Religious Right Lies About Hate Bill

[RedEarth]

Legal Brief
Religious Right Lies About Hate Bill
By Rhonda Brownstein

Intelligence Report

They sure sound like they know what they're talking about.

"A bill now before Congress (H.R. 1592/ S. 1105) would criminalize negative comments concerning homosexuality, such as calling the practice of homosexuality a sin from the pulpit, a 'hate crime' punishable by a hefty fine and time in prison," says the American Family Association's "Petition to Congress in Defense of Religious Freedom."

"We must stop it before they send your grandma, your pastor, or you to jail for sharing your faith," Faith2Action President Janet Folger writes in an April 18, 2007, press release.

"The proposed law would make it a crime to preach on Romans Chapter 1 or I Corinthians Chapter 6," adds a June 14, 2007, "action alert" from the American Family Association. "Or even to discuss them in a Sunday School class."

There's just one thing. Every one of these statements is completely false.

These and other similarly outlandish claims by an array of far-right Christian fundamentalist groups are designed to incite their members to oppose a proposed amendment to the current federal hate crimes law. But it's obvious that these groups never consulted an actual lawyer — at least not one who knew anything about law.

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=910

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Ah. I wondered what they were lying about THIS afternoon.

It's always something.

We need to stop worrying about your average, small-time murderers, and reserve the death penalty for lying.