Is anyone aware of the House bill H.R. 1592, that is the subject of huge fines?

Question

and prision terms if pastors and churches say anything negative about homosexuality?

This is really scary if its true.

bias provoked crimes against 4.3 percent. Victims of an anti-Protestant bias made up 3.0 percent of victims of hate crimes resulting from a religious bias; other religions, 9.3 percent; and multiple religions, group, 2.5 percent. The remaining 0.4 percent of hate crime victims were targeted because of the offender’s anti-Atheism or anti-Agnosticism bias.

In terms of single-bias incidents motivated by a sexual-orientation bias, law enforcement reported 1,482 victims, most of which (60.9 percent) were victims of crimes motivated by an anti-male homosexual bias. In addition, 21.2 percent of victims were targets of an anti-homosexual (male and female) bias.

Yes, it would be under the law for hate crimes

Answer 1

It would not fine anyone for speaking out against homosexuality. A hate crime is a CRIME motivated by prejudice against a social group. The law would not make hating people or expressing that hatred a crime. It simply stiffens the penalties for actual crimes committed out of hatred.

To say homosexuality is wrong would not be a crime. To commit an actual crime (such as assault) against a homosexual simply because they are homosexual would fall under the protection of hate crimes and the penalty would be more severe.

Answer 2

This is a Bill sponsored by John Conyers (D MI) which specifically covers hate crimes motivated by gender and gender identity, politically correct verbiage for gay.

My understanding is that this Bill does not specifically address people who talk about or incite hate crimes, it addresses those who commit hate crimes.

Having lived in Michigan much of my life, and in Detroit for a good portion of my life I can tell you that John Conyers has been present at African American Ralleys where Caucasians were spoken about in much the same way that Homosexuals are spoken about in some churches.

Sponsoring a law that would outlaw this kind of talk would not be in John Conyers best interest, while sponsoring a law which outlawed actual Hate Crimes would be.

Even if the Bill did outlaw the incitement of a Hate Crime, the crime would have to take place in such a way that the Federal Prosecutor could establish that the motivation for the crime was provided by listening to negative comments about homosexuals made by an individual or group, and that those comments were intended to incite violence.

This is difficult to prove and one reason why the KKK and NAZI party are still in business. Hateful rhetoric does not necessarily provoke violence and it covered by the First Amendment.

By the way, I am John D. Ayer, an engineer. I am not John D. Ayer the Law Professor at U of C Davis. I keep saying this and I keep getting e-mails from people who think I am. He probably gets some of the hate mail from Yahoo Answers intended for me.

Answer 3

Well it only took about 30 seconds to find out that there are currently four versions of this bill being considered.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1592:
You might want to read the details of each version for yourself.

The bill designed to assist local law enforcement in dealing with violence motivated by the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

Methinks that probably covers just about everybody on R&S, not just our gay brothers and sisters.

Amazing that all some see in this is stopping a preacher’s right to bash gay people. If that is their fear, shouldn’t they be equally afraid that the bill will mean that certain preachers can no longer bash other religions or denominations?

Answer 4

If true, then we should ALL be concerned. The Federal Government should NOT be trying to limit the Freedom of Speech in this manner, espcially the verbage that preachers use when giving sermons to their congregations.

On the other hand..."hate speech" laws should all be abolished. If you don't have the maturity to rise above someone else's hateful comments about you or some group of which you are a member, then you *deserve* to be insulted.

Answer 5

Interesting

Answer 6

The Hate Crime bill only increases the penalty for people convicted of murder, asualt, etc. You can SAY whatever you want, remember the constitution.

Answer 7

I'm guessing you received this information in an email forward.


Free speech, remember.

However, I *could* see some pastors being fined or jailed if they incited violence with their sermons. All the homophobia you hear in churches is still hate speech.

Answer 8

Haven't heard of it; and while I don't agree with the way many Christians bash gays, wouldn't a law like this be a violation of the separation of church and state?

Answer 9

Why is that scary? All kinds of hate speech comes with a price.

Answer 10

If the church chooses to be tax exempt. Then those rules are enforced