Christians and Hate Crimes

From DEFConAmerica.org

Last week, "...the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a bill that promises to extend protection from violent or discriminatory acts of hate to gay and lesbian Americans.

In a shocking turn of events, even for this administration, President Bush has threatened to veto this anti-hate bill. With the overwhelming congressional and public support for this legislation, many are asking who the President could possibly be serving with such a commitment; the answer unfortunately is the religious right.

Over the last few months the religious right has waged a deceptive campaign opposing this pro-equality legislation. They have employed a range of excuses; Chuck Colson compared the law to something out of George Orwell's famous novel 19841, Tony Perkins has stated that the legislation is “contrary to our heritage and our values,”2 and just this week James Dobson told listeners of Focus on the Family Radio, “there’s a vote coming up on some insidious legislation in the United States Congress that could silence and punish Christians for their moral beliefs. That means that as a Christian – if you read the Bible a certain way with regard to morality – you may be guilty of committing a ‘thought crime.”3

Such sentiments beg the question: does the religious right truly believe that hate speech is an integral component of their faith?"

Here is my problem with this whole issue... It would seem flatly inconsistent with the "Sermon on the Mount" and the "Two Greatest Commandments" (Love God and Love your neighbor) for any Christian to be fearful of committing a Hate Crime by simply exercising their Christian beliefs. I don't recall any case in the Bible of Christ saying you need to Hate people or should attack those that would be doing something sinful. In fact, one of the major crimes he was accused of by the Pharisees (the ancient equivalent of Focus on the Family) was that he hung around with sinners!

I wonder where these people get this crap. It really disgusts me to see the Life of the most Peaceful man of all time reduced to being a lash used to whip people. It is so denigrating to the Story of the Christ to see Him used in this way; to justify committing a Hate Crime! If your "religion" or "faith" causes you to commit a Hate Crime, then you need to go back to the Bible and figure out where you went wrong. It shouldn't take very long. Start with Matthew 22:34

34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

It makes sense that protecting people against crimes of Hate is very consist with how Christ saw the Law. If that is too complicated for you, I don't know what can done to convince you that as a Christian, it's your duty to support the passing of a national Hate Crime Bill that would protect gay people. Christians should stand up AGAINST Hate Crimes, not stand up FOR Hate!

-Devon