is associated with religion, and it is offending people. People have been offended.”
I automatically assumed this was overseas, but it’s right here in America. pic.twitter.com/Q79eUCG7xh
— John Mason (@LivingGodsTruth) January 12, 2023
The back of the shirt featured a line drawn through the interfaith “Coexist” logo along with the text “Jesus is the only way.”
The officers said that his yellow shirt counted as “religious soliciting” even if he wasn’t actively preaching, adding that other customers had been offended by the shirt.
The man assured the officers that he wasn’t speaking to anyone, even though he admitted to being removed from the mall for “preaching the gospel” in a previous incident.
“I didn’t say anything though. I didn’t speak. I didn’t say anything. I just went to Macy’s,” the man says in the video.
Mall of America policies prohibit “inappropriate attire” that “has obscene language, obscene gestures or racial/religious/ethnic slurs that are likely to create a disturbance.” It also prohibits “picketing, demonstrating, soliciting, protesting or petitioning” on mall property.
After the incident, a Mall of America spokesperson told The Daily Mail that the guest was ultimately “not required to change his shirt and was allowed to remain at the Mall.”
The viral clips drew a lot of outrage on Twitter.
“I automatically assumed this was overseas, but it’s right here in America,” said Twitter user John Mason.
Chase Thompson, a Baptist pastor in Kentucky, claimed on Twitter that this incident “certainly wouldn’t have happened” if the man “had a pride shirt on.”