Hate Crimes Amendment Passes House

Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) ^ | By Dale Hurd

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WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives has approved a bill that includes a hate crimes amendment.

That could make preaching or teaching against homosexuality a federal crime. It has gotten almost no news coverage, but critics say it poses a major threat to religious liberties.

The Hate Crimes Amendment, by Michigan Democrat John Conyers, was attached to the Children's Safety Act last week. It would federalize local crimes if the suspected motive is animosity toward homosexuals or "transgender" persons.

The amendment, which passed with the help of 30 Republicans, seems to have taken conservatives by surprise.

Republican leaders explained that party members voted to pass the Child Safety Bill even with the amendment attached, because they wanted the protection of children, and they figured that the Hate Crimes Amendment would be stripped off when the joint House-Senate conference Committee tackles the bill.

But the Senate, which will now take up the legislation, has passed similar hate crimes bills several times, and those were always blocked by House conservatives.

Some fear that under the law, preaching or teaching against homosexual conduct could be prosecuted as conspiracy to commit a hate crime.

A similar state law in Pennsylvania led directly to the arrests of 11 Christians in Philadelphia in a public park last year, and the felony prosecution of five of those Christians. The charges were eventually dropped.

Some House members are confident that the amendment will be cleaned up in committee, but some fear the Senate will pass the hate crimes provision as is and send it to the President for his signature.

[Xenophon450]

Well good thing about that...eventually it must burst...

[Xenophon450]

“Unfortunately, those 30 Republicans are in favor of legislation which prosecutes thought. That’s simply where they stand on the issue, along with all but five Democrats.”

Now who are these 30....

http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0037944.cfm

[brushcop]

Yes, right on. Now all of you please tell me again how clever we Repubs are, how we're moving forward with our agenda. I keep hearing from Rush how the libs don't win anything, really? That's strange, it seems to me I keep seeing watching the ACLU win victory after victory, more oppresive bills eradicating our liberty are being passed, that stuff is certainly "moving forward" clearly enough. I think most political conservatives are self-delusional, self-defeating and absolutely spineless.

When we are herded into concentration camps, I pray I have the pleasure of being herded in with some high-level politicos, that's where we'll extract a little long overdue justice--street justice.

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When we are herded into concentration camps, I pray I have the pleasure of being herded in with some high-level politicos, that's where we'll extract a little long overdue justice--street justice.

Until then, pester them on the phone.

HR 3231 is not yet scheduled for discussion in the Senate. But don't let them sneak it past us because we're not vigilant.