Religious Right Claims Hate-Crimes Law an Attack on Christianity

[ck4829]

With the reintroduction of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in the House and the prospect that it may pass in a Democratic Congress, religious-right groups are waging a sizeable campaign to portray the bill as part of a mythical persecution of Christians. Although hate-crimes laws expand penalties for violent crimes causing bodily injury or death (as well as attempts through firearms and explosives), the Religious Right is labeling them “thought crimes” laws the “only effect” of which “is to gag people of faith.” Although federal law has punished hate crimes based on race for more than a decade, the Religious Right is incensed at the prospect of using the law to protect gays as well.

This reaction follows a pattern of asserting that gay rights – or a so-called “homosexual agenda” – will lead to the “repression” of religion in America, an anti-gay marketing effort typified by last year’s “Values Voter Summit” in Washington, where speakers from Mitt Romney to Tony Perkins claimed that, in the words of Alan Sears of the Alliance Defense Fund, “The homosexual agenda and religion are on a collision course.” “They know they must silence the church,” warned Perkins. At that time, the issue was same-sex marriage; the co-sponsor of the federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), said that “"If we have gay marriage, our religious liberties are gone!”

“The ultimate goal of Conyers’ bill is to silence all opposition to the homosexual/transgender political agenda,” claimed Andrea Laffery, director of the Traditional Values Coalition. “So-called ‘hate speech’ will be suppressed because it supposedly incites individuals to violence against homosexuals/ transgenders. Defined by homosexuals, hate speech is any verbal or printed materials that criticize the normalization of sodomy in our culture. The goal is to undermine the First Amendment and persecute Christians who oppose homosexuality.” She added that “Most Christians might as well rip the pages which condemn homosexuality right out of their Bibles because this bill will make it illegal to publicly express the dictates of their religious beliefs”; in addition, TVC published a bizarre cartoon on the issue featuring a talking letter “t.”

Rev. Ted Pike of the National Prayer Network warned that the bill is “the most dangerous legislation ever to come before Congress,” claiming that it would “lead inexorably to the end of free speech.” Michael Marcavage of Repent America claimed that “it will be used to put Christians behind bars.” And the American Family Association asserted that the bill would “open the doors” to any number of outcomes: “Polygamy will be legalized,” the group warned. “Landlords will be forced to rent to homosexuals.”

More insanity at:
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/03/religious_right_14.html

[Solly Mack]

1. So they admit they want to hate and act on their hate without penalty

but we already knew that

[BOSSHOG]

2. "Gag people of Faith?"

Isn't that what the prostitute did to the leader of a Christian Evangelical organization?

Christians have no fucking idea what persecution is.

"If we have gay marriage our religious liberties are gone." How fucking dumb does one have to be to say such a thing? Total fucking asses. Please move to Iran if you want to live in a theocracy.

[William769]

4. Well I know of one Evangelical that was gaged.

:evilgrin:

[BOSSHOG]

3. "The homosexual (agenda) and religion are on a collision course"

I hope so tony perkins. Too bad you ratfuck christian bastards don't realize you are living in the land of the free. You fuckers sure do like YOUR constitutional liberties.

I DID NOT SPEND 24 YEARS IN UNIFORM SUPPORTING AND DEFENDING THE BIBLE

[atreides1]

13. It's hard to believe...

...that Perkins was once a Marine.

Found this little tidbit on Mr. Perkins:

Ties to white supremacist groups
Perkins has come under fire from various organizations (primarily on the left) for having appeared in 2002 as a speaker at the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a group sometimes considered white supremacist in orientation.

The Nation claims that in 1996 Perkins paid former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke $82,000 for use of his mailing list. At the time, Perkins was campaign manager for Louis E. "Woody" Jenkins, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana. The Federal Election Commission fined the Jenkins campaign $3,000 for attempting to hide the money paid to Duke."

The Family Research Council says Blumenthal's claims about Perkins connection to David Duke are false. They say Duke's "connection was not known to Mr. Perkins until 1999. Mr. Perkins profoundly opposes the racial views of Mr. Duke and was profoundly grieved to learn that Duke was a party to the company that had done work for the 1996 campaign." The response to the Nation article does not address the appearance before the Council of Conservative Citizens.

So it seems he might very well be a closet racist as well!

[BOSSHOG]

19. I think he's been out of that closet for a long time

perkins is a racist and the family research claim that he didn't know about duke is a fucking lie. He is a domestic enemy of the constitution.

"profoundly grieved" that his fucking hate and racism were shown to the world.

[gratuitous]

5. A collision course? Not in my church

We get along just fine following the teachings of Jesus and the Bible and welcoming anyone who comes through the door. And if you don't believe me, you can always ask our gay pastor.

[AllegroRondo]

6. let me get this straight

Christians have the dominant majority religion in the country, they have dozens or even hundreds of churches in every town and city, they can pray anywhere or any time they like,

but they're being persecuted.

[BOSSHOG]

8. Infucking sanity squared

They can not force their beliefs on every citizen of the land of the free ergo they are persecuted. Lunatics. Dangerous lunatics. Domestic enemies of the constitution.

OOOOH - they may have to rent to gays!!! I'd put that in the fiscal responsibility file not leviticus.

[genie_weenie]

7. This is what happens when citizens allow

government to regulate what people can do with their bodies.

It's odd that such a strange congruence of authoritarian statists and civil rights champions could propose legislation over the years which leads to the use of good intentioned laws to deprive people of basic rights.

Whether it starts with lobbyists for chemical corporations outlawing hemp or attempting to stop bigots from disrespecting our fellow men; the right to free association, the right to do with one's body as one sees fit, the right to speak one's mind on any issue (no matter how odious the idea) have all be curbed and legislated.

[Taxloss]

9. So they admit that hate is part of their faith?

It's about time.

[BOSSHOG]

15. That's exactly what they are saying Teammate

We want to freely and openly hate homosexuals and if we incite someone to violence or if we commit violence against them so what, anything less is an imposition on our first amendment rights.

Not what James Madison had in mind.

[Taxloss]

23. Well, it's good of them to clarify their position.

You're right, not exactly what the founding fathers had in mind.

[htuttle]

10. So, they are saying that their version of Christianity is built upon hatred and discrimination?

They make Baby Jesus want to puke.

[Solly Mack]

11. That's exactly what they are saying

[Hobarticus]

12. Such a stretch of logic is way beyond the realm of common sense...

Guess that's a Christianist for you.

[tanyev]

14. Funny how these "Christians" are constantly admitting that their God,

their faith, and their religion is so weak that it must be coddled and protected.

[saltpoint]

16. The bill will be used "to put Christians behind bars," says this guy from

a group called "Repent America." Well, I really don't think that's the bill's intent. I don't believe that's a likely outcome.

Although for Christians like these folks, putting them behind bars with or without the bill's passage has enormous appeal.

"The end of free speech" in America! "Christians behind bars!" "Rampant polygamy!" "Homosexuals living in apartments!"

What nutbags.

[sinkingfeeling]

17. Well, if anybody knows about hate, it's the Religious Right!

[AndyTiedye]

18. The Religious Wrong Shows Its True Colors

If they consider gay bashing to be part of the "free exercise of religion"
what does this say about their religion?

How can gay bashing be considered even remotely Christian?

If they met Jesus in the street they'd probably beat him up because he "looked gay".

[BOSSHOG]

22. And then after they beat up Jesus they would claim

it their constitutional right to do so. And we all know, per perkins and dobson and other lunatics only christians should have constitutional liberties in the land of the free.

[tjwash]

20. So in other words...they can dish it out, but they can't take it.

Non-Fundamentalists are finally fighting back by speaking out against their campaigns, their media onslaughts, and their mistaken notions of truth, and the Fundamentalists don't like it very much. They can dish it out, but they can't take it.

People of good conscience stand up for their rights, and they cry foul - they claim they are being persecuted.

Unfortunately, as always, they will refuse to see their so-called persecution is merely the rest of society defending itself from their attacks. They will as always, retreat into their twisting of the scriptures to suit their own purposes, and see this "persecution" as biblical proof of being on God's side. It's the nature of the beast.

[Warren Stupidity]

21. Scarily stupid.

I happen to think that adding additional penalties to acts of violence based on motivations of hate is not such a good idea, but these folks are idiots. It is the violence that is illegal, regardless of motivation, and christians, the dominant religion in this country, are certainly not being persecuted by laws against acts of violence. Did they somehow miss that their deity brought a message of love and tolerance to the world?

Instead these idiots are demanding a right to persecute, and when it appears that perhaps they do not have such a right, are loudly proclaiming that it is intolerant to not allow them to act out their intolerance.

Landlords should indeed be prohibited from discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

How 'polygamy will be legalized' by hate crime legislation escapes me, but why polygamy ought to be outlawed is equally a mystery to me.

The problem I have with 'hate crimes' laws is the potential that they escalate minor offenses into major ones, misdemeanors into felonies.

[Warpy]

24. If that's Christianity

I'm glad I turned atheist at such a young age.

Whatever happened to the Prince of Peace, Christian love and generosity, and the Sermon on the Mount? That was some pretty neat stuff.

These people need to be exposed for what they are by every single mainstream priest, minister or rabbi in the country.

These people need to be shamed and ridiculed for their hate, not treated deferentially as the best Christians on the planet.

[RebelOne]

25. The RaptureReady.com fundie kooks are upset about it.

http://www.rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=297711

[formerrepuke]

26. It's pathetic how most fundies have dissolved Christianity's focus into one trifling

(and irrelevant) old-testament wedge issue.

[LeftishBrit]

27. This is insane!

"If we have gay marriage, our religious liberties are gone" - why? They are not obliged to give up their religious beliefs, enter gay marriages themselves, or even invite their gay neigbours to tea if they don't feel like it. For that matter, they also aren't obliged to enter civil marriages or invite their neigbours who married at the registry office to tea. How does gay marriage interfere with their religious rights in a way that other non-church-recognized marriages do not? By 'religious liberty' they seem to mean 'liberty to impose their religious rules on others'. And as regards the 'free speech' issue: no one is restricting their free speech, except when it leads to the incitement of violence. If their religion requires them to have a right to incite violence, it doesn't seem to be a very good religion, or have much room for injunctions to 'love thy neighbour' or blessings on 'the peacemakers'.

[peacebaby3]

28. While I am opposed to "hate crime" laws for certain reasons, these

people are disgusting. I think they are truly insane.