'Gay' man sues $70 million for emotional distress because homosexuality cast as sin

WND ^ | July 9th, 2008

[Raineygoodyear]

A homosexual man is suing a major Christian publisher for violating his constitutional rights and causing emotional pain, because its Bible versions refer to homosexuality as a sin. Bradley LaShawn Fowler, 39, of Canton, Mich., is seeking $60 million from Zondervan and another $10 million from Thomas Nelson Publishing in lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Grand Rapids Press reported. Fowler filed his claim against Grand Rapids-based Zondervan yesterday, alleging its Bibles' references to homosexuality as a sin have made him an outcast from his family and contributed to physical discomfort and periods of "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment," the paper said. He filed suit against Tennessee publisher Thomas Nelson in June. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr. refused to appoint an attorney to represent Fowler in the Thomas Nelson case, saying the court "has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims." Fowler, who is representing himself in both lawsuits, says in his complaint against Zondervan that the publisher intended to design a religious, sacred document to reflect an individual opinion or a group's conclusion to cause "me or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence ... including murder."

[esquirette]

Difficult to get but I still would not want the doors of the courthouse closed on threat of ‘loser pays’ no matter what.

[NonValueAdded]

S/he’d have a much better chance filing that suit in Canada.

[Tax-chick]

He’s just following the “Constitutional right to not be offended” to its logical conclusion. In other countries, ministers have been convicted of “hate” for verbally teaching that homosexual behavior is sinful, so why not go after a publisher, under our deranged liability system?

[M203M4]

OMG, the Hate™ literature also groups homosexuality with incest and bestiality! We haven't even begun to attempt to increase social approval of those activities! /sarc

There was one case in Canada in 2001, and one in America (Idaho, I think in 2004) where biblical verses were accepted by the courts as "hate literature" when placed in certain contexts. Hey, according to Supreme Court logic, those prior decisions constitute strong arguments in favor of criminalizing the bible.

[Unam Sanctam]

Is there still a First Amendment?

[Resolute Conservative]

He does make me chuckle. I have 2 Zondervan Bibles at home and one on the truck, I may just go buy another for the office.

Neal Boortz wrote a while back that losers leave the office at 5 and winners stay and get the work done. I left at 5 every day last week so I feel slighted anyone know a good lawyer?

[SeaHawkFan]

Article says he is representing himself. Judge is going to toss this case out in short order.

[Condor51]

Yesterday, a U.S. District Judge refused to appoint an attorney to represent Fowler in the Thomas Nelson case, saying the court "has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims and

Case dismissed!

[threeoeight]

Geoffery Fieger will take anything.

[Jagermonster]

For those of you who (like me) feel chronically compelled to look at the text of what the law actually says, the text of federal rule of civil procedure 11 can be found here.

[threeoeight]

A typical rump rider. Move along.

[Wiser now]

“It’s version”?????Is this guy really dumb enough to think each publisher produces a Bible that says what the publisher wants it to say?

[Jerry Attrick]

Zondervan needs to file a counter-suit claiming discrimination! Homo-ism is cast as a sin in the Qur’an also! This idiot is only suing the Bible!

[vimto]

Brit Freeper - no insult taken, there's a lot of wacky stuff like this over ere, why should we have all the fun!

Frankly this is laughable - or would be if you couldn't see the future writ large in it.

Like someone said - “The love that dare not speak it's name to the love that won't shut up in just 15 years!”

:^)From

[ASA Vet]

Story from a local source, yesterday.

[Mr. Lucky]

Even without FRCP 11, the successful defendant in this case will have a cause of action for malicious prosecution and abuse of process. Unfortunately, its got to bear a boat load of expense in the meanwhile and then face the very probable fact that losers like this have no assets subject to execution.

[weeder]

..........in further news, Fowler is said to be contemplating legal action against a local supplier of door hardware. He claims to have been walking past the store recently, and upon looking through the window, noticed an employee polishing a knob. He claims the sight made him “uncomfortable”.

[AmericaUnite]

Would he sue the psychiatrists, who still know, homsexuality is as a mental disorder? In the 70's the American Psychiatric Association had their annual meeting in California. Activist gays demonstrated against the association. To quote one psychiatrist, who resigned from the American Psychiatric Association after they removed homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, "The next thing they'll say is schizophrenia is an alternate thought disorder."

[JewishRighter]

What audacity: the suit seeks to make the Bible illegal.

[LetMarch]

Just noticed your tag line .......because, I’ve been thinking for some time now,”The ACLU seems to be saying, the constitution is unconstitional.”