The Western Jewish Bulletin about uscontact ussearch
Shalom Dancers Dome of the Rock Street in Israel Graffiti Jewish Community Center Kids Wailing Wall
Serving British Columbia Since 1930
homethis week's storiesarchivescommunity calendarsubscribe
 


home > this week's story

  

special online features
faq
about judaism
business & community directory
vancouver tourism tips
links

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter. Enter your e-mail address here:



Search the Jewish Independent:


 

  

archives

January 3, 2003

Bible not hate literature

Editorial

Do we sell daughters into slavery? (Ex. 21:7) Do we put to death those who work on the Sabbath? (Ex. 35:2) No, and neither do we kill people for being homosexual, even though the Bible might tell us to. (Lev. 20:13) Why? Because there are some aspects of the Bible that are not taken literally in this day.

This fact seems to be understood by most lay-people, but not by those who are labelling Bill C-250 a threat to freedom of religion and an attempt to ban the Bible.

Bill C-250 will add the words "sexual orientation" to Criminal Code legislation that defines certain activities as hate crimes. The addition, which is being submitted to the House of Commons as a private members bill by MP Svend Robinson, is expected to go to reading in early 2003.

Currently, groups that fall into the categories distinguished by color, race, religion and ethnic origin can activate hate-crime provisions. For example, if an attack can be shown to have been motivated due to someone's dislike of a person's skin color, Section 718.2 of the Code allows judges to punish such an act more severely. Or, if someone distributes pamphlets calling for the death of Jews, such information could be considered hate literature. Robinson would like to include "sexual orientation" in the list of identifiable groups.

But some conservative Christian groups are complaining that this would lead to parts of the Bible being labelled as hate literature because of the passages on homosexuality. Ludicrous. If they don't think judges can distinguish between writings that promote genocide or incite hatred against an identifiable group and a religious text like the Bible, then they have very low opinions of those people who make up our justice system.

If activities or writings can be designated as hate-based crimes if they target people based on skin color, race, ethnic origin or religion, then they should be so designated if they target people based on sexual orientation. Let the detractors come back when they have better arguments to present.

^TOP