Christians to lobby senators on 'hate crimes' bill

Several Christian groups will be holding a press conference and rally Wednesday on Capitol Hill to lobby senators to oppose a bill that would include crimes against homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgender people in federal "hate crimes" statutes.The coalition, which includes a Philadelphia ministry that was once charged with violating Pennsylvania's hate crimes law, is urging U.S. senators to reject S.B. 1105-known as the "Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007."Members of the coalition will be visiting Senate offices today and plan to meet privately tomorrow with Wisconsin Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, who are among the co-sponsors of the bill. Primary sponsor of the measure is Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts).The Christian groups claim S.B. 1105 would silence biblical opposition to sexual immorality.Repent America director Michael Marcavage says tomorrow's press conference and rally are designed to get lawmakers to understand the legislation is a "thought crimes bill" that seeks to criminalize Christian evangelism. He recalls that in October 2004, 11 volunteers with his organization were arrested, jailed, and charged under Pennsylvania's hate crimes law for reading scripture passages to homosexuals at a homosexual pride event."They said it would never happen," says Marcavage."The legislators who passed the hate crimes bill here in Pennsylvania said it would only happen if there was-quote, unquote-'blood in the streets.' Well, that didn't happen on October 10, 2004. We were ministering peaceably at a homosexual event."Not only is the proposed federal hate crimes law "unnecessary, unconstitutional, and ungodly,"Marcavage argues it is "even more severe" than the Pennsylvania hate crimes law used to charge him and members of his group."What they're doing is ... creating mischief by a law," the ministry leader says."Our lawmakers are deciding that they're going to do this, and the agenda behind hate crimes legislation is, in fact, to criminalize Christians because of their faith in Jesus Christ and because they are faithful to speaking the truth of God's Word .... that's what happened in Philadelphia in 2004."Repent America will be joined at tomorrow's rally by groups such as the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, Life & Liberty Ministries, Elijah Ministries, and Pass the Salt Ministries.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/07/christians_to_lobby_senators_o.php
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