Swedish Supreme Court Acquits Pastor of ‘Hate Crime’     11/30/2005
By CWA Staff

Panel upholds Ake Green’s right to religious freedom of speech

Click here for multimedia item on this topic.

Citing the European Convention on Human Rights, the Swedish Supreme Court dismissed a “hate crime” charge against Pentecostal pastor Ake Green for a sermon he gave in 2003 about the Bible and homosexuality.

“It’s chilling that a pastor was facing prison for preaching from the Bible, but we’re glad that Sweden’s high court finally got it right,” said Robert Knight, director of Concerned Women for America’s Culture & Family Institute. “Let’s hope that Congress takes note that ‘hate crime’ laws can lead to suppression, unequal treatment and drawn-out court cases.”

Green had been acquitted earlier by a Swedish court, but the verdict had been appealed by Chief Prosecutor Fredrik Wersaell, who called Green’s words “hate speech” and suggested that he use a different Bible in the future, one in which homosexuality is accepted as normal.

“It’s a stunning display of secular arrogance for a public official to dictate changes in Holy Scripture to suit him,” Knight said. “If anyone could be accused of committing a so-called ‘hate crime,’ it was Sweden’s prosecutorial unit.”

In 2003, Green was arrested after preaching against homosexuality in his pulpit. Public Prosecutor Kjell Yngvesson justified the arrest by saying, “Collecting Bible [verses] on this topic as he does makes this hate speech.” In June 2004, Green was sentenced to one month in prison for committing a “hate crime.” An appeals court threw out the case in February 2005, saying that offering an interpretation of the Bible and urging others to follow it is not illegal.

After Sweden’s chief prosecutor, Fredrik Wersaell, appealed the dismissal, the Swedish Supreme Court agreed to review it, hearing oral arguments on November 9, 2005.

Underlining the case’s importance, Swedish television carried live audio broadcasts of the hearing. According to the Associated Press, Green said that his sermon was “meant to warn gays that their lifestyle will result in an ‘eternal divorce’ from God.”

Alliance Defense Fund Chief Counsel Benjamin Bull, who traveled to Sweden to advise Pastor Green and observe the trial, said of the verdict:

"This is a huge international victory for fundamental human rights, religious freedom, and freedom of speech. Voicing one’s conscience is a fundamental human right. In this contest between religious freedom and the radical homosexual agenda, religious freedom prevailed. As David slew Goliath, Ake Green slew the radical homosexual agenda in this case. We can only hope that will deter other attempts to censor Christian ministers from delivering Bible-based messages against harmful homosexual conduct. Ake Green is a hero and we are grateful for his stand and his perseverance."

Printer Friendly Version

Recent Articles

The Castor Oil of Free Speech

After America, There's No Place to Go

Freedom Hands

Supreme Court Rules Against Christian Student Group

Congress Votes to Stifle Political Speech

Ohio Citizens Battle ObamaCare Mandates