HR 1913 Hate Crimes Legislation Vote Coming
April 20, 2009 by admin
Filed under Stories Of Interest
U.S. Representative, Barney Frank, announced Thursday that the House Judiciary Committee will be considering hate crimes legislation, H.R. 1913, this coming week of April 20. Frank is expecting the committee to pass the bill which would leave it in the House to vote on later this spring, according to a news release issued by Barney Frank on his website last week.*
The bill, H.R. 1913, is named the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. As of Tuesday the bill already had 42 co-sponsors. The bill was introduced into the House on April 2 by U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
“All freedom loving Americans must voice their opposition to this bill,” said Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. “If this bill passes it lays the foundation for censoring Christians. In other countries, Like in Canada and Sweden, where these types of hate crime laws have been implemented, pastors and Christians have been jailed and fined for their faithful adherence to the biblical values.”
US Congressman John Conyers reintroduced the same bill that passed in 2007. The bill was passed in less than one hour before any opposition could be mounted. It was eventually vetoed by President Bush. President Obama has expressed his support of hate crime legislation and is expected to sign the bill if passed.
The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission is calling on all freedom loving American’s to call the house Judiciary Committee and tell them to vote no on hate crimes that take away religious liberty and freedom of speech.
Christian Pastors Worried By H.R. 1913
A Texas congressman who is a former judge warns that the “hate crimes” legislation reintroduced in the U.S. House could potentially lead to the arrest of Christian pastors who speak out against sexual immorality.
Representatives John Conyers (D-Michigan) and Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) are sponsoring the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913), also known as the “Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act.” The bill would add sexual orientation to the list of categories covered under federal hate crime law. When Democrats passed the bill in 2007, they were divided over whether to add “gender identity and expression” to the list.
Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) says under the legislation, pastors, rabbis, or imams could be charged with encouraging or inducing a “hate crime” if they preach against homosexuality.
Bible ban”Every preacher of the gospel, unless you cut out parts of it; every imam who mentions anything with regard to sexual immorality — they could be pursued, and in other countries they have been,” says the Texas lawmaker.
Gohmert shares information he received from abroad. “I was talking to a guy from Norway who was telling me that people are even afraid to say Mary was a virgin, because just bringing up sexuality at all can raise problems with law enforcement,” he says.
