Congress to Revive Hate Crime Bill to Censor Christians

Congress to Revive Hate Crime Bill to Censor Christians

www.thevoicemagazine.com

One of the gravest threats to religious liberty and freedom of speech is the proposed hate crime legislation. Even while national attention is focused is on the economy and Obama’s radical economic and foreign policy, the far left is at work undermining our First Amendment rights at home with hate crime legislation.

In other countries where these types of laws have been implemented, pastors and Christians have been jailed and fined for their faithful adherence to the Scriptures.

US Congressman John Conyers is reintroducing the same hate crime bill that was passed in the last Congress, but was vetoed by President Bush. Conyers hopes that it will be passed and signed by President Obama.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The Hate Crime bill is growing...

Many of you non-Christians will be happy to know that Christians are about to be censored. As you stand up and cheer I would like to remind you that more hate crime bills that censor speech could soon be coming your way too. Can speech be censored for atheist too. You betcha!

www.thevoicemagazine.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

From your source:

No more will your pastor be able to declare the truth about Islam or homosexuality because it will be considered a hate crime.

I am all for free speech, but not for hate speech.

I don't think people should be thrown into jail for their views, but spewing hatred and bigotry and ignorance has no positive impact on society.

reply to post by skeptic1


I certainly agree with this post. Now I don't believe in censoring anybody's opinions or the right to have those opinions/beliefs. But when you begin to say that your beliefs and opinions are right and others are wrong, that is where it becomes a problem.

Really a pastor telling my my choice of lifestyle is wrong, doesn't come accross as Hate speech to me, perhaps I am not easily offended.

It's all 1st amendment removing nonsense really.

~Keeper

I agree with you about hatred, bigotry and ignorance.

However I think we need to define what is a hate crime?

From Wikipedia:

Hate crimes (also known as bias-motivated crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, or political affiliation.[1]

A "hate crime" can take two forms: "hate crime" generally refers to criminal acts which are seen to have been motivated by hatred of one or more of the listed conditions. The second kind is hate speech, which is speech defined as crime. While hate crimes are rarely debated, the hate speech concept is controversial, as criminalizing speech can be seen as impugning freedom of speech. Incidents may involve physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults, or offensive graffiti or letters.

I will look for the specific hat crime bill too.

The only thing in that article that actually mentioned anything being censored states "No more will your pastor be able to declare the truth about Islam or homosexuality because it will be considered a hate crime. ", which dosen't affect most of us.

The gist I got from the article is that bigots can't use their collar and pulpit to try and mix their earthly opinions with the will of God. Which, in my opinion, is as good for Christians as a whole as it is for everyone else.

about time this bill gets passed! we need less religion and more reality!

Be careful what you wish for.

As more & more of our freedoms are taken away you might be wishing you
had not given up freedom of speech so easily.

The bill is called the Matthew Shepard Act.
You can read about it here:

www.matthewshepard.org..." target='_blank' class='tabOff'/>

The problem with this issue is that it is a matter of perception.

Not all negative comments or statements are hate speech.

Some that are not negative ARE.

It all depends on who's offended, and how much attention they get.

Why would anyone believe this article title .... "... to censor Christians."?

Does anyone really think that's is the what this is about?

"To censor Christians".... hmmm.... that's kind of like, hate speech, isn't it?

Now we are on the verge of passing Federal hate crime laws that will be used to silence believers like in Canada, Europe and Australia. No more will your pastor be able to declare the truth about Islam or homosexuality because it will be considered a hate crime.

I would love to know what the "truth" about Homsexuals and Islam is? The arrogance and close-mindedness in that statement alone makes me feel a bit sick to my stomach. This is the type of attitude that causes division in the world. What ever happened to judge not lest ye be? I think if Christians spent more time worrying about the log in their own eye instead of the splinter in their neighbors eye, then the world would be a much better place. This was the type of mentality that fanned the flames of the dark ages. Not to say all Christians harbor this mentality, but those who do, in my opinion, are no different that those who burned witches at the stake and called for the head of those who claimed the earth was not the center of the Universe.

We can only wait for those who live by ancient contridictory laws to "catch-up" to logic and rational.
Although I don't see that happening soon. Evolution takes time

Uh...where in that total BS story is there anything about censoring Christian pastors?




FAIL.

I don't get it, I thought religion was a synonym for hate. Seriously tho, baby boomers and religion are two things this world will be better off when they are gone. This is where most hate, judging and religious extremist come from in the west.

Here's a story from Sweden.

www.thelocal.se...

I guess if you were to read out something like Leviticus 20:13, even with the milder interpretation of "they deserve to die", rather than "they should be put to death", it may fall afoul of hate crimes laws. And I think that's probably fair, you or I can't say someone should deserve to die, so why should priests/pastors get an exception?

I myself do not believe in anything except that a person should be a good honest forthright Human Being, loyal to family & friends generous to a point & do no harm to Children/The Elderly/Animals. I do not mind one bit if anyone wants to believe in whatever Higher Power they choose, as long as they do not try to cram it down my throat & the Government does not get involved in any Religion at all or try to CENSOR ANY. I especially do not want to hear any Politician say that any Higher Power talks to them or has told them that they want him or her in office. We need to face reality in the real world of which there is plenty to go around like Hunger/Health Care/Homelessness/Crooked Politicians at all levels of Government/the Enviroment at all levels & many more real life day to day things. If you wish to pray about these things by all means do so, just how about every once in a while get up off yer ass & actually do something about them.

[edit on 6-4-2009 by smokehouseslim]

reply to post by cindy22761

The Matthew Shepard Act would strengthen existing federal hate crime laws in three ways:

1) Expand the law to authorize the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute certain bias-motivated crimes based on the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Current law only includes race, color, religion or national origin.

2) Eliminate a serious limitation on federal involvment under existing law which requires that a victim of a bias-motivated crime was attacked because he/she was engaged in a specified federally-protected activity such as voting, serving on a jury or attending school.

3) Add "gender" and "gender identity" to the Hate Crimes Statistics Act

I don't see how this is censoring christians if this is what the bill is doing? This seems like a step in the right direction when it comes to equal rights under the law does it not?

~Keeper

Originally posted by RubberBaron
Here's a story from Sweden.

www.thelocal.se...

I guess if you were to read out something like Leviticus 20:13, even with the milder interpretation of "they deserve to die", rather than "they should be put to death", it may fall afoul of hate crimes laws. And I think that's probably fair, you or I can't say someone should deserve to die, so why should priests/pastors get an exception?

Because it was the intent (at least in the US) of the founders to ensure that the state NEVER regulate faith; and vice-versa.

Why people entertain such notions from either is beyond me. Perhaps we should all start accepting responsibility for what we think, and stop pretending that priests, rabbi's, imam's, or shaman, can brainwash us into accepting their position - because they say so.

The problem isn't in what they say, the problem is in how people simply 'digest' it as fact, with no reasoning involved whatsoever.

First off, I see no mention of what is actually being proposed in your (very pro-christian) source, telling me that posting the actual proposal would have hurt their over-zealous headline.

Just an observation.

What ever happened freedom of speech? Geez... In Japan, freedom of speech is absolute according to their constitution.
I don't want to hear anyones religous rhetoric regardless of faith.

However, I support the right of anyone being able to say whatever they wish. I served the U.S. to protect this right (and others). All of my male ancestors have served for this right and some even died.

What is the land of the free becoming? All I see anymore is the freedom to bend over and take it.

reply to post by RubberBaron


Thank you for the excellent link.

I have always told my children "Think before you speak".

The tongue can be a destructive and deadly weapon.

Proverbs 11:9

I don't see how in the reference above, anything pertaining to passing legislature in the US affects anyone in Canada, or other nations. You are extending the powers of US legislature here a little bit, I think. Canada is a sovereign nation and enacts its own laws and mandates.

[edit on 6-4-2009 by mystiq]