If Gay Foreigners Can Sue U.S. Pastor Over Sermons, Who Is Safe?
Judge wants gay claim of “crime against humanity” proceed against Bible preaching
By Julio Severo
WND has reported about the plight of Rev. Scott Lively, author of “The Pink Swastika,” under lawsuit from an African gay group because a homosexual leader in Uganda was murdered by his male lover allegedly after a sermon by Lively.
This is right. You have read correctly: an African gay activist was murdered by his own male prostitute lover and an American minister is to blame. And incredibly, the US judge has not tossed this ludicrous case.
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| Rev. Scott Lively |
But the ruling from Judge Michael Posner in a case brought by Sexual Minorities Uganda against Pastor Scott Lively of Abiding Truth Ministries could mean much more. It could establish that an international consensus disavowing long-held biblical standards could trump the U.S. Constitution, said WND.
And because of the massive US cultural influence around the world, it could open a dangerous precedent, making Christians vulnerable to lawsuits by gay supremacists from other nations. As a small sign of threats to come, last year PayPal decided to close down my account after a campaign and pressure by AllOut, an American gay group. In this case, a US gay group was able to close the account of a Brazilian. If the homosexual case against Rev. Lively succeeds, could AllOut and other American groups file similar lawsuits against me and other Brazilians?
Eventually, the UN system would get involved, regularizing “crime against humanity” and prosecution of Christians charged under this label.
In its report, WND also said,
SMUG alleges Lively must be punished for criticizing homosexuality, calling his speech a “crime against humanity” in violation of “international law.”
Lively’s attorney, Horatio Mihet of Liberty Counsel, said his client’s preaching is protected by the Constitution.
The judge took nearly 80 pages to say that he thought the allegations by SMUG were substantive and needed to be adjudicated.
The judge cited “many authorities” who “implicitly support the principle that widespread, systematic persecution of individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity constitutes a crime against humanity.”
The judge argued that the idea that Lively’s statements are protected under the First Amendment was “premature.”
The case against Lively claims that by speaking in opposition to homosexuality, he was conspiring to deprive the plaintiffs of their fundamental rights.
Lively’s attorneys have explained that SMUG’s attack goes directly to the supremacy and portability of the U.S. Constitution.
“SMUG asks this United States court to punish one of its citizens, Mr. Lively, for ‘crimes against humanity’ under an international treaty that The United States has expressly rejected,” a court filing opposing SMUG’s case explained.
“Moreover, what SMUG cavalierly and conclusorily labels as ‘crimes against humanity’ – the most heinous of crimes – is actually nothing more than civil, non-violent political discourse in the public square on a subject of great public concern, which occupies the highest run of First Amendment protection,” the brief said.
The action was prompted by Lively “sharing his biblical views on homosexuality during a 2009 visit to Uganda.”
SMUG is represented by the George Soros-funded Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, which even the New York Times described as left-leaning.
“SMUG also does not tell the court that David Kato – the murdered Ugandan activist whom SMUG makes the centerpiece of this lawsuit – was killed not by an enraged homophobe incited by Mr. Lively’s protected speech, but by a homosexual prostitute upset over a failed business transaction.
“Neither does SMUG tell the court that the confessed perpetrator of this horrible crime was tried and convicted in Ugandan courts, and is now serving a 30-year prison sentence.
“And, finally, SMUG does not tell the court that, far from inciting violence, Mr. Lively has consistently condemned acts of violence and calls to violence in the strongest possible terms, and has praised the Ugandan courts for imparting justice.”
Portuguese version of this article: Se gays estrangeiros podem processar pastor americano por causa de pregações, quem está seguro?
Source: Julio Severo in English: www.lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com
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