Johnson/Dykstra on Hate Crimes

From the South Dakota Family Policy Council's 2008 general election voter guide on hate crimes, comparing Senator Tim Johnson with Republican challenger Joel Dykstra:


Support S Amdt 3035 to HR 1585 (2007), which funded the prosecution of hate crimes?

Tim Johnson: Y
Joel Dykstra: N

Herseth Sandlin/Lien on Hate Crime Legislation

From the South Dakota Family Policy Council's 2008 general election voter guide on hate crimes legislation:

Support HR 1592 (2007), which enhanced punishments for hate crimes committed out of bias against victims' sexual preferences?

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin: Y
Chris Lien: N

Fire Reported At Fred Phelps' Church

Fire Reported At Fred Phelps' Church
Topeka Congregation Known For Funeral Protests

POSTED: 9:14 am CDT August 3, 2008

UPDATED: 9:21 am CDT August 3, 2008

TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Topeka Fire Department is investigating a small fire outside of a church whose members protest at soldiers' funerals.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that a fence and garage at Westboro Baptist Church became engulfed in flames early Saturday. The fire did not spread to the church building.

Topeka Fire Marshal Greg Bailey said the cause of the fire has not been determined.

However, a spokeswoman for the church, Shirley Phelps-Roper, believes it was deliberately set.

Read the rest of the report at KMBC.

Fred Phelps believes that soldiers die as punishment for tolerance of homosexuals. Can we then assume that the fire was set as God's punishment, too? Perhaps the restoration efforts should be a picket scene liken the funeral ones put on by Phelps and clan.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Overturns Homosexual 'Hate Crime' Law

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Katherine T. Phan
Christian Post Reporter
Fri, Jul. 25 2008 01:36 PM EDT

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday tossed out language that expanded the state's hate crime law to include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity."

The top state court upheld a November 2007 ruling by the Commonwealth Court, which had struck down the 2002 amendment as unconstitutional because it "did not retain its original purpose as it moved through the enactment process." The Commonwealth Court ruled that the statute violated the state Constitution because it was added to a bill that originally dealt with agricultural crimes.

Eleven members of a Christian evangelist group called Repent America were arrested and charged under the expanded "ethnic intimidation" law in 2004 for picketing at a Philadelphia event for homosexuals.

Although the charges were later dropped, Repent America director Michael Marcavage and six other members challenged the law.

Marcavage praised the Supreme Court's decision.

"Having been arrested, jailed and charged with a 'hate crime' for preaching the Gospel, I am elated that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling in striking down Pennsylvania's expanded 'hate crimes' law," he said in a statement.

Marcavage pledged that his group will remain vigilant as they expect state lawmakers to make another attempt at passing a "hate crimes" law.

"The methods used by the Pennsylvania legislature in passing the 'hate crimes' bill were extremely devious and yet another chilling example as to how far politicians are willing to go to silence Christian speech that they would violate our own state Constitution to do it."

Members of Congress have also considered expanding federal hate crime laws to include "sexual orientation." The House of Representatives passed its version of The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in May 2007. A similar bill was also introduced in the Senate last year.

A large majority of critics of the legislation are pastors and religious leaders who argue that the hate-crime laws would infringe on their freedom of speech and incriminate them for expressing their moral views on issues such as homosexuality.

A pastor who delivered a sermon telling his congregation that homosexuality is a sin could be held accountable for a hate crime if someone commits a crime against a homosexual person after hearing his sermon, religious leaders say.

Since the motive behind a hate crime could only be proved by showing that the suspect had hateful thoughts against a particular group of people when he committed the crime, critics say the legislation would criminalize thoughts.

Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore of Foundation for Moral Law, which represented the members of Repent America in the case, said he was happy that in this case the court prevented "corrupt politicians" from sneaking the law into the state Constitution.

"Preaching to homosexuals about the sin of sodomy should not be made a 'thought crime' in Pennsylvania or any other state."

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Christian Counselor Fired for Religious Values

Unless we turn around this trend, the First Amendment freedoms of speech and religion are headed for the door in America.

Liberals have for some time been pushing for the United States, the world leader in freedom, to be like other nations. We would therefore be wise to stay abreast of developments in other nations that threaten freedom and religious values.

For instance, WorldNetDaily reports Brazil may be about to approve a law that could land you in jail simply for offending a homosexual. The bill is in the Brazilian senate now, after being unanimously approved by the House:

If anyone prevents actions of "homosexual affection" in public or private locations open to the public, they could face up to five years in prison for doing so, the Association of the Defense of Life reports.

The bill also seeks to penalize private and public school administrators with up to three years in prison if they refuse to hire openly "gay" teachers.

According to the CNA, the measure will force prison time for any "moral, ethical, philosophical or psychological expression that questions homosexual practices."

Jail time for Americans who offend homosexuals has already been advocated by some, and there is a growing list of incidents across the country where Christians are being harassed for their refusal to celebrate and accommodate this immoral and unhealthy sexual practice.

Our neighbor to the north, Canada, is already well advanced down this road of government-enforced acceptance of homosexuality.

The latest example in America to make the headlines comes from WorldNetDaily about a woman who works as a counselor for a Centers for Disease Control contractor.

A lesbian came to her for help in pursuing a homosexual relationship, and since the counselor was a Christian who understood this to be wrong, the counselor referred the woman to another counselor who had no such moral reservations.

Not good enough.

The action has been brought by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of Marcia Walden, who was fired from her position with a contractor for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta because her religious beliefs conflicted with the homosexual's goal of rebuilding a same-sex relationship and she reassigned the client to another counselor.

"A woman shouldn't lose her job for merely upholding the highest professional standards," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Brian Raum. "It is unconstitutional to punish Walden for following her Christian faith, particularly when she made every effort to accommodate the needs of a potential client. Referring her to another competent counselor instead of attempting to offer her own counsel in such a situation was the ethical thing to do for the person seeking help. It's egregious to be fired for honoring professional and ethical obligations."

I don't know if I could have in good conscience gone as far as Walden did. To me, it would be like being a doctor with a patient who wants affirmation for their smoking or drinking habit. Could I in good conscience refer them to a doctor who would tell them that this behavior was healthy and good for them? Or would I be facilitating their continuation of a dangerous behavior by referring them to a professional who will encourage them to continue destroying their lives?

However, it apparently was not enough that her counseling needs were addressed, because the lesbian complained about Walden, alleging the Christian counselor was "homophobic."

The lesbian, who was counseled by Walden's colleague, Ken Cook, told Walden's supervisor, Gordon Hughes, Walden should not be employed because of her beliefs and asked to file a formal complaint against her.

Walden was placed on unpaid suspension over this nearly a year ago.

This is another illustration that for homosexual activists, the whole public issue of homosexuality isn't about mere tolerance. They demand and will settle for nothing less than complete and total normalization, legitimization and celebration of their sexual behavior.

Our culture has lost its collective mind.

Freedom of Speech Takes Another Hit in Canada

From LifeSiteNews comes a report of Alberta pastor Stephen Boissoin being fined $7,000 by the Alberta Human Rights Commission. What was his terrible crime? He uttered non-state-approved speech.

Pastor Boissoin sent a letter to the editor of a newspaper in which he said homosexuality is immoral and dangerous, and questioned the wisdom of new homosexual rights curricula being used in Alberta's educational system.

From the article:

"The point I am trying to make here is what's being attacked at the core is what I believe, according to my personal beliefs and my religious beliefs."

The pastor also maintained that his beliefs are founded not on hate or malice, but derive from a personal concern for the family and society, a concern that is rooted not only in faith, but also in science.

"I am not allowed to hold my views, but the Lunds of the world are allowed to bring gay ministers into schools, they are allowed to present scientifically baseless teachings to kids that people are born gay."

By the way, Pastor Boissoin says he will NOT apologize as the commission also required: "Absurd - beyond absurd. I will never make a public apology; I stand by what I said."

Canadians don't have the same Bill of Rights we enjoy in the United States which enshrines our liberties in our nation's highest law. They do, however, have the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which essentially has a similar function. Section 2 of the Charter does guarantee, among others, "freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication."

Politically correct Canadian laws, along with their Gestapo-like "human rights commissions" are running roughshod over Canadian freedom of expression with hardly a bleat from the rest of Canadian government.

"Well, that's just Canada," you might say if you're an American. "We have the Bill of Rights to protect us here."

Have you forgotten that the United States Supreme Court has already been consulting foreign law in the "interpretation" of U.S. judicial decisions? Have you forgotten that the American Left is perpetually telling us how America needs to be like the other socialist countries around the world?

Consider this statement by Justice Russell Juriansz, Ontario Court of Appeals on the American approach to free speech:

It seems fair to say that the American view is becoming a minority one in the world. Canada is part of what appears to be growing global consensus, which observes that careful restrictions of some forms of speech are both desirable and necessary.

In other words, if your group is deemed to be one of the "protected class" then no one can even speak against you, much less do real harm to you. And if you want to speak out against one of the "protected" ones for whatever reason, then you become a criminal if you do.

How long until the assertion that the United States, the first and foremost leader of freedom in the world, is branded "out of step" with the ideas of "freedom" shared by the rest of the world? And how long until this assertion is leveraged to force U.S. government to abandon any semblance of true freedom of expression?

Since people are already starting to be punished in the United States for exercising their freedom of expression and freedom of religion, probably not long...

Catholic Priest Investigated for 'Hate Crime' in Canada

You know, I've never understood "love crimes" as they relate to "hate crimes," but maybe I'm just slow.

I've also never understood why the law should consider the same crime more heinous because it was theoretically motivated by hate of the victim's physical characteristics...or in the case of neo-"hate crime" law, because of the victim's sexual behavior. To me, murder is heinous, period; assault is heinous, period, and so on. Doesn't matter who the victim is or what the perpetrator's motive was; the crime is the crime. Maybe I'm just not hip to that, either.

But while things are getting ominous here in the United States with "hate crime" legislation (dare I say "thought crime"?), it's getting downright scary up in Canada.

Pete Vere in the Catholic Exchange writes today about a Catholic priest, Fr. Alphonse de Valk, who is being investigated by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC).

Apparently, when this group of politically correct witch-hunters gets you in their sites, your goose is cooked.

The CHRC is using section 13 of Canada’s Human Rights Act to investigate the priest. This is a section under which no defendant has ever won once the allegation has gone to tribunal — the next stage of the process.

Most defendants end up paying thousands of dollars in fines and compensation. This is in addition to various court costs. Moreover, defendants are responsible for their own legal defense. In contrast, the commission provides free legal assistance to the complainant.

Canada has a recent history of persecuting any Christian who doesn't pay the proper obeisance to the government-mandated approval of homosexuality.

In 2005, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal fined a Knights of Columbus council over $1,000 dollars for declining to rent their hall to a couple for a lesbian marriage ceremony.

Five years previous, the Ontario Human Rights Commission fined Protestant printer Scott Brockie $5,000 for declining to print homosexual-themed stationary. The Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal fined Hugh Owens thousands of dollars for quoting a couple of Bible verses in a letter to the local newspaper. And Mayor Diane Haskett in London, Ontario, was fined $10,000 plus interest for declining to proclaim a gay pride day.

So what kind of vicious, bloodthirsty "hate crime" did de Valk perpetrate that so offended the moral conscience of the CHRC?

Father defended the Church’s teaching on marriage during Canada’s same-sex ‘marriage’ debate, quoting extensively from the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Pope John Paul II’s encyclicals. Each of these documents contains official Catholic teaching. And like millions of other people throughout the world and the ages - many of who are non-Catholics and non-Christians — Father believes that marriage is an exclusive union between a man and a woman.

Imagine that: this priest had the audacity to repeat his church's teaching on marriage and human sexuality. This priest was so brutal that he apparently repeated God's design for human sexuality and His divine definition of "marriage."

So it seems that even teaching from the Bible may be considered a "hate crime" in "enlightened" Canada.

With liberals in this country clamoring that the United States needs to be more like Canada and the socialist countries of Europe, can this be very far behind here?

The article in Catholic Exchange points out that Christians are already getting hammered here in the States. New Mexico hammered a Christian photographer (a private businessman) who didn't want to photograph two lesbians make a commitment to each other.

And there are other examples:

- Catholic Charities in Boston was forced out of the adoption ministry because they refused to put children in homes of homosexual couples.

- Boston school teachers have been threatened with termination if they fail to cast homosexuality in a positive light to students.

- The University of Toledo fired a black administrator for writing a "letter to the editor" of a local newspaper about the inconsistency of comparing homosexuality to ethnicity.

- Christians in Philadelphia were arrested for reading Bible verses and praying out loud during a homosexual festival.

- Philadelphia has also decided to stick it to the Boy Scouts (who don't allow homosexuals in leadership positions of their loyal-to-God organization), charging them $200,000 a year rent to use facilities that other charities use for free.

We're headed for a bad place, folks. We've had it good in America for more than 200 years. We've enjoyed religious freedom in a culture founded on Christian values. But we fell asleep and let the inmates take over the asylum.

Not only is the First Amendment about to fly out the window, but freedom in general is right on it's heels.

Pro-Family Group Blasts Colo. Anti-Sexual Discrimination Law

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Aaron Leichman
Christian Post Reporter
Fri, May. 30 2008 05:57 PM ET

Pro-family advocates criticized a new Colorado law, calling it the “Pandora’s box” of what they said would be a stream of future cases involving sexual predators.

Senate Bill 200 was signed into law Thursday and is meant to combat discrimination. The new law makes it illegal in Colorado to discriminate against gays, bisexuals and transgendered people when buying a home, renting an apartment or using public accommodations.

But opponents of the bill said it would allow anyone who “perceives” or declares one’s “sexual orientation” as a man or woman to be granted full access to all public facilities throughout the state, including restrooms and locker rooms.

“With SB 200, we no longer have two ‘sexes;’ we enter a brave new world with a myriad of ‘sexual orientations’ that must not be discriminated against, upon pain of the substantial civil and criminal penalties contained in the bill,” explained Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family Action, in an editorial written for the Denver Post.

One aspect of the law also enables transgenders to use public restrooms in which they feel most comfortable.

“The governor felt that this bill, SB200, was about fairness and treating people equally," said Evan Dreyer, spokesman for the governor's office, according to Colorado Springs’ The Gazette. "It essentially updates anti-discrimination laws that in some cases have not been updated for 50 years."

Minnery argues that under the new law, small business owners could also be penalized with fines and subject to federal prosecution and imprisonment for refusing to do business with someone because of one’s religious belief that homosexuality is wrong.

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson released a statement saying, “The legislation lists every conceivable type of organization to which this law applies, including restaurants, bathhouses, massage parlors, mortuaries, theaters and ‘public facilities of any kind.’ Those who would attempt to protect females from this intrusion are subject to a fine of up to $5,000 and up to one year behind bars.” The prominent Christian family organization began sponsoring radio advertisements on May 21 in Colorado Springs and Denver denouncing the bill.

“Henceforth, every woman and little girl will have to fear that a predator, bisexual, cross-dresser or even a homosexual or heterosexual male might walk in and relieve himself in their presence,” he added.

Bruce DeBoskey, regional director of Denver's Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights organization, downplayed the dangers Dobson described.

"It is unfortunate that they feel they have to exaggerate the dangers and play on people's fears," DeBoskey said, as reported by The Gazette. "This law is about fairness and justice for all people living in this state."

Meanwhile, Dobson says that there is little that can be done to stop the new law, which is perhaps the worst thing about it.

“[B]ecause of the way this bill is written, it is not subject to the initiative process. There is no recourse,” Dobson said.


Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Homosexual Activist Adovcates Jail for Refusing to Recognize Homosexual 'Marriage'

Even if he has a chance to implement it, Barack Obama's radical vision for a completely new society won't be enough for homosexual activists.

You're going to have to LIKE IT.

A couple of years ago, judicial oligarchs in Massachussets torpedoed marriage in that state. Now a different group of judicial activists have done the same in California. And if the American people decide to elect Barack Obama to the presidency in November (which stands a good chance of happening), he has a similar plan for the United States.

This may sound melodramatic, but while the gutting and destruction of marriage and family would be devastating enough to our culture, even our foundational and Constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms are likely to go down the same drain as the family.

Nothing less than our freedom of speech and freedom of religion are on the line.

Americans for Truth About Homosexuality points to the disturbing comments made by homosexual activist Sean Kosofsky lately:

Michigan’s largest homosexual activist group says once marriage is legally redefined to include homosexual couples, business owners and even news media outlets who refuse to recognize such marriages should be jailed or sued and “publicly slapped,” a Jewish and openly bisexual columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News reported Monday.

The piece also says this about Kosofsky's organization:

“The Triangle Foundation openly admits homosexual activists’ intentions, once they gain sufficient political power, to impose their radical social agenda on America by brute force, trampling cherished American values such as religious freedom, freedom of speech, academic freedom, and even freedom of the press if it stands in their way,” Glenn said.

The Los Angeles Daily News has more on Kosofsky's comments (and others):

What happens if a traditionally religious business owner wants to extend his "marriage discount" only to couples married in his eyes? Sean Kososky of Michigan's largest gay-rights group, the Triangle Foundation, says, "If you are a public accommodation and you are open to anyone on Main Street, that means you must be open to everyone on Main Street. If they don't do it, that's contempt and they will go to jail."

Teaching in school that marriage is between a man and a woman? Can't do it!

Sharon Malheiro, a lawyer and LGBT activist from Des Moines affiliated with the state's gay-marriage lobby, ONE-IOWA, told me if a teacher in a marriage-equality state taught that marriage is between a man and a woman, "then it becomes a job performance issue," and the school district should take appropriate action.

If a newspaper doesn't walk the party line and repeat the fantasy that two men or two women can constitute a "marriage," they must be slammed with the law, too.

Michael Taylor-Judd, the president of the Legal Marriage Alliance of Washington state, said if a newspaper writes that a given same-sex marriage wasn't really a marriage, "it is certainly in the realm of possibility for someone to bring a (libel) suit, and quite possibly to be successful." Kososky agreed: "I would be sympathetic to some damages. They need to be slapped publicly."

No freedom of the press, either (not that most of the liberal "mainstream" media will mind, anyway).

Incidentally, this piece in the Daily News was written by David Benkof, who is himself a homosexual. Even he has the intellectual integrity to find the California decision and these comments troubling.

Actually, this isn't just some hypothetical future event we're talking about here. Harassment for those who don't march in lockstep with the homosexual agenda is already a reality.

Americans for Truth About Homosexuality has cataloged a few cases around the world (and even here in the States) where people and groups are being harassed by the government for having the audacity to continue believing in morality:

* Swedish Pastor Ake Green in 2004 was sentenced to 30 days in jail for preaching a sermon in which he defined homosexual behavior as sinful and harmful to society. http://www.akegreen.org/

* Baptist Press reported in 2005: “A Catholic bishop in Canada is under investigation by a government agency for condemning ‘gay marriage’… The bishop, Fred Henry of Calgary, is being investigated by the Alberta Human Rights Commission for comments he made about homosexuality in both a letter to parishioners and a Calgary Sun newspaper column. Two homosexuals filed the complaints.” http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=20716

* The Irish Times reported in 2003: “Clergy and bishops who distribute the Vatican’s latest publication describing homosexual activity as ‘evil’ could face prosecution under incitement to hatred legislation. …Those convicted under the Act can face jail terms of up to six months.”
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/frontpage/2003/0802/1059775167952.html

* The London Daily Telegraph reported in 2006: “New Government proposals on equality could require clergy to bless homosexual ‘weddings’ or face prosecution, the Church of England said yesterday. It said the proposed regulations could undermine official teaching and require Christians to act against their religious convictions.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1520849/Church-%27could-be-forced-to-bless-gay-weddings%27.html

* Catholic Charities in Boston was forced by a state “sexual orientation” law to either process the adoption of children to homosexual couples, a direct violation of Vatican policy, or abandon their century-old adoption referral services altogether. They chose the latter. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/03/11/catholic_charities_stuns_state_ends_adoptions

* The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix newspaper was ordered by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal to pay three homosexual men $1,500 each after the newspaper agreed to run an ad that featured Bible verses critical of homosexual behavior. “As the Star-Phoenix lawyer said in his closing statement (before the Tribunal), ‘A Human Rights ruling against the Star-Phoenix and Mr. Owens could limit freedom of speech in the media, in churches and in classrooms.’” http://www.realwomenca.com/newsletter/1999_Sept_Oct/article_7.html

* A British couple were questioned by police on possible “hate crime” charges after they wrote a letter-to-the-editor of their local newspaper criticizing city officials for distributing brochures at city hall promoting homosexual behavior. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/4555406.stm

* The London Daily Telegraph reported last month: “A Christian couple who have taken in 28 children have been forced to give up being foster parents after they refused to promote homosexuality. Vincent Matherick, 65, and his 61-year-old wife Pauline were told by social services that they had to comply with legislation requiring them to treat homosexuality as equal to heterosexuality.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567160/Christian-foster-parents-condemn-’gay-laws’.html

* A British Anglican bishop in February was fined for refusing to hire an openly homosexual man as a church youth minister. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/feb/08021104.html

* The London Daily Telegraph reported in 2003: “A bishop who angered homosexuals by suggesting they seek a psychiatric cure is to be investigated by police to see if his outspoken views amount to a criminal offence, it emerged yesterday.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1446318/Bishop%27s-anti-gay-comments-spark-legal-investigation.html

* Eleven Christians in Philadelphia — including two grandmothers in their 70’s, one white and one African-American — were arrested and charged with “ethnic intimidation” under Pennsylvania’s “hate crimes” law when they tried to read Bible verses out loud during a homosexual street festival. They faced a cumulative 47 years in prison had they been convicted. http://www.cultureandfamily.org/articledisplay.asp?id=6542&department=CFI&categoryid=nation

* A New Mexico Christian photographer was fined $6,600 for refusing on religious grounds to photograph a homosexual marriage-like “commitment” ceremony.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200804/CUL20080416a.html

* Catholic bishops in Belgium and Spain were sued in 2004 by homosexual activist groups for making public statements in opposition to homosexual behavior and homosexual “marriage.”
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=43235

* Boston public school teachers were threatened with termination if they failed to portray so-called homosexual “marriage” in a positive light. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=27201

If you think that what happened in Mass. and Calif. can't be forced on us in South Dakota or one of the other states that have marriage defined in their constitutions, think again.

A South Dakota pro-homosexual advocacy group, Equality South Dakota, is already making campaign contributions to several pro-homosexual Democrats in the state primary. Contributions to pro-homosexual Republicans may soon follow in the general election if not the primary.

And a liberal South Dakota blog is already calling for the repeal of Amendment C, passed by the South Dakota legislature and at the ballot box in 2006 to define marriage in our state constitution as between a man and a woman.

Even if marriage doesn't get overturned (or should I say, turned upside down) by efforts within our state, the federal courts could suddenly "find" a new right in the U.S. Constitution that trumps our measly state constitutions.

Our country is embroiled in a civil war right now over the values our nation holds dear. Though the weapons are different, the stakes are no less critical. And with no defined lines of geography, it's being fought in every state, in every community.

I am reminded of a line from the Mel Gibson movie "The Patriot" about the American Revolution:

But mark my words, this war will not be fought on the frontier, or on some distant battlefield, but amongst us. Among our homes. Our children will learn of it with their own eyes. And the innocent will die with the rest of us.

There may not be gunshot wounds, but there will be casualties. Casualties of innocence, casualties of freedom, casualties of good homes, casualties of well-adjusted children, casualties of disease, and casualties of the soul.

The time is now folks (if it isn't already too late).

If you value the institution of marriage, now is the time to take action.

If you value family, now is the time to take action.

If you value freedom of the press, now is the time to take action.

If you value your freedom of speech, now is the time to take action.

If you value freedom of religion, now is the time to take action.

If you won't, then who will be to blame for the demise of all these rights and institutions?

Censoring the Mail for Hate Crimes?

For those who don't believe hate crime laws in the United States are going to have a devastating effect on the First Amendment, you need to wake up and smell the coffee.

I've been cataloging incidents in Canada and England where hate crime legislation is being used to silence speech, quash religious freedom, and prosecute individuals and groups that engage in speech that isn't politically approved. We're even starting to see some of it here in the United States already.

And the examples of the kind of censorship homosexuals and others will go to just keeps getting more and more shocking.

Now, according to LifeSiteNews and Canada Free Press, a group called EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere) in Canada is calling for the Canadian postal system to censor the mail for "hate mail" (read: anything critical of homosexual behavior).

The letter, from current executive director of Egale Canada, Helen Kennedy, asked for a meeting with Canada Post to discuss the use of the mail by record companies and bookstores to distribute music that EGALE says may promote hatred based on a person's sexual orientation.

Interestingly, Gilles Marchildon, the former executive director of the group, says EGALE has gone too far.

This group has already attacked LifeSiteNews before, trying to get the website shut down. And Focus on the Family is already barred from broadcasting any radio shows critical of homosexual behavior on Canadian radio stations.

Homosexual activists know that morality, science, health research and even nature itself illustrates a reality contrary to their goals. So they are resorting to the sympathy of liberal government entities to clear the way for what cannot otherwise be justified.

Moral Values Cost $23,000

How much is it worth to you to keep your moral values? Is it worth $23,000?

When Christians express concerns that "hate crime" laws will quash freedom, many in our culture don't think anything like this can happen. They believe the stated intent of "hate crime" laws: to protect from discrimination.

Ignoring for a moment the nonsense of the idea of "hate crime" laws, we are seeing more and more proof that not only are such laws useless in bringing justice, they trample all over the freedoms of others, especially when that freedom involves a person's right not to endorse, support or facilitate something they find immoral.

The situation is getting bad in England, where foster parents had their foster children taken away because they refused to sign "sexual equality" guidelines. Others have objected to the distribution of pro-homosexual literature, only to be warned by the police of flirting with a "hate crime."

Focus on the Family already must not transmit shows on the radio in Canada which discuss homosexuality in a negative light.

Just this week, the Christian Post reported that a Christian ministry in Canada has been fined $23,000 and 2 years wages and benefits for "discriminating" against an employee who violated her work contract:

Connie Heintz claimed discrimination against Christian Horizons after she said she was “subjected to a poisoned work environment” and pressured into quitting her job after she entered a homosexual relationship – which was in violation of her work contract back in 2000.

In line with its Christian foundation and principles, the ministry requires that all its employees sign “morality statements” vowing to abstain from immoral behavior, including pornography, pre-marital, extra-marital, and homosexual activity as a condition of employment.

Heintz obviously knew what behavior was expected of employees of this Christian ministry, and unless I missed it, no one put a gun to her head and forced her to work at this ministry.

Yet the Orwellian thought police in Canada consider it perfectly acceptable to trample on this ministry's religious freedom, freedom of speech and freedom of association.

This kind of thing is already starting to rear it's ugly head in the United States.

Unless good people stand up and say "Enough is enough," this type of politically correct assault on freedom is going to get worse.

Favored Speech in Public Schools

We are often told that "hate crime" legislation is only intended to protect homosexuals (and other "minority" groups).

On principle, "hate crime" legislation is not only unnecessary but un-American.

If someone murders another person, they have committed an egregious crime worthy of full punishment under the law. Whether the murderer "hated" the victim is irrelevant. Whether the murderer killed the victim based on the victim's race or sexual practices is also irrelevant. Murder is the crime, and it should be prosecuted vigorously, regardless of the underlying motive.

But hate crime legislation isn't only associated with murder. It's applicable to a host of other crimes, and may be applicable to actions which today are not considered crimes--actions which may constitute a judgement or preference.

Criminal law should be based on actions, not opinions. Under the precepts of Christianity--the worldview upon which our American system is based--we face criminal prosecution based on our actions, not our opinions.

God certainly intends that we not hate one another; Jesus made that very clear. But none of us, save God, is able to see the heart and the mind, to know the true motivations and judge them accordingly. The heart is an eternal matter, while God has delegated criminal judgement of the actions to human government.

I would rather that no one hated another person based on their skin color, their ethnicity, or even their sexual practices. But criminal prosecution on the basis of thoughts or opinions is outside the purview of human justice.

If we insist on criminal prosecution based on thought, then we will have opened a Pandora's Box of Orwellian proportions. No one in their right mind should want that.

But there is another danger we face from "hate crime" legislation: the subjugation of the First Amendment.

Though proponents of hate crime laws deny this eventual end, such laws have already been used in other countries to quash freedom. Focus on the Family cannot broadcast radio shows in Canada which discuss homosexuality in a negative light (so much for the concept freedom of speech). Other religious groups in Canada are not able to speak out about religious matters. Foster parents in Great Britain are not allowed to continue caring for children unless they pledge not to speak out against homosexuality; children in the UK have even been placed in harm's way because of fear of being branded a hate criminal. People in England are being harassed by the police for simply expressing opposition to immoral behavior.

Think that can't happen here in the United States?

From WorldNetDaily:

A principal in a Massachusetts school district with a well-established reputation of promoting homosexuality to students has written to parents to tell them distributing "religious materials" during the school's annual observance of the pro-homosexual "Day of Silence" is not appropriate.

The letter from Michael Jones of Lexington, Mass., High School also confirms "hate speech" is "subject to legal constraints" and messages communicated through slogan T-shirts, buttons or stickers that express "condemnation" are "discouraged." Students with such a message will be counseled by school officials to meet the guidelines of the school handbook, he wrote.

Free speech is not allowed in this public school, but promotion of an immoral and unhealthy lifestyle is considered ok. The message is also clear that speaking negatively of homosexuality can be considered "hate speech."

This type of stance is not only immoral and unconstitutional, it's completely un-American in its philosophy.

Unfortunately we cannot rely on the Constitution as a bulwark to protect us anymore. The Tenth Amendment is only a memory. The Second Amendment has been undermined and under assault for years. John McCain's Incumbent Protection Act, aka Campaign Finance Reform, has blasted a hole in the First Amendment.

When a people--especially it's leaders--no longer respect the authority of the Constitution, that Constitution can no longer be relied on to preserve our freedoms.

If good people do not take the time to fight assaults on our freedoms, those freedoms will soon be a thing of the past.

Israel Honors Dutch Christians Who Saved Jews

HAARLEM, The Netherlands, April 16 /Christian Newswire/ -- Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands Harry Kney-Tal today presented members of the Netherlands' ten Boom family with a certificate posthumously honoring two of its members for saving nearly 800 Jewish lives during the Holocaust.

At a solemn ceremony here, Israel's Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, Yad Vashem, bestowed the title of Righteous Among the Nations on Casper ten Boom and his daughter, Elisabeth (Betsy), for their wartime heroism.

As devout Christians, the ten Boom family participated in the resistance against the Nazis and willingly sheltered those seeking refuge, both Jews and non- Jews. By the time the entire ten Boom family was arrested in February 1944, they had managed to save almost 800 Jews.

They were sent first to Scheveningen Prison in Holland, where 84-year-old Casper ten Boom died soon after being captured. Elisabeth and her younger sister, Cornelia (Corrie), were then sent to the notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany in September 1944, where Betsie died. Corrie survived only because she was released - due to a clerical error - in December 1944.

At the time of the family's arrest, the Gestapo carefully searched the ten Boom's house, but could not find any fugitives. They did not discover that two Jewish men, two Jewish women, and two members of the Dutch underground were safely hidden behind a false wall in Corrie's bedroom. From this "hiding place" (the title of Corrie ten Boom's book about the period) the Resistance freed the fugitives nearly two days later. They were the last of an estimated 800 Jews, and many Dutch underground workers, saved by the ten Booms.

According to witnesses, when Casper ten Boom was asked by his captors if he knew he could die for helping Jews, he replied, "It would be an honor to give my life for God's ancient people."

Dr. Michael D. Evans, founder and chairman of the board of the Corrie ten Boom House Foundation, spoke of the revival of the century-old ten Boom tradition of praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Begun in the Netherlands by the Christian Zionist family in 1844, the weekly prayers for Jerusalem continued until they were brutally halted when the Nazis sent family members to their deaths.

The Jerusalem Prayer Team, headed by Evans, renewed the tradition of the ten Boom family and has spread it throughout the world, where millions of Christian Zionists pray for the peace of Jerusalem each week in some 200 countries.

After the war, Corrie ten Boom began a world-wide ministry which took her to more than 60 countries over the next 33 years. She was the first ten Boom to be honored by Yad Vashem and lived until 1983, when she died at the age of 91. The heritage of the ten Boom family is lovingly preserved at the Corrie ten Boom Museum in Haarlem. Corrie's book, The Hiding Place (1971), was made into a film by World Wide Pictures in 1975.

2,000 Gather to Support Rep. Sally Kern

WASHINGTON, April 2/ -- Upwards of 2,000 people gathered today for the rally at the Oklahoma State Capitol in support of Rep. Sally Kern (R-Oklahoma City), reportedly spilling over onto all levels of the Rotunda. Rep. Kern has stood firm in the face of harassment and threats over statements she made regarding the homosexual agenda.

The Baptist Press has photos from the gathering today, and the BP article quotes a recent statement by Kern on the "Messenger Radio" show hosted by Ray E. Sanders and Bob Nigh:

"I compared homosexuality to terrorism because [homosexual activists] want to destroy the traditional family and traditional marriage," Kern said. "That was the analogy that I was making. I was not in any way advocating that we need to go after these people [physically]. I was giving an example. I was making a point, using a metaphor if you will that ... this lifestyle, not the people, but the lifestyle is dangerous to this nation."

"I was just trying to make a point that the radical homosexual agenda is seeking to destroy the very foundation upon which this country has been built, and we need to wake up and stand up for our conservative values, yea our biblical values as Christians, or we will lose not only the freedom to express our own opinions, but we will lose the freedom to influence our children with our biblical lifestyles to pass on our values to them."

Concerned Women for America (CWA) joined with over 50 pastors who sponsored the event in support of Rep. Kern's Biblical stand.

Matt Barber, CWA's Policy Director for Cultural Issues, said, "This astronomical show of support for Rep. Sally Kern today sends a strong message. People with traditional values who value God's design for human sexuality will not be intimidated and bullied into silence. Political correctness can never trump truth. Sally Kern stood for truth, and she was hated for it. She was persecuted for Christ, but the Body of Christ was there to lift her up. Sally was faithful to God, and He was faithful to her in return. This is a great day for all who love righteousness."

CWA of Oklahoma State Director Linda Caswell said, "This is an awesome experience. We had a fantastic turnout and a fantastic message. Rep. Kern and her husband spoke a message of forgiveness, redemption and hope through Jesus Christ. This is a historic moment for Oklahoma."

Click here to listen to an interview with CWA of Oklahoma State Director Linda Caswell at the rally.

Report compiled from Christian Newswire release and Baptist Press.

Hate Crime Laws A Way to Silence Opposition

One of the reasons Christians and other conservatives so strongly oppose "hate crime" laws in the United States is because they are already being used in other countries to silence points of view that the government considers unwelcome.

Consider this case in Canada reported by WorldNetDaily:

The Canadian government has ordered a Christian ministry that teaches doctrine and the differences between Christians and cults shut down because its reference materials were "critical" of the beliefs of those who are not Christian, WND has learned.

"The auditor that originally looked at our books told us her supervisor had said she wanted us shut down," Mrs. MacGregor told WND. "Canada has very strong hate laws."

She said the ministry points out the differences between Christianity and various cult beliefs, but also with respect, and never as a proponent. She said the work always is in response to a question or issue.

"When a group such as Jehovah's Witnesses said of our doctrine we're worshipping a freakish three-headed God (the Trinity), we should be able to respond," she said. "We say, 'Here's the doctrine of the Trinity and here is where it is in the Scripture.'"

That, however, violates Canada's hate crimes laws, and the ministry was ordered to either make wholesale changes in its presentations, or shut down.

"There was nothing we could do that would please them," she said. "They wanted us every time we criticized something to say, 'So Christianity is equal to Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses… Just decide for yourself.'"

"We cannot do that," she said of the work she and her husband, Keith, have spent their lives assembling.

The freedom of speech we enjoy in the United States under the First Amendment should theoretically protect us from this sort of government abuse. Theoretically.

But consider that, despite the Second Amendment, guaranteeing the right to own firearms, gun ownership is being restricted in many degrees across America.

Also consider that, despite the First Amendment's protection of religious expression, the right of children to pray in schools, the right of high school graduates to pray or thank God at their graduations, and expressions of faith in many other settings are being curtailed.

Liberals, who know no objective values, are very adept at twisting a protection of rights into a weapon to destroy those rights.

Already liberals in both major parties have dealt a blow to free speech with the infamous McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance act.

With America growing further and further adrift from objective values, and good people becoming more apathetic and unwilling to stand up for right, how long until we follow the path of Europe and Canada?

Censoring the Church, Part 7

About the video:

Hate crime laws now threaten free speech and religious liberty nationwide and threaten those who speak out against homosexuality.

"Hate ... all » Crimes Laws:" Censoring the Church and Silencing Christians is a provocative look at this disturbing and threatening legal tool of the homosexual lobby. Hosted by Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, the program features shocking examples of how hate crime laws trample free speech, lead to arrests, and censor speech.

Featured on this 40 minute DVD are Dr. D. James Kennedy; Ake Green, a Swedish pastor arrested for preaching against homosexuality; members of the Philadelphia 11; Christine Sneeringer, an ex-lesbian; Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Pastor Danny Nalliah, of Catch the Fire Ministries (who was prosecuted under hate crimes laws in Australia); and more.

To order the DVD, visit www.frc.org

Censoring the Church, Part 6

About the video:

Hate crime laws now threaten free speech and religious liberty nationwide and threaten those who speak out against homosexuality.

"Hate ... all » Crimes Laws:" Censoring the Church and Silencing Christians is a provocative look at this disturbing and threatening legal tool of the homosexual lobby. Hosted by Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, the program features shocking examples of how hate crime laws trample free speech, lead to arrests, and censor speech.

Featured on this 40 minute DVD are Dr. D. James Kennedy; Ake Green, a Swedish pastor arrested for preaching against homosexuality; members of the Philadelphia 11; Christine Sneeringer, an ex-lesbian; Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Pastor Danny Nalliah, of Catch the Fire Ministries (who was prosecuted under hate crimes laws in Australia); and more.

To order the DVD, visit www.frc.org

Censoring the Church, Part 4

About the video:

Hate crime laws now threaten free speech and religious liberty nationwide and threaten those who speak out against homosexuality.

"Hate ... all » Crimes Laws:" Censoring the Church and Silencing Christians is a provocative look at this disturbing and threatening legal tool of the homosexual lobby. Hosted by Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, the program features shocking examples of how hate crime laws trample free speech, lead to arrests, and censor speech.

Featured on this 40 minute DVD are Dr. D. James Kennedy; Ake Green, a Swedish pastor arrested for preaching against homosexuality; members of the Philadelphia 11; Christine Sneeringer, an ex-lesbian; Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Pastor Danny Nalliah, of Catch the Fire Ministries (who was prosecuted under hate crimes laws in Australia); and more.

To order the DVD, visit www.frc.org

Censoring the Church, Part 3

About the video:

Hate crime laws now threaten free speech and religious liberty nationwide and threaten those who speak out against homosexuality.

"Hate ... all » Crimes Laws:" Censoring the Church and Silencing Christians is a provocative look at this disturbing and threatening legal tool of the homosexual lobby. Hosted by Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, the program features shocking examples of how hate crime laws trample free speech, lead to arrests, and censor speech.

Featured on this 40 minute DVD are Dr. D. James Kennedy; Ake Green, a Swedish pastor arrested for preaching against homosexuality; members of the Philadelphia 11; Christine Sneeringer, an ex-lesbian; Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Pastor Danny Nalliah, of Catch the Fire Ministries (who was prosecuted under hate crimes laws in Australia); and more.

To order the DVD, visit www.frc.org

Censoring the Church, Part 2

The tragic murder of Matthew Shepard turns him into an icon for "hate crime" legislation. Ironically, when people in "protected" groups commit "hate crimes," there is no outcry from the same sources.



About the video:

Hate crime laws now threaten free speech and religious liberty nationwide and threaten those who speak out against homosexuality.

"Hate ... all » Crimes Laws:" Censoring the Church and Silencing Christians is a provocative look at this disturbing and threatening legal tool of the homosexual lobby. Hosted by Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, the program features shocking examples of how hate crime laws trample free speech, lead to arrests, and censor speech.

Featured on this 40 minute DVD are Dr. D. James Kennedy; Ake Green, a Swedish pastor arrested for preaching against homosexuality; members of the Philadelphia 11; Christine Sneeringer, an ex-lesbian; Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Pastor Danny Nalliah, of Catch the Fire Ministries (who was prosecuted under hate crimes laws in Australia); and more.

To order the DVD, visit www.frc.org