Hate Speech against homosexuals

[Nikkol]

This is just one of many articles that have been in the paper regarding saying that homosexuality is wrong is "hate speech"

French MP Faces 6 Months Jail and $30,000 Fine over "Hate Speech" against Homosexuals

By John-Henry Westen

OTTAWA, December 15, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A law banning hate speech against homosexuals enacted in France last year has proved its criticisms valid by being pressed against a sitting MP for comments which cannot be considered hateful in any true sense. Christian Vanneste, a member of the UMP representing the Lille region faces up to six months' imprisonment and a $30,000 fine after being taken to court by three homosexual activist groups - SOS Homophobie, Act Up-Paris and Sneg.

The Telegraph reports that the public prosecutor at the trial in Lille said Vanneste was guilty as charged but made no recommendation on how he should be punished. Judgment on the case will be given on Jan 24.

While the Telegraph reports that Vanneste offended homosexuals "by saying they represent a 'threat to humanity'. Vanneste actually referred to homosexual behaviour as dangerous rather than homosexual persons.

Vanneste's offensive comments were originally made in parliament during the debate on the hate speech law which Vanneste opposed, and more recently repeated to newspapers. In Parliament he said that the idea of making "homophobia" illegal was a "contradiction in terms ... This will bolster the notion that homosexual behaviour has the same value as any other kind of behaviour, when, in fact, it is obvious that it is a threat to the survival of humanity."

Criminalizing speech against homosexual acts would see persons stating the faith positions of major religions imprisoned.

Comments against homosexual acts are common from Christians who believe, as a matter of faith, that such acts are gravely immoral. Homosexual acts are portrayed in Scripture as a "grave depravity" and an "abomination." Also, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says that that such acts are "intrinsically disordered and contrary to the natural law," adding that "they can never be approved."

Similar hate speech laws were passed in Canada this year, and while there have been no prosecutions under the law thus far, human rights tribunals have heaped heavy fines on Canadian Christians for speaking out against homosexuality.



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[Nikkol]

Here's another one: We must continue to be prayerful and prepare ourselves. We will definitely suffer persecution for the name of Jesus.



"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"
Gal. 4:16


Danger of Hate Speech Laws Becoming Apparent




Issue Date: January/February 2006

Pastor Eke Green has been cleared of charges of hate crime by the Swedish Supreme Court. He was previously tried and convicted by a lower court of violating Sweden's hate speech law by preaching a sermon against homosexuality. That court sentenced him to 30 days in jail.

The case has been closely watched for months by Christian leaders around the world. Focus on the Family editor Pete Winn stated that: "For the first time, a nation has passed judgment on whether the biblical position on homosexuality constitutes hate speech."

Politicians in other nations were also watching the case. Canada and Australia both have hate speech laws on the books. Canada has successfully prosecuted a couple of cases against citizens who have publicly presented the biblical view of homosexuality or refused to do business with homosexual organizations.

In Australia, a state tribunal has found two pastors guilty of vilification of Muslims under the Victoria Racial and Religious Tolerance Act that went into effect in 2002. The judge sentenced them to publicly apologizing for their statements that Islam was an inherently violent religion and that Islam planned to take over Australia.

They were to promise that they would not repeat the statements anywhere in Australia or on the internet. Failure to comply would incur a penalty of 3 months in jail or $7,000 fine if not done by August 31. The deadline has passed and the pastors are standing firm that they will go to jail before apologizing for what they believed is the truth. In fact, some of the "vilifying statements" that they were charged with were direct quotes from the Muslim Koran.

The pastors have appealed to the Australian Supreme Court on the grounds that the vilification laws are unconstitutional. The case has gotten wide publicity and churches and Christian leaders are mounting a campaign to overturn the law. The world is also watching the progress of this case and it may have influenced the handling of a similar law in Great Britain. The increasingly vocal Muslim minority in Britain has been pushing for a law that would outlaw words, behavior or material which are "likely to stir up racial or religious hatred." The law was appended to a general crime bill earlier this year, and is still undergoing intense debate.

In our great land where "freedom rings," this same threat to free speech is creeping in the back door. Eleven Christians were arrested last year and held in jail for 21 hours for daring to preach on the streets of Philadelphia during a homosexual parade. They were arrested under Pennsylvania's Ethnic Intimidation and Institutional Vandalism Act which contains "sexual orientation" as a victim category. After several court appearances, the charges were thrown out.

A new anti-hate law in California is yet to be tested in court. It was signed into law in late 2004 and makes it a punishable offense to "intimidate" or "oppress" another person because of their ethnicity, sex, race, national origin, or sexual orientation. Even if such laws turn out to be unenforceable in court, they have a chilling effect on free speech. Defending yourself or your church in court against such a charge can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fortunately, there are Christian legal organizations willing to step in and help anyone charged under these laws.

Hate speech laws are primarily aimed at silencing Christian preaching. Where the laws have been passed and enforced, most cases brought to court have been against pastors or soulwinners who have dared to state God's opinion from the Bible. There have been no cases brought against Muslim Imams, Catholic Priests or homosexuals under the laws.

Muslims label Christians "heretics," and homosexuals call us "homophobes" and "bigots." But they do it freely knowing that the Christians will not likely complain to the authorities. So, the end result of the new hate speech laws is to silence Christians. All other activities related to hate crimes are already illegal.

Fortunately, some of the cases are getting public attention. The supreme court in Sweden realized that Pastor Green's case was very dangerous to the free exercise of religion and free speech. Australian Churches and Christian organizations are seeing the damage to freedom that their vilification laws have caused and are mounting a campaign against them.

U.S. Congressmen are beginning to see the danger here. Senator George Allen of Virginia announced in December that he would no longer vote for hate crime legislation that included making homosexuals a protected class. He was "concerned that the right of Christians to speak truth in the public square will be compromised." His decision was influenced by the arrest of the 11 soulwinners in Philadelphia last year.

But even if the case is won in the courts, defending the charges can have a chilling effect on other ministries. Pastor Green stated after his acquittal, that he would not likely preach again on homosexuality. Other pastors will think twice before doing so just to avoid the hassle.

Fighting these cases can also have a devastating cost. It was reported that the case had already cost the Australian pastors more than 400,000 Australian dollars. This would bankrupt most churches.

It is heartening that some are beginning to wake up to this danger. Religious freedom and free speech is a precious gift. It was bought and is being defended with much bloodshed. We must not squander it by neglecting to witness to God's love for all sinners.

[stillfocused]

I know this one first..I had it explained to me..if I continued to talk about church, Jesus, and etc..that I could face the possiblity of being suited along with my company..so, at this time..I have to sit and listen to foul language, sexual topics, and anything else...and guess what this is not in any other country..it's right here in the USA...