House Uses Troops as Pawns to Pass Hate Crimes Bill
- Oct 12, 2009 -
Dear Friends:
Congress has stooped to a new low. In a show of political power over principle, a majority in the House of Representatives hijacked a troops-funding bill last week as a vehicle to advance hate crimes legislation.
This is a tragic step for America. Injecting such radical social policy into the Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 2647) makes political pawns of our soldiers, who are fighting bravely for our freedom and the freedom of others around the world.
Under this bill, homosexuals who are victims of violent crimes will receive special federal protections that most others are not afforded. And pastors who speak their biblical convictions on homosexuality from the pulpit could be caught in the crosshairs. For Christians, the full implications are unknown but certainly troublesome.
I applaud the 131 Republicans and 15 Democrats who voted against the defense bill—most of whom support our troops’ missions and would have otherwise supported the bill if the hate crimes legislation had been stripped. Thank you for making sure your representative heard from you. To see how he or she voted, click here.
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill this week before sending it to President Obama for his signature. If you oppose this political showmanship, I urge you to contact your senators this week by calling their offices here or dialing the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
As always, I appreciate your willingness to stand with us during these critical days.
In His Service,
Dr. Richard Land
President
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Southern Baptist Convention
Further Learning
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