Imago Dei

This is absolutely ridiculous.

It’s disgusting. Over the top. And it’s the evangelical response to the bill coming before the Senate to enforce severe punishment for “hate crimes.”

Except… the bill doesn’t really enforce punishment for all “hate crimes,” or does it?

From Harry Jackson:

This legislation will grant protected status to “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” Further, it will mandate unequal protection under the law and will pave the way for the criminalization of thoughts and religious beliefs contrary to “politically correct” ideas.

As an African American, I have long questioned the attempts of the gay community to piggy back on the legislative breakthroughs blacks have achieved in civil rights. As I think about hate crime legislation in the past, I think about a judicial system that refused to give blacks equal justice under the law. The historic problem for blacks was that racist groups conspired with law enforcement groups. Additional legislation would have never been necessary if the existing laws of the land had been enforced fairly.

In contrast, gays already are a formidable force in the legal arena and courts are often extremely deferential to their cases. Additional protection for gays is not necessary. This legislation will not just over-protect them, it will bring the threat of invasive, governmental interference with the doctrines and practice of the Church. We have faced the removal of crosses and commandments from every public facility; this same pressure could be felt within the four walls of the church.

Religious liberty battles have most recently been championed by white evangelical groups. It’s important at this juncture that all Americans lift their voices concerning this legislation. This week I am calling a press conference which will involve some of the nation’s most influential black religious leaders. The proponents of this bill have assumed that black religious leaders will not catch on to the long term implications of the legislation. Without a massive public outcry, this act may be put into force within a few weeks.

My alarm about the hate crimes bill is bigger than my concerns about the gay movement. The question we must ask ourselves is this, “Do we want an America in which no one can express their true religious views”? Isn’t freedom of speech a major value of our nation?

Some gays chant, “Stay out of our bedrooms!” Pro-abortion advocates say, “Keep your hands off my reproductive organs!” Evangelicals can rightfully say, “Stay out of my pulpit!”

My personal thought?

Why is everyone focusing solely on the “homosexual” agenda here? The bill is not primarily targeting hate crimes against homosexuals. It’s specific that the “hate crime” includes “violence motivated by the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim.” That’s more than just homosexuality. Hey look! Religion is listed, too!

There is no grand conspiracy to lock away pastors and Christians for teaching the Bible. People who are taking this as a “surreptitious attempt by the Congress and Senate to strip the nation of religious freedom and the ability to preach the gospel from our church pulpits” are, in my opinion, too concerned for themselves. They see anything that mentions homosexuality (sexual orientation/gender identity) as a threat to them and automatically assume that there’s a conspiracy to end Christianity and have the gays rule the world.

I don’t think I’m overstating it. There’s been a flurry of activity on evangelical sites, all urging America not to support this bill. Why? Because they’re afraid they’re going to lose power.

Well boo hoo. I’m a Christian. An evangelical, even. But I can’t support all of this anti-gay stuff going on in the evangelical community.

Yes, I agree with the biblical teaching that homosexuality is wrong. BUT, I also agree and adhere to the biblical teachings of love. I recognize that God loves ALL people (that includes the GLBT community) and as such, so should I. That concept has been lost by the Christian community at large.

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