So, Congress has now outlawed “hate”. But not just any hate – it is specifically hate against certain groups of people that don’t look like you, unless you are in one of those groups, then it isn’t hate, or something like that… Of course, they have no authority to create such a law. That authority was not granted to them in Article I, section 8 of the Constitution (yes, that pesky document again) and Amendment 16, Section 1 provides for equal protection under the law. Since some groups are more protected than others under this law, it fails again.
Furthermore, the law is not necessary. When famous cases are trotted out of heinous crimes committed against so-called “minority groups,” a look at the results of our current justice system always shows that the perpetrators were found, tried, convicted, and sentenced to suitable terms – often life terms, or, in the case of Texas, to death.
Although this is clearly unconstitutional, and although our platform is clear that Republicans should never support it, our Senators from Texas voted for this monstrosity, tacked onto a military appropriations bill. The news media didn’t trumpet that our military was funded for another year. They reveled in the passage of this one unconstitutional provision.
But more heinous to me is that there were some clear amendments proposed for this law that were voted down. For Justices who look to legislative intent, this will be a clear sign for them. An amendment was proposed to exempt reading from the Bible, Koran, or Tenach from being considered a hate crime. This was voted down along party lines.
So, let me quote a little Scripture and see if this sounds like hate to you:
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, New King James Version)
Paul is clearly stating that homosexuality is a choice. It is an activity that can be engaged in, or not, just like adultery, stealing, and coveting. Yes, wanting what you do not have is a sin equal in stature to homosexuality. And that word translated “sodomites” is very explicit in Greek: αρσενοκοιται. It is a compound of two words, ἄρσην which means “male” and κοίτη which means laying down or sexual intercourse. As a second declension noun, it is clearly describing men in this activity. There is no wiggle room here for people to interpret this word in any way other than we are doing here. But likewise, the word covetous, πλεονέκτης is equally un-ambiguous as greedy, hording, and the like.
After reminding his audience that whether it is sexual sin or property sin, the wages are still separation from God forever, Paul goes on to say that even though some of the Christians in Corinth used to participate in these actions, they are now clean, and free from the burden. Why would Christians hate people who had not yet accepted the freeing, cleansing redemption that Christ bought for us on the Cross?
To prosecute a man for saying such things, by suggesting that this is inciting hatred, is clearly unjust.