Black pastors fight hate-crime protection for gays

WASHINGTON — A coalition of conservative black pastors is lobbying Congress to vote against a bill that would extend federal hate-crimes laws to cover gays, saying they fear it would prevent them from preaching against homosexuality.

Several pastors last week urged House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., a sponsor of the bill, and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus to vote against the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

They say it would pin the hate-crime label on their sermons against homosexuality, which they consider a sin.

"This law can be applied in the way that can keep the church from preaching the gospel," said Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Hope Christian Church in Lanham, Md.

Gay activists compare the bill to civil rights legislation of the 1960s.

"This legislation is needed because gay, lesbian, bisexual individuals are not protected under the law," said Bishop Kwabena "Rainey" Cheeks, pastor of Inner Light Ministries in Washington.

The Rev. Marvin Winans, a Detroit pastor and member of the Grammy Award-winning Winans family, recently met with Conyers to lobby against the bill. "This is a specific bill, no matter how well intended, that will hurt America," he said.

Among the groups opposing the bill are the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the Family Research Council and Exodus International, a coalition of formerly gay Christians. The Unitarian Universalist Association, Integrity USA and the NAACP support the bill.

------------------

"This law can be applied in the way that can keep the church from preaching the gospel," Now that sounds like a preacher that must be preaching hate.

How on earth can one minority logically lobby against another minority receiving the same protection they enjoy?