Is Quoting Scripture a Hate Crime?
On April 22, the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to mark-up a hate crimes bill sponsored by Rep. John Conyers. Serious questions have been raised by religious leaders about this legislation, especially as it pertains to religious pronouncements against homosexuality.Catholic League president Bill Donohue addressed this issue today:
“The idea of being prosecuted for reading Scripture may seem delirious, but it is just as crazy to think it couldn’t happen. Consider the facts. When this bill was being considered in 2007, Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas asked Alabama Rep. Art Davis (his amendment is in the bill) the following question: ‘If a minister preaches that sexual relations outside of marriage of a man and a woman is wrong, and somebody within that congregation goes out and does an act of violence, and that person says that that minister counseled or induced him through the sermon to commit that act, are you saying under your amendment that in no way could that ever be introduced against the minister?’ Davis, who supports the bill, replied, ‘No.’
“In other words, if a deranged person hears a priest, minister or rabbi quote Leviticus 18:22, ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination,’ and he then proceeds to assault a homosexual at a gay event—telling the arresting officer he was just following through on what he heard in his house of worship—the clergyman could arguably be charged with a hate crime. The very prospect of something like this happening should be enough to make any reasonable person wonder what is going on.
“The problem in general with hate crimes legislation is that it invites the government to probe way beyond motive. And in instances like this, it trespasses on free speech and religious liberty. This is a road no defender of liberty should ever want to go down.”
Is Quoting Scripture a Hate Crime?
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A 2-edged sword
Mr. Bill Donohue,
Freedom of speech allows you to say stupid things or refer to dangerous books written by ignorant people thousands of years ago who invented whatever god or gods in their own image, ... AS LONG AS THIS INDOCTRINATION OF SUPERSTITION does not incite anyone to violence IN THE NAME OF IMAGINARY SKY DADDIES of any kind.
Freedom of speech also allows me to state that FAITH is the name that people give their OWN SUPERSTITION and come out ridiculing superstition of any kind.
Last time I checked, faith have caused lots of violence through history, whereas the “a-superstition-ists” by just stating that anything not supported by verifiable testable evidence is superstition unworthy of human respect has never incited any violence. On the contrary it is always intended to stop senseless faith-triggered violence.
All people deserve respect but no superstition of any kind deserves any respect whatsoever.
- gma
April 20, 2009 5:21PM
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a 2-edged sword
Mr. Bill Donohue,
Freedom of speech allows you to say stupid things or refer to dangerous books written by ignorant people thousands of years ago who invented whatever god or gods in their own image, ... AS LONG AS THIS INDOCTRINATION OF SUPERSTITION does not incite anyone to violence IN THE NAME OF IMAGINARY SKY DADDIES of any kind.
Freedom of speech also allows me to state that FAITH is the name that people give their OWN SUPERSTITION and come out ridiculing superstition of any kind.
Last time I checked, faith have caused lots of violence through history, whereas the “a-superstition-ists” by just stating that anything not supported by verifiable testable evidence is superstition unworthy of human respect has never incited any violence. On the contrary it is always intended to stop senseless faith-triggered violence.
All people deserve respect but no superstition of any kind deserves any respect whatsoever.
- gma
April 20, 2009 5:26PM
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R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Wars have indeed been fought because of misinterpretation or an abuse of clerical power over the masses. And it was so stupid of them to fight because of their beliefs. What idiots.
Nowadays we fight over things that matter. Like dirt. Or black flammable sludge. Or perceived threats of communism. Yes indeed the human race has come a long way.
In reality it hasn't. Faith is more than a religious principle. You have faith , because you get out of bed in the morning. You have faith there's a reason to do so. You have faith that if you go to work you'll get a paycheck. That if you practice a sport or develop a talent you'll get better at it. The superstition of receiving a paycheck is based on past experience and in many cases today an unperceived one because the effect of a paycheck these days is that numbers increase in a direct deposit account online.
People of faith, real ones, become their religion , or superstition as you say, disrespect their religion you disrespect them. It is their opinion based on something you don't understand. That doesn't make it not respectable. You are not your family but you are part of it. Insults and degradation to other members of your family may provoke emotional responses like anger or sympathy. Yet you are not your family, why then should you be angry?
Freedom of speech allows you to say what you will. Call the creator of the universe an "IMAGINARY SKY DADDY" if you must. I'd appreciate you doing it without the pretense of respecting the people who believe such. As part of my free speech I'd like to add that I do respect people who exercise their free speech though I may not agree with their ideas. I respect you and your opinion but I'll try my best to hold people to their words and fallacies I perceive in their arguments. This was one.
- ecuadmail
April 24, 2009 2:11AM
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No - simple answer
MLK said (i will paraphrase) The only power that the words people say to you that have power over you is the power that you grant to them. God gave us self will and self determination. Read the Old Testament, the Jews would do right then they would fall away. None of us is perfect except through Jesus Christ. I still study and pray about this Gay/Homosexual issue. I have voiced my opinions elsewhere on this site about the state of the Gay/Bi-sexual/Transgendered/Lesbian folks and their cause. The serious everyday folks of this ilk have been hijacked by a bunch of deviants. Watch the parades! Need I say more!
Listen to some of the people in the parades if you want to hear hate. You could almost say that hate is in the mind of the beholder! Hate is a word that has many different meanings. Again our language falls short in many ways. Take the word Love. In the time of Jesus there are about four different meanings for love. There is Agape, Philla, Eros and one other. These are complex issues and ones that can not be dealt with through tunnel vision. I might consider it Hate Speech to challenge the scriptures of my faith . How does that play out? The New Testament is about the Love of Jesus Christ. It has truly taken 2000 years for many to understand that and many still don't. I have been taught by my Pastor to interpret scripture with scripture. Try that and you won't find the hate you are looking for. I suspect people still have a little voice asking them if they really are doing the right thing?
Blessings,
- JWINGEORGIA
April 22, 2009 9:45AM
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Who's hating?
"Listen to some of the people in the parades if you want to hear hate."
Yet not all LGBT people involve themselves in these parades.
To generalize that all LGBT people are neurotic hate-mongers who want to destroy family values is tantamount to generalizing that all Christians are neurotic hate-mongers who want to destroy civil rights . Not all LGBT people hate. Not all Christians hate.
- QuinceyQuick
April 23, 2009 12:47AM
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