Speak Now or Forever Face Criminal Charges     7/15/2004
By Sarah Markwood

“These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own.” --G.K. Chesterton

As Americans are fighting the battle over the definition of marriage, the culture war is also raging on another homosexual front. At stake is the religious freedom to proclaim Biblical truth about homosexual conduct—a freedom which legislative measures and court rulings are threatening to extinguish.

As a result of homosexual activists seeking to receive special treatment as a protected class, the United States is beginning to consider including “sexual orientation” for protection from hate crimes. These “hate crime” bills could lead to criminalizing Biblical teachings that condemn homosexual conduct as a sin.

On June 15, the U.S. Senate voted 65-33 in favor of an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act that imposes fines for a crime committed because of a prejudice against someone’s “sexual orientation.” Currently work is being done behind the scenes to make sure that this language is removed before the Act gets to the President’s desk. This is only the Senate’s latest attempt in several years to include “sexual orientation” as a protected group, and attempts will continue if this one fails. If this language is finalized, the possibility that the Bible will eventually be ruled as hate speech is real.

If Americans do not voice their concerns about this trend, the future of our country may follow the tragic course of other countries. “Using similar laws, the mere criticism of homosexuality is considered a ‘hate crime' in Sweden and Canada," said Robert Knight, director of CWA’s Culture & Family Institute.

Last month, a Swedish pastor received a month in prison after reading aloud Bible verses on homosexuality during a church service. In a sermon in 2003, Ake Green, a Swedish Pentecostal pastor, described homosexuality as “abnormal, a horrible cancerous tumor in the body of society.” The Free Republic reported that Soren Andersson, president of the Swedish federation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights (RFSL), said “religious freedom could never be used as a reason to offend people.”

“The idea of a 'hate crime' is completely contrary to the American principles of free speech and equal protection under the law,” Knight said. “Any senator who voted for this [amendment] is setting up our children and grandchildren for persecution as activist courts rule that Biblical morality is 'bigotry.'”

Last April, despite hundreds of thousands of Canadians voicing their opposition, Canada passed Bill C-250, which adds “sexual orientation” to federal law that forbids anyone from speaking or publishing materials that could bring "incitement of hatred and genocide" against listed groups.

Even legislators had concerns about the bill. Liberal Sen. Anne Cools said that “millions of Canadians [are now exposed] to criminal prosecution who hold moral opinions about sexuality.” A Saskatchewan newspaper publisher was already fined for running an advertisement listing Bible verses that dealt with homosexuality. Under C-250, even defending the traditional definition of marriage may be a criminal offense.

In a society of moral and religious relativism, the Biblical message cannot be synthesized in the name of “tolerance.” Instead, all Christians must proclaim God’s truth, which is mutually exclusive.

Pastor Voddie Baucham, during the recent annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, stated that American Christians must be willing “to stand for that exclusivity—regardless of the cost.”

As Knight concluded, “hate crimes” legislation will “muzzle public discussion of homosexuality and even someday silence pastors.” We cannot idly sit and watch that “someday” arrive in America. Instead, as efforts are currently being taken behind the scenes to remove the recent attempt to include “sexual orientation,” we must diligently pray that our leaders will remain dedicated to preserving fundamental truths and stand against future attempts to pass hate crimes legislation.

Sarah Markwood is an intern with Concerned Women for America through the Blackstone Fellowship.

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