Canadian Charged with "Hate Speech" for Listing Bible Verses
In the Saskatchewan Province of Canada, the Court of Queen's Bench has affirmed a 2001 ruling of the human rights tribunal which imposed a fine on a man for submitting a newspaper ad that cited four Bible verses condemning homosexuality.
Hate Crimes Law Breeds Christian Censorship
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code prohibits any form of expression that might "incite hatred." Hugh Owens, of Regina, Saskatchewan, and the Saskatoon Star Phoenix were found guilty of violating this law. As a punishment for posting four biblical citations, Owens was forced to pay damages of 1,500 Canadian dollars to each of the three homosexual men who filed the complaint.
The rights code is supposed to make exceptions for a person's religious beliefs, but an activist court has ruled that opposition to homosexuality is not a tenet of the Christian faith. Rather, the commission ruled that Owens had exposed the homosexual men "to hatred, ridicule, and their dignity was affronted on the basis of their sexual orientation."
Contents of the Advertisement
The ad listed references to four Bible passages: Romans 1
Leviticus 18:22
Leviticus 20:13
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
To the right of the verses, an equal sign was placed between the verse references and a drawing of two males holding hands. On top of the drawing was the universal nullification symbol – a red circle with a diagonal bar running through the middle.
Owens Addresses the Ruling
"I put the biblical references, but not the actual verses, so the ad would become interactive," he stated in an interview with the National Catholic Register. "I figured somebody would have to look them up in the Bible first, or if they didn't have a Bible, they would have to find one."
The Catholic newspaper stated, "Owens denies that as a Christian he wants homosexuals put to death, as some inferred from the biblical passages." He simply believes that their "eternal salvation is at stake."
Court Provides Illogical Reasoning for Decision
Justice J. Barclay wrote in his opinion that the human-rights panel "was correct in concluding that the advertisement can objectively be seen as exposing homosexuals to hatred or ridicule."
"When the use of the circle and slash is combined with the passages of the Bible, it exposes homosexuals to detestation, vilification and disgrace," Barclay said. "In other words, the biblical passage which suggests that if a man lies with a man they must be put to death exposes homosexuals to hatred."
Take Action!
Contact your elected officials and urge them to oppose all legislation that might eventually lead to preferential treatment or Christian censorship. You may reach them at:
U.S. Capitol Switchboard
(202) 224-3121
Source List:
"Bible Verses Regarded as Hate Literature," WorldNetDaily, February 18, 2003.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=31080
