Christians Rally against Hate Crime Bill

CBNNews.com

May 16, 2007

CBNNews.com - The U.S. Senate is looking to pass legislation on Tuesday that many believe will take away the right of Christians to take a biblical stance on homosexuality, yet Americans nationwide have moved to counter the motion.

The National "Hate Crimes" Petition Day was organized by Repent America to get Christians to defeat the newly proposed laws by calling, faxing, and emailing U.S. Senate members involved in the process.

Homosexuality, abortion, and evolution are three moral issues that Repent America addresses from a biblical perspective.

"Those who hate God are working to criminalize those who love Him, and they are making great strides to see that it happens," stated the director of Repent America, Michael Marcavage. "We must not remain silent as our liberty to freely speak the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being threatened by those who are framing mischief by a law."

Gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability are new categories added to the broader federal hate crime legislation by the U.S. House of Representatives, who voted to pass it on May 3.

Race, color, religion or national origin are the initial categories included in the hate crime law.

The House voted 237-180 to pass H.R. 1592 earlier this month, which cuts a lot of red tape for the federal government to involve itself in hate crime investigations.

If the bill reaches President Bush's desk, it will likely be vetoed. The White House has vowed to fight the bill, which is currently under review by the Senate.

The White House declared in early May that hate crimes highlighted in H.R. 1592 are already addressed in state and local criminal laws throughout the country.

"The administration favors strong criminal penalties for violent crime, including crime based on personal characteristics, such as race, color, religion, or national origin," said a statement from the White House. "However, the administration believes that H.R. 1592 is unnecessary and constitutionally questionable."

The White House report also noted that Bush's senior advisors would urge him to veto H.R. 1592.

Hate crime legislation has been under public attack from a number of Christian leaders. They anticipate that the bill will take away the right of pastors to speak about homosexuality from a biblical viewpoint in their own churches.

"The Hate Crimes Act will be the first step to criminalize our rights as Christians to believe that some behaviors are sinful," said Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson. "Pastors preaching from Scripture on homosexuality could be threatened with persecution and prosecution."

Christian leaders who have publicly opposed the bill include Family Research Council president Tony Perkins; Exodus International executive vice president Randy Thomas; the Southern Baptist Convention's Richard Land, who is the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; along with Faith2Action's president Janet Folger.

"On Tuesday, May 15, we are calling Christians all across America to come together in a unified effort to speak up and be heard on Capitol Hill," Marcavage said in a statement. "Together, as one loud voice, we must urge our lawmakers to vote against the legislation that seeks to silence us."

Source: Christian Post

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