The Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) list of “hate groups” continues to cause frustration and controversy because of the absurd standard they apply when creating their hate list.

Mainstream Christian organizations that affirm a biblical view of human sexuality are unjustly labeled a “hate group” because they are considered anti-homosexual. These groups are lumped into a list that is filled with violent neo-Nazis and skinheads. This is clearly unfair, misleading and unfounded.

Collision Course with Religious Liberty

The danger of being labeled a hate group can be seen when you take a look at the hate crimes bills now pending before Congress. One of the bills, David Ray Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HR 256), commands the Federal Sentencing Commission to examine “adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes.” The Sentencing Commission will expand punishment to people who incite hate crimes.

This means that a judge could punish adults whose “hateful speech” allegedly inspires hate crimes. So if a juvenile in your church commits a crime, like an assault on a Muslim or a Jew, your faithful pastor might be held accountable for inciting hate just because the pastor teaches that Islam and Judaism are wrong.

Of course, Jews and Muslims can attack Christian doctrines all day long, and if they physically attack a Christian that’s not hateful according to this politically correct double standard. Only the Christian can be considered hateful.

One provision in the other pending hate crime bill, The David Ray Ritcheson Hate Crime Prevention Act (HR 262), provides 20 million dollars for groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to define hate groups. If we don’t stop this madness, soon “re-education” will be forced on the “guilty” and Christians will be asked to repent of their historic, biblical positions. 

Censorship Begins

Laurie Higgins, Director of the Division of School Advocacy for the Illinois Family Institute, wrote to CADC sharing how the Southern Poverty Law Centers list has affected her organization.

“Last week we discovered that the Southern Poverty Law Center has included our organization on their list of ‘Active U.S. Hate Groups’ for apparently no other reasons than that we espouse an orthodox, historical Christian view of homosexuality and that I expose the efforts of public school educators to inculcate students with their personal, unproven theories on the nature and morality of homosexuality. As a Christian organization, we renounce and denounce hatred. Being included on this list is damaging our reputation. In fact, we've been told that a public school in Ohio has blocked Illinois Family Institute from their school's computers because we've been identified formally as a ‘hate group.’”

The Illinois Family Institute is not alone. Also on the SPLC hate group list are other Christian organizations have been defamed by their inclusion on the list, including the Traditional Values Coalition, Chalcedon Foundation, Mass Resistance, Abiding Truth Ministries, Family Research Institute and American Vision. These are all well known and respected pro-family organizations.

This unjust labeling is a precursor of things to come. If we do not fight and win this battle and allow our enemies to define us, faithful churches who stand up for biblical morality will be labeled hate groups. Soon groups like the SPLC will seek to have Christians silenced and we will not be allowed to publically advocate for a biblical worldview regarding sexuality. This is the case today in Canada and parts of Europe. It’s not hard to imagine that because other groups find it offensive they will attempt to label the Gospel as hateful in an attempt to silence it.  

1^St Amendment Freedom

If honest disagreement becomes defined as hate it will destroy freedom of speech. Eventually this will affect everyone, even those who now advocate for hate crimes. If we were to apply the same twisted logic of the SPLC to the SPLC, it would have to label itself as a hate group because they are intolerant of conservative Christians. Of course, the SPLC can operate now without criticism because it’s acceptable to hate conservative Christians. It’s time to put an end to the Christian bashing.

URGENT ACTION ITEMS:

Sign our petition urging the SPLC to stop being intolerant and stop slandering Christians for their biblical point of view.

Add you name to our petition in opposition to hate crimes legislation.

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