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The Soon Coming Judgment Of God Upon America and How To Escape It 408
pastor was sentenced to a month in jail for his sermon that condemned homosexuality. He
described homosexuality as “abnormal, a horrible cancerous tumour in the body of society.”
1284
In Canada it is now a crime to incite hatred against homosexuals. The Bible doesn’t call
us to hatred but to love. We are to love the individual but hate the sin. Under the Canadian law
you could potentially be found guilty of inciting hatred merely by stating that homosexuality is
wrong or that it is a sin.
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Although there is a clause that “excuses statements expressed in
'good faith,' including religious expression
,” opponents of the law feel (based on past court
rulings) that the religious expression clause could be eliminated by the courts. They fear that the
court will eventually rule that, “no one in good faith would promote hatred.”
1286
In the U.S., California and Pennsylvania have already passed hate crime laws that place
homosexuals among a specially protected class of citizens. Under the California law an act of
violence doesn’t have to be committed if a group or individual believes they have been
threatened and fears that the treat will be carried out. Jody Brown of Agape Press writes:
“individuals could claim that someone expressing their deeply held beliefs, whether political or
religious, presents an ‘intimidating’ threat that is punishable.”
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The Pennsylvania legislation amended hate crimes law to include “sexual orientation.”
Under the Pennsylvania hate crimes law a physical act is not required, harassment is also
included under the law. The recent amendment expanded the definition of “harassment” so that a
person could be convicted based on his/her spoken words.
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This definitely puts Christian
pastors at risk of prosecution.
The U.S. Congress has also been working on hate crimes legislation. There are four
pieces of legislation at different stages in Congress that designate crimes against homosexuals as
hate crimes that garner stiffer prison sentences. One Bill, House Resolution 80, designates crimes
against persons because of their sexual orientation as a hate crime with stiffer prison sentences.
Three other pieces of legislation are for the purpose of providing financial assistance to states
and local jurisdictions for the prosecution of hate crimes. The Senate passed one of these and the
House, under a procedural vote, approved another. Since the procedural vote on House
Resolution 4204, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has delayed passage of the Resolution by
refusing to bring it to a full vote of the House.
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There are fears that the Supreme Court could eventually create protection similar to
Sweden’s. In 2003 the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law prohibiting sodomy (gay sex) in
Texas. The 6-3 three ruling of the court relied partly on international law or the laws of other
nations. At an awards banquet in Atlanta, Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor stated
that the courts in America need to create a more favorable impression abroad and therefore must
give greater consideration to international legal decisions.
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This makes what is happening in
Sweden, Canada and the rest of the world all the more frightening and it brings into focus the
significant danger posed by the Earth Charter.
Not only will Christians loose their religious freedom under the Earth Charter but they
will be taxed so that the ruins of pagan places of worship can be restored. Principal III, section
12 (d) states: “Protect and restore outstanding places of cultural and spiritual significance.”
Many of the ruins of these places of “spiritual significance” are locations where human sacrifices
occurred.
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