Fundamentalists Fight Hate Crimes Act
Intolerance + Bigotry, Religion & Culture Thursday, July 9th, 2009The American Family Association and other fundamentalist organizations called upon their members to call their Senators and lobby against S. 909, the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
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This bill (text of bill is here) essentially adds sexual orientation (perceived or actual), gender, gender identity, and disability to the list of classes covered under hate crimes legislation from 1969.
Fundamentalist Christians fear that, since inciting someone to violence makes one guilty of a role in the hate crime, this legislation may be used by the “gay Mafia” to silence preachers speaking out against “the grave evil” of homosexuality.
Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., of the conservative Arlington Group provides an example of how this bill is believed to destroy the religious liberty of pastors:
Back in 2006, [Democratic Representative] Artur Davis from Alabama, who will be running for governor by the way in that great state, made a statement to [Representative] Louie Gohmert [R-Texas] in a [House] subcommittee meeting that a pastor could be held liable or [as] a co-conspirator of sorts in a hate crime if we found out that his preaching and teaching incited — according to their thinking — someone to commit a violent act against someone that is gay.
That’s right, preaching that the Bible commands the execution of homosexuals, if a member of the congregation were to go out and begin executing homosexuals (in direct violation of the Biblical command to be subject to secular law), would be considered part of a hate crime. Imagine! The nerve of these anti-hate-crime people, expecting pastors not to tell their congregations to murder the transexual next door!
What do you think? Should fundamentalists have the right to exhort their congregations to homicide without paying any penalty when the members follow through?
What can I do?
Contact your Senators. You have two.
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- YouTube Calls Bible "Hate Speech"
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Mike Daniels is co-editor of Secular News Daily.You can follow comments on this article through the RSS Comment Feed. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry.
I have to say that this article seems a little misguided. I am no Christian, but they may have a point here. Of course we expect pastors not to incite their congregations to violence… are there not already laws in place to control / prosecute this? If they want to preach their point of view regarding homosexuality; well, it’s not my point of view, but they are free to do so. My objection is to a law that will presuppose to punish me for my THOUGHTS. For instance, if I beat someone with a baseball bat, there is a penalty for that. If I beat them with a baseball bat and I HATE them, well, there goes my chance for early parole. If I mug someone at random and they HAPPEN to be a minority, well, then, up goes my time. That is just wrong. It is my ACTIONS that should be subject to penalty; not my thoughts. We may not like bigotry or hatred, but in a free country you are (or should be) free to hate anyone you damn well please. You just can’t do anything about it (except share your opinion)! And there’s mine. This is a stupid law. Free thinkers should be ashamed they’re letting fundamentalists fight the state on this one.
There is a lot of misinformation being generated about this bill, particularly from the AFA. I encourage everyone to read the text of 909 and 1913 (the House companion bill).
There is not a shred of truth in that pastors could be charged with a hate crime because of anything they say from the pulpit. The bill, in fact, goes out of the way to protect freedom of speech. This bill is about hate crimes – not hate speech. Free thinking individuals, regardless of their thoughts, will not be prosecuted.
There’s a big difference between 1st degree murder and 2nd degree murder. Sentencing for each can vary widely. This is one reason why 909 is just and overdue for passage. Too often, families of gays and lesbians, who’ve been murdered and maimed, have witnessed first hand their perpetrators get off with light sentences. 909/1913 will amend existing laws to include gays and lesbians to the same protections afforded to other minorities.
It is true that hate crimes laws protect certain groups in our society. But even amendments to the US Constitution do that. Should we abolish those amendments that gave blacks the right to be free or a woman’s right to vote? Of course not. It’s necessary, at times, to recognize the reality of our time in history and protect those who still are victims of violent crime… regardless of what you may believe about their “lifestyle.”
Please read the text of the bill and reconsider your position.
Good advice, Bill. I will read it…
I guess my main point was are there not already laws in place that protect ANYONE from a violent act? I think if the existing laws were applied correctly (i.e. people who main and murder should NOT receive light sentences regardless of the gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity of their victims) and all were treated equally under the laws there would be no need to give harsher sentences based on the victims description but based on the nature and degree of the crime. If my sister is raped and murdered should her killer get a different sentence than if she had been a minority? I don’t think so. The crime ought to be the deciding factor when it comes to sentencing; not the victims status. I think what is needed is a revision of the application of existing laws, not new ones that are bound to divide people based on the very differences we would like not to matter.
Very true Jaye… however, we know the reality of our time. It is an undeniable fact that many criminals have walked away from sentencing with a slap on the wrist for crimes. You are absolutely right that “if the existing laws were applied correctly…” This is not really changing the law as much as it is amending it.
There have been numerous instances when other groups have been singled out in an effort to protect them from violent crimes. Megan’s Law, Lacy & Connor law, etc…
I’m with you and hear your rational opinion. It’s nice to hear a rational opinion! But the results speak for themselves. There are too many gays and lesbians who are still victims of violent crimes – and their victimizers often get off the hook too easily.
“Hate Bill” Favoritism
If “hate bill”-obsessed Congress can’t protect Christians from “gays” as much as it wants to protect “gays” from Christians, will Congress be surprised if it can’t protect itself from most everyone? If “hate bills” are forced on captive Americans, they’ll still find ways to sneakily continue to “plant” Biblical messages everywhere. By doing so they’ll hasten God’s judgment on their oppressors as revealed in Proverbs 19:1. SPAM CENSORED BY EDITOR.
Since Congress can’t seem to legislate “morality,” it’s making up for it by legislating “immorality”!
Tom — Christians are already protected under hate crimes laws. This bill isn’t being forced upon anyone, unless you believe it’s forcing people to stop committing acts of violence against minorities… ??
We have a freedom of speech in this country, David Letterman included. And you do as well of course, thanks to the first amendment.
The bill will be signed into law soon enough. Signed, sealed, delivered. Thank God.
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Reddit by tsoldrin: Hate Crime legislation is a fucking abomination. First you are making THOUGHT illegal, then you’re making certain subgroups more important than others. This is all in the name of equality? Are you fuck…