Suppose a pastor gave a rousing sermon against the sin of homosexuality and some idiot in the congregation went out and attacked a homosexual. (The Bible does not teach that Christians should kill or attack homosexuals, by the way.) Could that pastor, exercising his freedom of religion, be charged with inciting violence under the federal hate crime statute? Congressman Mike Pence tried to add protections against such a scenario: “Nothing in this section limits the religious freedom of any person or group under the constitution.”
Democrats refused to add the language to the bill. Can you see the slippery slope a little clearer now?
Why this federal-level expanded definition of hate crime is a problem should be obvious. One day in the foreseeable future, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is offensive to all unbelievers and considered to be hateful speech by some, will become a hate crime.
La Shawn Barber, outlaw.