Hate Crimes vs the Church

[n david]

I know there are some supporters of the President and this administration on AFF, though I don't see how a follower of Christ can support or vote for this President.

There is a video of Francis Chan on ChurchLeaders.com giving a messag about "Can You Make Disciples," and asking what we would do if the church building was gone. At the beginning of this clip, he makes this statement:

I think the way the world is going, the way the US is going, I think there's going to come a time and it's probably going to be sooner than later, when what I do in a public forum is going to be labeled as a hate crime. That a lot of things that we teach will be labeled as hate speech. And will these public forums be able to take place.

Francis Chan Link

This past Thursday, June 16th, AG Eric Holder gave a keynote address to the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy Convention. During his address, he heralds the work of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Dept. He names off several accolades achieved through the division, and mentioned the Shepherd Hate Crimes bill which he stated over a 100 cases have been opened using that bill and they recently got a conviction.

Then he says:

We've also expanded enforcement efforts to guarantee that in our work places, our military bases, in our housing and lending markets, in our voting booths in our border areas, in our schools and places of worship. And I mean all places of worship, the rights of all Americans are protected.

AG Eric Holder Link

While a candidate for President, Obama wrote an open letter address LGBT equality and said, "as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes..."

What Francis Chan spoke about messages being labeled hate speech and churches being targeted for their teachings and beliefs, I believe is close to happening.

Consider Canada. Our frozen neighbors [and hockey fans who are terrible losers] to the north who enacted their own version of a hate crimes bill several years ago. There are 10 commissions who review complaints and if deemed a violation, impose penalties. A list of complaints and penalties I viewed from '08 were mostly all about discrimination against homosexuals. A mayor fined for refusing to proclaim or recognize a Gay Pride day; a business fined for refusing to print LGBT literature; a youth pastor fined and banned from expressing opposition to homosexuality in any public forum for writing a comment in a newspaper criticizing the advancement of homosexual agenda in schools.

Of course, we in the US sit comfortably believing our First Amendment will keep us from facing the same problems as churches in Canada. But how long will it be until the government defines what speech is tolerable and protected and what speech considered criminal and a hate crime?

From the ACS website, there's a blog about the Supreme Court decision concerning Westboro Baptist Church. Thank God, the SCOTUS ruled in favor of Westboro. As much as I detest Westboro and their gospel of hate, we would be in serious trouble if the SCOTUS had ruled the other way.

Justice Alito wrote a dissenting opinion stating that:

although this Court has not decided the question, I think it is clear that the First Amendment does not entirely preclude liability for the intentional infliction of emotional distress by means of speech.

In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalization of innocent victims like petitioner.

SCOTUS Briefs

[Note: the dissenting opinion is after the initial court brief, the court opinion, and Justice Breyers' concurring brief.]

I'm a bit disturbed that a Justice would view the First Amendment in this way. Yes, Westboro's speech causes a lot of emotional distress; but even so, the First Amendment must protect them, else every homosexual in the US will begin to sue churches and religious organizations for hate speech.