Another freedom has been taken away from him:
Yesterday on the Christian Broadcasting Network, televangelist Pat Robertson aired a segment slamming President Obama for signing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law. Extending hate crimes protection to the gay and transgendered community, Robertson argued, was a targeted attack on homophobic Christians like himself. Robertson said the new law is the latest example of a “noose” tightening around “the necks of Christians.”
Apparently, Robertson’s definition of freedom is the ability to physically attack and injure gay and lesbian persons:
Assuming that people who believe Pat Robertson have the capacity to read, here is the actual language from the statute that addresses “hate crimes” committed on the basis of sexual orientation (and other categories):
Whoever . . . willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, a dangerous weapon, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person. . . [shall be liable for criminal penalties stated in this legislation].
So, in order to believe Robertson, one must also believe that Christians, by definition, want to “willfully” cause “bodily injury” to people in the listed categories. Robertson’s grotesque logic also requires the listener to ignore the fact that the law also protects Christians — and everyone else — from religion-based violence.
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