US News
When Beliefs Become a Crime
By David Brody
CBN News
May 1, 2007
CBNNews.com - Pastor Marvin L. Williams' position on homosexuality is clear.
"As a minister of the gospel, I cannot support the naturalizing of homosexuality," said Pastor Williams.
But could speaking out against it put land a person in jail? That's a concern over the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
The controversial "hate crimes" bill is heading for a vote this Thursday in the House of Representatives. If passed, sexual orientation would become a protected class of people under the existing hate crimes law.
It would also allow the federal government to help local officers in prosecuting hate crimes.
"We would feel safer on the streets and we would in fact be safer if hate criminals knew that the full power of the federal government was behind prosecuting them if they perpetrate these crimes," said Harry Knox of the Human Rights Campaign.
There were 7,160 hate crime incidents in 2005 with 55 percent being based on race, 17 percent on religion and 14 percent on sexual orientation.
Some point to the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepherd as the catalyst behind this bill.
In that case, Wyoming police spent thousands and laid off five officers.
Bill supporters say that often cost and time prevent local police from prosecuting hate crimes. Under this bill, the federal government would be allowed to take over.
Conservative Christian groups and like minded lawmakers on Capitol Hill believe homosexuals should not be singled out as a separate class of people.
In their view, a hate crime should be prosecuted equally no matter who you are. And they're adamant in pointing out that just because they're against this hate crimes bill, doesn't mean they condone any sort of violence against homosexuals.
"In no way am I homophobic but since I have been saved I've become 'hellophobic.' And I believe that we do not preach hate but I love homosexuals too much not to preach the truth," said Rev. Kim Daniels of Spoken Word Ministries.
These groups also believe this bill puts the framework in place for pastors and others to risk arrest if they preach or speak out against homosexuality. They refer to it as "thought crimes"
"Pro-abortion advocates would say keep your hand off my reproductive organs. Pro-gays shout stay out of our bedrooms. Christian ministers can rightfully say stay out of our pulpit," said Bishop Harry Jackson of High Impact Leadership Coalition.
Gay rights advocates believe that sort of talk is crying wolf.
"It specifically does not say anything about speech or anything like that so there's no reason to be afraid of this bill unless you're a perpetrator of a hate crime," said Knox.
But opponents aren't convinced.
They're trotting out "Wanted Jesus" posters to make their point.
They're even running TV ads with a jailed grandmother from Philadelphia who was arrested for breaking Pennsylvania's hate crimes law.
Her crime? Sharing her faith publicly at an anti-homosexual event. The charges were later dropped.
It's already happened in other parts of the world.
In Canada, a Catholic city counselor was fined $1,000 for saying a gay couple's lifestyle was not "normal."
And CBN News covered the case of Swedish pastor, Ake Green, who was sentenced to 30 days in jail because he read from Old Testament passages.
In Australia, two pastors were charged with hate crimes violations for criticizing Islam.
One of the pastors, Danny Nalliah of Catch the Fire Ministries warned Americans, "If that bill goes through, it's the same bill with a different name and you will have the same consequence right on your soil."
And that leads some to wonder if this bill would lead America down the same path that is now causing problems in Europe and other parts of the world.
Watch Pat Robertson's comments about this issue by clicking on the play button above.
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