On July 23rd, Today Bishop Carlton Pearson, HRC Religion Council member and senior minister of the New Dimensions Worship Center in Tulsa, OK, commended House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) for issuing a letter that counters the false claims by a group of conservative African-American ministers that the federal hate crimes legislation threatens free speech. Majority Whip Clyburn sent the letter to Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Hope Christian Church in Lanham, MD and members of the High Impact Leadership Coalition in response to a full-page the group ran against the Senate version of the hate crimes bill in the July 11 edition of USAToday.
"I commend Majority Leader Clyburn for pointing out that discrimination against any of our fellow Americans is wrong and for clarifying, once again, that nothing in the hate crimes legislation will place ministers at risk for preaching their faith," said Bishop Pearson. "This legislation simply ensures that all people are covered by federal protections to investigate and prosecute hate violence."
The same day the anti-hate crimes ad ran in USA Today, the Human Rights Campaign, along with a coalition of organizations that include the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Interfaith Alliance and the Religious Action Center, released a list of more than 1,300 faith leaders who have signed on to a letter urging the U.S. Senate to passage the Matthew Shepard Act that would update the current hate crimes law. The 1,385 faith leaders signing the letter represent a broad spectrum of religious voices urging passage of a hate crimes bill that is pending in the U.S. Senate.
The letter states, "We would not support a bill that did not contain ample protections for free speech, including preaching and statements of religious belief. This law does not criminalize or impede upon religious expression in any way." Read the complete letter at www.clergyagainsthate.org.
In addition to the letter, the Human Rights Campaign, along with the Leadership Council on Civil Rights and the National Black Justice Coalition, also published a full page ad in July 11 edition of Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, and in the July 16 edition of USA Today. The ad features a theologically diverse group of black clergy representing tens of thousands of Americans speaking out in support of proposed hate crimes legislation.
The USA Today ad states, "Pastors have nothing to fear. The bill clearly protects free speech and does not muzzle any minister." To view the ad, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/2ntorh
The Matthew Shepard Act would update the current hate crimes statute, enacted in 1968, to include more Americans and provide increased protections for those groups already covered under existing law. Nothing in this legislation prohibits the lawful expression of one's deeply held religious beliefs. Neither the current hate crimes law nor the Matthew Shepard Act criminalize thoughts or speech; they only criminalize violent acts.
On Thursday, May 3, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1592), by a strong bipartisan margin of 237 to 180
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