"Hate Crimes" Vote Scheduled on National Day of Prayer Angers Christians

From Cybercast News Service:

(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. House of Representatives has scheduled a vote on a "hate crimes" bill for Thursday, which also happens to be the National Day of Prayer. One conservative group called this an example of "in your face" politics against Christians in America -- a charge strongly denied by the Democrats.

"There will be no shortage of things to pray for on this National Day of Prayer as the Congress takes a dark first step toward criminalizing public statements of sincerely held religious beliefs," Rev. Louis Sheldon, founder and chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, said in a news release.

"Homosexual extremists and their allies in the Congress have set out to rub the noses of religious citizens in their so-called hate crimes legislation, which repeals the rights of Christians to exercise their religion freely and in public," Sheldon stated.

Sheldon's comments refer to the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1592), which would "provide federal assistance to states, local jurisdictions and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes" involving "actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability."

Conservative Christian activists worry that the measure would give individuals who engage in homosexual behavior ("sexual orientation") or cross dressers ("gender identity") preferential treatment over other citizens by elevating them to a specially protected class.

"This so-called hate crimes bill begins to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners and anyone else whose actions are based upon - and reflect - the truths found in the Bible," Sheldon said.

TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty called the measure - which was introduced on March 20 by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) - "deeply offensive to people of faith across America."

"No-one can tell me that the 'original intent' of America's founders was to have the free exercise of religion regulated by secularists and their cohorts in the liberal and homosexual movements," Lafferty stated.

"This is the beginning of a dark and dangerous period for religious Americans who now face the specter of privatized religious expression and secretive home churches," she added.

[More]

My Comments:
Still no word from the USCCB.


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
"Hate Crimes" Bill Moving to Full House; Seen as Effort to Silence Christians on Homosexuality