Resource:
ONENEWSNOW.COM
A division of the American Family News Network
Christians
on high alert over hate crimes passage
A
hate crimes bill sent to President Obama for his signature raises a red flag for
Christians.
On
Thursday, (Oct. 23, 2009) the U.S. Senate passed a hate crimes bill that
Christian leaders have warned for years could greatly infringe on the rights of
those who speak too loudly about their religious views.
Matt Barber of Liberty
Counsel agrees
with most observers that President Obama will sign the measure — adding that
the president desires to “throw a bone to homosexual activists because they
have been breathing down his neck...and this is a way to hold them off.”
Barber
views the legislation as something akin to a muzzle.
“Unfortunately, it places Christians — people of faith, people who
have traditional values relative to sexual immorality...in an untenable
position,” says the attorney.
He
notes that several years ago, a similar law in Pennsylvania resulted in the
arrest of 11 Christians who were presenting the gospel at a Philadelphia
homosexual rally. Barber goes on to
say that the federal bill will chill religious liberty and free speech — and
that is its intended purpose, not to protect anybody from hate crimes.”
And
as for pastors? “There is a very
weak exemption in [the bill] which is totally illusory, and a religious
exemption is not going to protect pastors,” responds Barber.
“Renegade prosecutors and politically correct leftists in positions of
authority can subjectively determine what is or is not a hate crime.”
And then move on to prosecution, he adds.
Barber
explains that Liberty
Counsel intends
to challenge the constitutionality of the hate crimes legislation.
