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  • « Shepard bill closer to being a law | Main | Islamists of a Christian feather »

    May 04, 2007

    Reading the Bible in a certain way

    Posted by: Chris

    Bibleindistress Dr. James Dobson, founder of the Focus on the Family and among the most powerful conservative Christians in America, told his bazillion radio listeners today that they have much to fear from the Matthew Shepard Act, just passed by the House.  According to AP:

    Dobson warned that the true intent of the bill was "to muzzle people of faith who dare to express their moral and biblical concerns about homosexuality." If you read the Bible in a certain way, he told his broadcast listeners, "you may be guilty of committing a 'thought crime."'

    By "reading the Bible in a certain way," does Dr. Dobson mean reading it upside down?  He certainly shouldn't fear prosecution for reading the Bible to teach that homosexuality is a sin, or even if he believe it teaches to hate those of us who accept our sexual orientation as a natural and morally neutral characteristic.

    Not only does the Shepard specifically limit itself to "violent offenses," the bill contains a special provision to prevent evidence of the person's views or affiliations being used as evidence of biased intent:

    Evidence of expression or associations of the defendant may not be introduced as substantive evidence at trial, unless the evidence specifically relates to that offense.

    Jamesdobson That means even if one of Dr. Dobson's listeners forgets that he's only supposed to hate the gay sin and decides to violently act out his hate on the gay sinner himself, his religious devotion to Focus on the Family radio programs can't be held against him. The provision is so strong that the ACLU supports the Shepard Act and said in a statement today that it, "fully protects both civil rights and free speech. In fact, the new hate crimes bill  has stronger protections for free speech than any other federal criminal law now on the books."

    Claims like Dobson's are so blatantly false that the only get traction if the MSM (that's mainstream media, not men who have sex with men) goes pre-Iraq in its coverage quality.

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    Comments

    1. North Dallas Thirty on May 4, 2007 12:24:24 PM:

      "That means even if one of Dr. Dobson's listeners forgets that he's only supposed to hate the gay sin and decides to violently act out his hate on the gay sinner himself, his religious devotion to Focus on the Family radio programs can't be held against him."

      Um, wrong.

      For argument, let me present the Matt Foreman theory:

      ( http://www.thetaskforce.org/press/releases/pr919_020206 )

      Especially the part about how "the blood spilled this morning is on their hands" -- which means that gays are claiming that their words are specifically related to the crime committed.

      Sorry, Chris, but the evidence demonstrates otherwise that individuals who, to my knowledge, have never told anyone to go out and take an ax to gay people, will be held responsible regardless of whether they did or not simply because they criticized gays.

      Furthermore, you yourself have blamed attacks on gays on Christians and their religious beliefs, even though you have yet to cite cases of Christians actually TELLING other people to go out and attack gays.


    1. Rejsende on May 4, 2007 12:43:38 PM:

      Is any reader of this blog surprised? A nice cherry on the sundae of last night's Republican debate; this is. I am in the midst of a massive spring cleaning so I can FLEE my South Florida home and arrive at the home of my partner/my secondary home in Montreal, Quebec. It cannot come soon enough. May always comes right when 6 mos. of my disgust of USA's treatment of us churns to a boiling point. Mostly Catholic Quebec just yawns at the USA hysteria over this issue. The evening news is calm----you can even possibly go an entire newscast without even hearing the word "Iraq." My partner and I socialize with all our straight neighbors.....long-term residents in an old neighborhood when we showed up (bought) 4-years ago. The greatest agony of my gay life in Canada recently was a horrible decision I had to make a few weeks ago at our (mostly straight) White Party Event Easter weekend. My two favorite DJs were playing at the same time in the same venue in opposite rooms!! Armin van Buuren or Offer Nissim???? Ah, the agony.... <<<----note to C-squared: I loved him first!.....(and guess who's coming to The Week in SP two weeks from now, Chris?)
      Our club life in Montreal boasts something unheard of here......straights/gays mix very well and we enjoy eachother when out. We have our clubs, they have theirs.....but one club; STEREO.....is 50/50. It is the best of all (after-hours---incredible music)clubs and we all have a gr8 time together!

      I know Canada has it's share of Kristian Krakpotz---but they reside mostly in Canada's Texas: Alberta!

      I admire Chris' columns, Andrew's as well, HRC, all our fighters, etc. for the fact that you keep swinging.....but I'm worn out down here when here. Change will be generational----I've resigned myself to that.

      Time to get back to those detestable gay issues I have in Canada: 1) Should we get married this summer?? Hmmmmmm. 2) Who are the DJs at PARKING and STEREO this weekend? Hmmmmm.........

      Enjoy your summer, all!

    1. quaneeka on May 4, 2007 2:41:43 PM:

      i believe in god and would like to know what is good literature to start reading to understand god more i myself started reading the bible wherever i turn to is this wrong to do

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