WASHINGTON – Opponents of a hate crimes bill are holding steadfast to their arguments against the legislation, citing international cases as a foreshadowing of what may occur in the United States if the Senate passes it next month.
Among the greatest fears is that under the hate crimes law, pastors and Christians will risk committing a federal crime for expressing the biblical view of homosexuality – leading some to draw ties between the bill and the “Thought Police.”
“See, the bill is not about crime prevention or even civil rights. It’s about outlawing peaceful speech – speech that asserts that homosexual behavior is morally wrong,” wrote Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries and former top aid to President Richard Nixon, in a recent commentary....