Blasphemy Is Back as 'Hate' Legislation Threatens Freedom of Speech, Warns Civitas | British National Party

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Blasphemy Is Back as 'Hate' Legislation Threatens Freedom of Speech, Warns Civitas

Sat, 31/07/2010 - 14:02 |  BNP News

Legislation and the politically–motivated prosecution of individuals for “religious hatred” is merely the reintroduction of ancient blasphemy laws which threaten freedom of speech, a new publication by independent think tank Civitas has warned.

In a book titled A New Inquisition: Religious Persecution in Britain Today, Jon Gower Davies, formerly the Head of Religious Studies at Newcastle University, reveals the “bizarre and oppressive nature of judicial attempts to prosecute individuals for religious hatred” and of how this “new legal concept has resulted in some singularly worrying court cases,” a Civitas press release said.

“Hate legislation removes an increasing quantity of matters traditionally dealt with in civil society to the domain of the state and the courts,” Civitas continued, adding that this was merely the old Blasphemy Law “by the backdoor.”

Civitas pointed out that the Blasphemy Law was abolished in 2008, but has re-emerged in a new and radically augmented guise.

“Today, individuals are not charged with blasphemy, but with causing 'religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress' under the Public Order Act.

“Jon Davies argues that the growth in accusations of 'hate crime' threatens freedom of speech because they destroy the possibility and practice of open, sociable and critical discussion of religion.

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Nations to Consider Adding ‘Aggression’ to Int’l Court Crimes

As you read through this article. Also note, This is NOT an American System. This is the U.N. With Obama signing the treaty for us (Without The United States People) voting on it.
This along with Carbon Tax is something that the People of any country has NO choice on or is able to vote on. This Hate Crime law, which will most likely pass, will be made into law without the People's Votes.
Not only Unconstitutional but will be enforced as well. (Globally)

clipped from www.cnsnews.com The Hague (AP) – The 111 member nations of the International Criminal Court hope to finally agree on how to prosecute illegal attacks by one state on another when they meet next week in Uganda, the conference's leader said Thursday. President of the Assembly of States Parties, Lichtenstein diplomat Christian Wenaweser, told reporters during an online question-and-answer session that he is "cautiously optimistic and believe that we have a good basis for a solution that finds very wide political support." "The issues that would arise from dealing with allegations of aggression would give ammunition to critics who claim it is a politicized institution," he wrote. "We expect governments to seize the moment to step up their commitment to global justice." Major world powers such as the United States, Russia, China and India will not have a chance to vote on the issue as they are not members of the court. Goldstone also warned that debate on aggression could also divide court members.

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Controversial bill passes State Senate

clipped from www.oudaily.com The Oklahoma State Senate passed a bill Thursday that would limit what authorities can do when prosecuting hate crimes. The bill would prohibit local and state law enforcement agencies from sharing information about hate crimes with federal authorities if the state of Oklahoma did not recognize the crime as a hate crime by its own statutes. The Oklahoma Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community condemned the bill’s passage. The bill would leave LGBT Oklahomans with no legal recourse if they are victims of hate crimes, Laura Belmonte, vice president of The Equality Network, said in a press release. “Not only does the state hate crimes law exclude sexual orientation or gender identity, but SB 1965 also prevents law enforcement officials from asking for federal assistance in enforcing the LGBT-inclusive federal hate crimes law,” Belmonte said.

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Since When Did U.S. Public Schools Turn Into Prison Camps?

clipped from signsofthelastdays.com What in the world is happening to public schools in the United States?  Once upon a time they were safe and peaceful institutions where our young people could get educated and prepared for their future lives as adults.  But in today's "security conscious" America, many public schools are on the verge of becoming literal prison camps, with students regularly being handcuffed, arrested and charged with crimes. *A 6-year-old girl was recently handcuffed and sent to a mental facility after throwing temper tantrums at her elementary school. *One eighth-grade teacher in the U.S. has accused her students of committing a "hate crime" because they left a Bible on her desk and a Christmas card with the word "Christ" underlined. *A while back, a 6th-grader's teacher told him that Jesus could not be mentioned in a Christmas poem that he was writing for class. If this is what our public schools are becoming, who in the world would want to send their kids there?

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Task force to decide if comments = hate crimes

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clipped from www.onenewsnow.com Mayor Rex Parris said at the end of a recent State of the City address that "we are growing a Christian community and we should never shy away from that." Councilwoman Sherry Marquez posted a comment on Facebook expressing outrage over an honor killing in a Muslim family, but after giving it a second though, she removed the comment an hour and a half later. Now, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the mayor, alleging he violated the supposed "separation of church and state." Late last month, CAIR asked the California Republican Party to repudiate Marquez' remarks, labeling them as "hate-filled" as well as "stereotypical and offensive." "The task force has the ability to deem an incident under its jurisdiction a hate crime or a hate incident based on evidence that has been presented to the task force in due diligence of the process," he explains.

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WORLD NET DAILY — Obama ‘hate crimes’ in lawsuit bull’s-eye

clipped from www.afamichigan.org “A team of Christian activists and pastors today filed a civil rights lawsuit against Attorney General Eric Holder over the ‘hate crimes’ law that President Obama…signed into law late in 2009 – alleging it violates their civil rights. The complaint states Christians now can become the target of federal investigations, grand juries and even charges for no more than opposing the activism of homosexuals who want…to halt any criticism of (their life choices). …It was filed today by the Thomas More Law Center…on behalf of Pastors Levon Yuille, Rene Ouellette, James Combs and Gary Glenn, who is the president of the American Family Association of Michigan. The complaint states Christians now can become the target of federal investigations, grand juries and even charges for no more than opposing the activism of homosexuals who want not only public endorsement of their life choices, but to halt any criticism of those decisions.

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Holder sued over 'Hate Crimes Act'

clipped from www.onenewsnow.com A federal lawsuit has been filed against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, challenging the constitutionality of the recently enacted federal "Hate Crimes Act." "Those who supported this recent administration -- the homosexual lobby group, the homosexual activists -- it's no doubt that they had this as one of their top priorities because it’s the wedge to creating greater federal protections for certain class of persons, and those being people who engage in a form of certain deviate sexual behavior," Muise comments. "It is equating those pastors and religious persons who teach what the Bible teaches on homosexuality with somebody who might express racist comments," Muise contends.  "I think what this is about is chilling and inhibiting freedom of speech, the free exercise of religion, and the right of expressive association in particular for Christians."

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CNSNews.com - Hate-Crimes Law Named No.1 Anti-Christian Act of 2009

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• CNSNews.com - Hate-Crimes Law Named No.1 Anti-Christian Act of 2009

  "(CNSNews.com) - The new federal hate crimes law has all the potential to be a major attack on religious liberty and freedom of speech, according to top religious liberty attorneys. The law was chosen the number one anti-Christian act of 2009 by the Christian Anti-Defamation League. Attorneys who defend religious rights agree: The recently enacted hate-crimes law is a threat to religious liberty. “The very fact that this law elevates ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ to the same protected status as race – that in and of itself is a cataclysmic shift in policy,” said Mathew Staver, president of the religious liberty law firm Liberty Counsel and dean of the Liberty University Law School. “That will have a ripple effect far beyond the specific words of this bill,” he added. “That is contrary to our Judeo-Christian heritage and beliefs, far beyond any particular disclaimer that it is not going to affect speech.” Erik Stanley, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, which is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., said the hate-crimes law is not about punishing crimes. It’s about punishing beliefs and ideas. “It is actually a thought-crimes law,” Stanley said. “There is no difference between, say, an assault that is already punishable, and an assault that is punishable as a hate crime, other than the belief of the perpetrator.” "

  tags: hatecrimes, cnsnews, US, Law, Global, Government, Attack, on, Religion, Christianity, prophecy

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What were 2009's worst attacks on Christianity?

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• What were 2009's worst attacks on Christianity?

  "A nonprofit organization devoted to advancing religious liberty for Christians has scoured the news, sought the opinion of its e-mail subscribers and selected a list of "the top 10 incidents of anti-Christian defamation, bigotry and discrimination in the U.S. from last year." "It is arguable that anti-Christian hatred has spilled over into material forms of persecution in 2009," said Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. "Christians were killed and bullied for their witness, ministers and churches threatened with violence and vandalized for standing for marriage and Christians were fired for not compromising their faith. If these are not bona fide examples of persecution, than I wonder what more it might take?" CADC subscribers chose from a list of 20 stories – both those that made headlines and those that were conspicuously absent from wide media coverage – to pick their top 10. The winners included a wide array of events deemed to insult, injure or marginalize Christianity. They included acts of violence, laws and judgments, actions by schools against students and decisions by the Obama administration to promote causes and leaders at odds with Christian teaching. (Story continues below) Here, then, is the list, as reported by the CADC: 1. "The Federal Hate Crimes Bill that attacks religious liberty and freedom of speech." As WND has reported, Canada's experience with "hate crimes" legislation has caused many American Christians to fear the U.S. will follow a similar path of censoring or even punishing in the name of "hate speech" people who declare the Bible's teachings on homosexuality. Gerald Chipeur is an attorney working to defend a Canadian pastor whose letter to the editor of a local newspaper prompted a complaint, a $5,000 fine and a court order not to express his beliefs further. "

  tags: USA, Law, Government, Global, US, Prophecy, persecution, Hate, Crimes, pastors, Freedom, of, Speech, Contitution, News

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

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