Evangelicals to Send Bush 33,000 Petitions Against Hate Crimes Bill
A well-known conservative evangelical ministry has gathered more than 33,000 petitions against a "hate crimes" legislation and will deliver them to President Bush and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell this week.
by Michelle Vu, Christian Today US Correspondent
Posted: Friday, July 20, 2007, 8:53 (BST)
A well-known conservative evangelical ministry has gathered more than 33,000 petitions against a "hate crimes" legislation and will deliver them to President Bush and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell this week.
The petitions collected by Coral Ridge Ministries are a response to the hate crimes amendment that Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) attached to the defence spending bill under consideration in the Senate this week.
"This is the single most dangerous piece of legislation we have seen in the recent past, because of its threat to silence the Church on the subject of homosexual behaviour," said Jerry Newcombe, senior producer of The Coral Ridge Hour, CRM'S TV broadcast. "I shudder to think what the impact on free speech will be if this law is enacted."
Many Christian and pro-family groups have been protesting the hate crimes bill for months, arguing that the federal bill is repetitive of existing state laws and threatens the free speech of those who speak on the biblical view of homosexuality.
The hate crimes legislation seeks to add sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability to the list of racial, ethnic, and religious categories already protected under law. It would also make it easier for the federal government to become involved in hate crimes investigations.
Chuck Colson - founder of Prison Fellowship and former top aide to President Richard Nixon - dubbed the hate crimes legislation the "Though Control Act of 2007."
Copyright © 2007 Christian Today. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Have your say on this article
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Monday, July 23, 2007, 1:36 (BST)
Unless you ban together with a force they never seen before you may loose this one too. Those who think our government want do anything wrong only has to look at abortion. The very people who have cause you pain is still in office. There is no reason you have lost your right to be out spoken on Incumbents. So find a way and organize in states who think they have there safe seat protected. You can move the people with reason in conservertive views and liberal districts to cause great harm. Keep after those that are cause you this much pain. Put you money and your mind in gear and do it. I Believe God will answer your pray and provide a way. I am 74 and have many doubts about what I should believe, because I do read the bible carefully and I don't always agree with Christains, but I don't agree with all the orther protestions either. However I see the Old testament exactly like the Jews, and prophecy you claim just isn't true.
I do support your view on Hate Crime, If this get passed the world wide movement will take off. Its already in place nearly every where. So I appreicate you stand.
hdyer, Chino Hills Ca USA
