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To: bets; All
According to this article this type of Hate Crimes Legal protection against bible believers is already enacted in several states.

What do you think???

Hate Crimes Legislation Could Trigger Lawsuits, Family Groups Warn
by: Lawrence Morahan
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
Published: November 22, 2002 by the CNSNews.com

(CNSNews.com) - If passed, hate crimes legislation currently before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives could subject to lawsuits church ministers who express traditional views from the pulpit on sexual morality, a coalition of pro-family groups said.

"If pastors from pulpits speak either of the supremacy of biblical traditional marriage or speak of sexually alternative lifestyles in an unfavorable way, under this amendment they could be open to litigation," said William Devlin, president of the Urban Family Council, an inter-racial child and family advocacy group.

House Bill 1493, which likely will come up for a vote early next week, proposes to amend the state's Ethnic Intimidation Act to include "sexual orientation, gender or gender identity."

"Basically it's saying if you're sitting and you're hearing and you feel intimidated, you can sue," Devlin added.

The bill would empower people who consider themselves to be in a sexual minority, such as "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, transvestite, pansexual and cross-dressers" to sue spiritual leaders who publicly espouse traditional views on sexuality, he said.

The amendment, which has been sitting in the Legislature since June 2001, was voted out of committee Nov. 12 by a 15-5 margin. The Pennsylvania Senate passed the bill last year by a 32-15 vote.

If the bill passes the House and Gov. Mark Schweiker signs it - as he has pledged to do - Pennsylvania will join 26 other states and the District of Columbia in extending hate crimes legislation to homosexuals. It will be the fifth state to include "gender identity" in those protections.

The bill has broad bipartisan support. Its proponents include Republican House Majority Leader John Perzel and Stewart Greenleaf, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Steve Miskin, a spokesman for Perzel, said the majority leader intended to vote for the measure, which could come up for a vote as early as Monday.

"He intends to support it," Miskin said. "I'm inclined to think it will pass, but there will be some people trying to amend it to death," he said.

Stacey Soebel, executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights in Philadelphia, said concerns that the amendment could be used to silence people of faith were unfounded. %hool sex education class, "it belongs in pre-school." Her vile vision provided inspiration for the creation of Daddy's Roommate and Heather Has Two Mommies, storybooks used in New York City and elsewhere to indoctrinate young children in the homosexual worldview.

It is quite possible that someday, perhaps soon, it may be a crime form anyone to oppose homosexuality. The Bible will eventually be designated as "hate literature," and preachers will be accused of "hate crimes" for condemning the practice from their pulpits. Parents will be forbidden to teach their children to abhor homosexuality. Chalmette Middle School has already forbidden their students from bringing their Bibles to school to read during free time. A student told me that if they are caught with it, they would be suspended and the book will be confiscated.

America has already begun to consider the Bible as hate literature; it just hasn't reached our law books yet.

[We will watch H.B. 1493 and let you know if it is passed.]
35 posted on 08/02/2003 2:55:28 AM PDT by kuma
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To: kuma
Chalmette Middle School has already forbidden their students from bringing their Bibles to school to read during free time. A student told me that if they are caught with it, they would be suspended and the book will be confiscated.

...this is illegal! Jay Seculo would have a field day w/this school. I remember back in about '76, my brother brought his Bible to school to read at lunch and other "free" times. They tried to forbid him, but God bless his courage and faith, he didn't obey, and he continued to bring it to school and carry it w/his other books. Back then, it wasn't clear to the teachers as to the law. But today, it should be VERY clear - it's not illegal to have a Bible in school if it's for your own personal reading time. Good night, what's the world coming to?

37 posted on 08/02/2003 3:25:39 AM PDT by bets
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