by David E. Smith, Illinois Family Institute
The freedom of religion and religious expression is heading for one of the biggest showdowns of its kind in American history in Congress.
Leading liberals in Washington D.C. continue to insist that hate crimes legislation will do nothing to silence or intimidate Christians. However, examples already abound in Europe, Canada, and even the United States, of what happens when hate crimes laws are passed.
Additionally, the transcript of a Congressional hearing where the proposed federal hate crimes legislation was being debated revealed, in no uncertain terms, that a federal hate crimes law COULD be used to target ministers preaching from Bible passages which call homosexuality sin.
Hate crimes legislation penalizes politically-incorrect beliefs, attitudes, and thoughts, rather than actual crimes. These beliefs and thoughts are identified by minority of homosexual activists who want to intimidate people of faith, especially Christian conservatives, who oppose public celebration of homosexuality.
Let me perfectly clear: violence against any person should be punished to the fullest extent of the law -- including violent crimes against people because they are "gay." But "hate crime" legislation creates additional layers of crimes by making unpopular ideas a basis for harsher treatment in criminal proceedings.
Let's make sure that we punish the perpetrator for his/her actual crime, not for specific thoughts that may or may not be behind the crime. Call your U.S. Representative and ask him/her to vote against the "hate crime" bill.
