Christians deceive masses about HR 1913 re: hate crimes

April 21, 10:26 PMAtheism ExaminerTrina Hoaks

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As reported by fellow Examiner, Jake Jones, the American Family Association (AFA) has issued an action alert for people to oppose a bill, HR 1913. The problem with this action alert is that the AFA is misleading the public, perhaps intentionally, as to its intended purpose.

Via their Web site, the AFA is saying that "America's most basic freedoms of speech, conscience and the free exercise of religion are under attack...." They go on to say that "[i]f President Obama succeeds with his priority of passing the Hate Crimes law, H.R. 1913 - the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, it could lead to the criminalization of the Biblical view of homosexuality in sermons and elsewhere. An offended homosexual could accuse a pastor, Sunday School teacher [or] broadcaster of causing emotional injury simply by expressing the Biblical view that homosexuality is sinful."

The truth of the matter is that HR 1913 is being set forth "[t]o provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes...." Hate crimes, according to the bill, are "...incidence of violence motivated by the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim...."

As is to be expected, certain evangelical Christians are focusing on the "sexual orientation" portion of the bill, which only proves their hatred and allows their true motives to shine through. They are opposing this bill and encouraging others to do so by inciting irrational fears and beliefs in people. (Sound familiar?)

They said "[they] believe prosecutors and anti-Christian groups will use loop holes in the proposed legislation to muzzle the church from speaking out on Biblical standards of morality which are shared by most Americans. Unnecessary lawsuits will bring a chilling effect to the free speech and religious liberty of our churches and of our members." Actually, there is little chance of a "loop hole" that will permit this to come to pass.

Consider, if you will, what they fail to point out - Section 10 - The Rule of Construction (the last item of the bill) says, "Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution."

And, to further drive home my belief that this point is being omitted intentionally from their conversations is that when I pointed this out to one of them via the internet, my comment was promptly deleted.

Gotta love those righteous Christians!