Thursday, February 17, 2005
Justice Served But Discussion Needed
There has been a story circulating, though on a very limited basis, that I think needs a lot of discussion. (HT: Evangelical Underground) The is the version told by the American Family Association. (Donald Wildmon -- whose name is rather descriptive, don't you think?) Here is the Christian Broadcasting Network version. (Yep -- that's Pat Robertson) Finally, WorldNetDaily chimes in with a somewhat less breathless, but nonetheless dramatic, telling.
There is a huge dearth of information about this story, and if you read the accounts, you would think this would be a huge deal. The story concerns some Christians in Philadephia that protested?...demonstrated?...witnessed? at a gay festival of some sort and were arrested, and some are being tried, for felonies related to hate crimes, specifically "Ethnic Intimidation." The accounts I have cited try to cast this as they are being prosecuted for simple speaking the Word. I have to doubt this final charge.
I am strongly suspicious because the more mainstream Christian organizations that would normally be all over something like this, ADF and CCJ, are strangely silent. One must wonder why.
STOP THE PRESSES! Even as I post, this story comes up saying the charges were dropped against the remaining four defendants in the case (the other seven had been kicked earlier) One is very pleased to know that American jurisprudence has not completely lost its mind yet -- and that is the most likely reason the more mainstream organizations sat on the sidelines, they knew it would go away. But that fact notwithstanding, there are a couple of points I wanted to make so I'm going to go ahead.
I have a sneaking suspicion these 'demonstrators' were operating without a permit and were likely provoking a confrontation of some sort. In other words, they were likely engaged in some sort of illegal activity. It is these illegal activities that underlaid the hate crime charges.
Look, it is just stupid to protest homosexual people. Individual, or even groups of homosexuals need evangelism, not protesting. Internet Monk did a great job making an argument for this back in January. IM and I part company; however, when it comes to the institutionalization of homosexuality. This is a threat to society, not just Christianity, and I do think the institutionalization of homosexual is a place to protest, BUT WITHIN COMMONLY ACCEPTED CIVIL BOUNDARIES. The so-called "Philadelphia 11" screwed up because the they aimed at the wrong target and they shot with the wrong gun. Christians just need to be smarter about these things.
The other point that is important in this situation is that it does point out that so-called "hate crime" legislation may be used in this unsavory fashion at some future date. They tried it here, they are likely to try it again.
Up until the advent of hate crime legislation, it was a common legal idea that you could judge the intent of a criminal, but not his/her motivation. Hate crime legislation obviously changed that. It really is the beginning of some sort of 'thought police'
I am grateful this came out as it should, but I am concerned what the future holds. I think we would be wise to organize now and lobby against and actively seek the repeal of hate crimes legislation. If we don't do it now, it is likely to become a legal 'fact' much like Roe v. Wade, which we now pretty well just have to live with.
There is a huge dearth of information about this story, and if you read the accounts, you would think this would be a huge deal. The story concerns some Christians in Philadephia that protested?...demonstrated?...witnessed? at a gay festival of some sort and were arrested, and some are being tried, for felonies related to hate crimes, specifically "Ethnic Intimidation." The accounts I have cited try to cast this as they are being prosecuted for simple speaking the Word. I have to doubt this final charge.
I am strongly suspicious because the more mainstream Christian organizations that would normally be all over something like this, ADF and CCJ, are strangely silent. One must wonder why.
STOP THE PRESSES! Even as I post, this story comes up saying the charges were dropped against the remaining four defendants in the case (the other seven had been kicked earlier) One is very pleased to know that American jurisprudence has not completely lost its mind yet -- and that is the most likely reason the more mainstream organizations sat on the sidelines, they knew it would go away. But that fact notwithstanding, there are a couple of points I wanted to make so I'm going to go ahead.
I have a sneaking suspicion these 'demonstrators' were operating without a permit and were likely provoking a confrontation of some sort. In other words, they were likely engaged in some sort of illegal activity. It is these illegal activities that underlaid the hate crime charges.
Look, it is just stupid to protest homosexual people. Individual, or even groups of homosexuals need evangelism, not protesting. Internet Monk did a great job making an argument for this back in January. IM and I part company; however, when it comes to the institutionalization of homosexuality. This is a threat to society, not just Christianity, and I do think the institutionalization of homosexual is a place to protest, BUT WITHIN COMMONLY ACCEPTED CIVIL BOUNDARIES. The so-called "Philadelphia 11" screwed up because the they aimed at the wrong target and they shot with the wrong gun. Christians just need to be smarter about these things.
The other point that is important in this situation is that it does point out that so-called "hate crime" legislation may be used in this unsavory fashion at some future date. They tried it here, they are likely to try it again.
Up until the advent of hate crime legislation, it was a common legal idea that you could judge the intent of a criminal, but not his/her motivation. Hate crime legislation obviously changed that. It really is the beginning of some sort of 'thought police'
I am grateful this came out as it should, but I am concerned what the future holds. I think we would be wise to organize now and lobby against and actively seek the repeal of hate crimes legislation. If we don't do it now, it is likely to become a legal 'fact' much like Roe v. Wade, which we now pretty well just have to live with.
