An urban legends reporting website named www.Snopes.com has labeled as “False” the Action Alert sent by American Family Association on June 14, 2007 titled, “A bill in Congress makes it a crime for pastors and churches to speak against homosexuality.”

American Family Association remains steadfast in our claim that if this bill passes, we are confident that liberal judges will rush to make it a federal crime to publicly criticize the homosexual lifestyle.

We remain adamantly opposed to this dangerous legislation that could lay the groundwork for persecution of Christians in America. But even more chilling is the fact that S. 1105 and H.R.1592 pave the way to religious persecution – with “hate crimes” laws inevitably leading to “hate speech” laws targeted specifically at Christians and other faith groups who hold traditional beliefs on homosexuality.

Can’t happen, you say? In Canada, one cannot legally criticize homosexuality in public. Because of a “hate crimes” law that includes sexual orientation, even the quoting of Scriptures that condemn homosexuality can be illegal.

Because of “hate crimes” legislation in Sweden, a pastor was sentenced to 30 days in jail for preaching a sermon in which he said homosexuality is wrong.

Snopes.com is reporting that the claims of AFA Action Alert, “as well as the Action Alert’s bulleted references to court cases, news items, and current legislation, are gross and misleading distortions of information.”

AFA Action Alert bullet:

A California lawsuit which is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court would make the use of the words “natural family,” “marriage” and “union of a man and a woman” a “hate speech” crime in government workplaces. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has already ruled in favor of the plaintiffs!

Snopes.com: The lawsuit had nothing to do with classifying certain words or phrases as “hate speech” or establishing their usage as a “crime.”

AFA response to Snopes: AFA took this information directly from a Washington Times article dated June 11, 2007 titled, "Suit to decide workplace 'hate speech'." The first line of the article reads as follows, “The words ‘natural family,’ ‘marriage’ and ‘union of a man and a woman’ can be punished as ‘hate speech’ in government workplaces, according to a lawsuit that is being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

AFA Action Alert bullet:

CNN and The Washington Post both reported that General Peter Pace, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was fired because he publicly expressed moral opposition to homosexual behavior.

Snopes.com: The Washington Post’s front-page coverage of the announcement that Marine Gen. Peter Pace would be stepping down as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when his term expired in September did not claim that Pace was “fired because of his publicly expressed moral opposition to homosexual behavior.” The Post’s 9 June 2007 article on the subject mentioned in passing, in its 18th paragraph, that some congressional staffers ‘said Pace’s recent comments to reporters at the Chicago Tribune about the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, in which he said homosexuality was immoral, would also be a distracting issue at his confirmation hearing.” (The primary reason expressed in the article for Pace’s dismissal was “concern from both parties that Pace’s confirmation hearing could evoke bitter debate about Iraq war policy.”)

AFA response to Snopes: The Washington Post and CNN did both cite sources inside their respective reports that Pace’s comments about homosexuality did play – to what degree is unknown -- a role in his not being rehired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Although AFA believes that this was the case (that his views were held against him), we stated it as a matter of fact when it should have been stated as a matter of opinion. However, our opinion is based on what we have seen happen in the past to high profile individuals who criticize homosexual behavior.

AFA Action Alert bullet:

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. This dangerous legislation would take away our freedom of speech and our freedom of religion.

Snopes.com: The text of the bill [S.1105 and H.R. 1592] specifically addresses “willfully caus[ing] bodily injury to any person” (as well as attempts to cause bodily injury to any person”) because of “actual or perceived … gender, sexual orientation, [or] gender identity.” The bill does not “criminalize negative comments concerning homosexuality,” nor would it make “calling the practice of homosexuality a sin from the pulpit a ‘hate crime’.” The bill has nothing to do with the issue of speech; it only prescribes criminal penalties for the willful infliction of bodily injury on others.

AFA response to Snopes: American Family Association became concerned about the imminent threat to free speech during the Judiciary Committee hearings about H.R.1592. During the hearings Representative Gohmert directed the following question to Representative Davis (the sponsor of Section 8 – H.R.1592): “If a minister preaches that sexual relations outside of marriage of a man and woman is wrong, and somebody within that congregation goes out and does an act of violence, and that person says that that minister counseled or induced him through the sermon to commit the act, are you saying under your amendment that in no way could that ever be introduced against the minister?” Representative Davis answered, “No.” In other words, it could be introduced in action against the minister. Click here to read this section of the Judiciary Committee hearing.

For a legal analysis of Section 8 – H.R.1592 from the Alliance Defense Fund, click here. For the Alliance Defense Fund’s summary of the bill, click here.

Obviously, we have many concerns with a bill like this – including the fact that it is constitutionally suspect, unfair, dangerous, indefinable, unnecessary and un-American.

Laws in civilized nations have always been designed to punish conduct, not thought. The “hate crimes” bill is not designed to aid in crime fighting. Wrong thoughts are the sole aim of this dangerous legislation.

.American Family Association – Tupelo, MS 38803