WASHINGTON, D.C.—Dr. Barrett Duke of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission will join Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and other religious and political leaders Tuesday, April 28, at 1:30 PM to speak out against Hate Crimes legislation that will pose frightening threats to religious freedom.
The Hate Crimes bill, H.R. 1913, was passed last week by the House Judiciary Committee, on which Rep. Gohmert serves, and is expected to be considered soon on the House Floor. Gohmert warns that this legislation, if passed, taken in conjunction with existing law, “would drive a dagger into religious teachings on morality.”
* WHO:
** Barrett Duke, Vice President for Public Policy and Research, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention
** Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, Chairman, Traditional Values Coalition (TVC)
** Wendy Wright, President, Concerned Women for America (CWA)
** Maureen Wiebe, Legislative Director, American Association of Christian Schools
** Bishop Harry Jackson, Chairman, High Impact Leadership Coalition (HILC) and Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church
** Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01)
** Rep. Trent Franks (AZ-02)
** Other national and local religious leaders
* WHAT: Press Conference to Oppose Hate Crimes Legislation H.R. 1913
* WHEN: 1:30pm EST, Tuesday, April 28, 2009
* WHERE: Cannon Terrace, located outside Cannon HOB, Washington, DC
_The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest non-Catholic denomination with more than 16.2 million members in over 44,000 churches nationwide. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is the SBC’s ethics, religious liberty and public policy agency with offices in Nashville, Tenn., and Washington, D.C._
