Hate Speech Law Nails Swedish Pastor Threat to Gospel in the UK

A Swedish Pentecostal pastor sentenced to one month in prison in January 2004, for preaching against homosexuality, will have his appeal heard on 19^th January 2005.  Homosexual groups will be petitioning for the sentence to be increased.  Ake Green (roughly pronounced Or-kay Grey-yun) felt so burdened by the way homosexuality was increasing its grip on Swedish society, he preached a sermon about it, describing homosexuality as a cancerous tumour in the body of society.

A cancer spreads and degrades the organism in which it lives until the body can no longer function, and dies.  The description rings true.  Pastor Ake ended his sermon by speaking of the love and grace of Christ.  His case has divided the Swedish church; some pastors are supportive and a few are preparing also to speak out.  The majority of the church however, even the evangelical church, is lukewarm in its support.  Pastor Ake blames them for acquiescing to the homosexual agenda.  

If David Blunkett carries out his threat to introduce a ‘religious hate crimes’ bill in Britain, and abolish the law against blasphemy, as he has said he wants to do http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3752232.stm  the same will happen here.  The House of Commons will vote to include sexual orientation in the list, Jesus will be openly blasphemed but anyone who preaches against homosexuality or Islam will become a criminal.  

A few of us will speak out, defiant in the face of imprisonment, but what will the majority of the church do?  Will they be courageous, “Christ’s church miltant here on earth”, as the Book of Common Prayer puts it, or “Christ’s church spineless”?  Will it be “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, ...” (Eph 6:12) or “We wrestle not at all”?  It’s time to defend the Saviour’s name.

A short report of the Swedish case is on the Exodus Ministries website:
http://exodus.blogs.com/synopsis/2004/09/swedish_pastor .html

But the fullest report we have found is on Christian Broadcasting Network News:
http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/CWN/091004sweden.asp

The sentence caused a protest by Slovakia to the Swedish Embasssy:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1177524/posts

Swedish advocates traveled to America in June to warn the same could happen there:
http://www.faithandaction.org/10604Oscarsson.htm

Individual States are enacting their own hate crimes laws, such as California :
http://uk.gay.com/headlines/6886

But America is moving to pass a Federal law to forbid criticism of homosexuality:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1231035/posts

One USA Commentator has described hate crimes laws as a ‘Prescription for Tyranny’:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38708

All over Europe , those who speak out against homosexuality are under threat:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/apr/04043006.html

In Canada, hate crimes were extended to include ‘sexual orientation’ a year ago:
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/09/17/hate030917

The Canadian law came into force in April this year:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/apr/04042901.html

Meanwhile, in Australia , in the State of Victoria , a complaint by Muslims against a Christian under a law forbidding ‘vilification’ of other religions has resulted in Muslims and Christians being virtually at war in the State:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ForeignBureaus/Archive/200309/FOR20030916b.html

Christians and Muslims are attending each other’s events, taking notes, waiting for an opportunity to bring a case.  This result is exactly the opposite of the peace and harmony the advocates of the law said they wanted to achieve, as one of them now admits:
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=2274

Incredibly, Daniel Scot fled his native Pakistan to escape persecution from Muslims:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/17/1066364483293.html?oneclick=true

An article in the Australian Daily Telegraph referred to the case as a ‘legal absurdity’:
http://www.catchthefire.com.au/courtupdate23.html

The case against ‘hate crimes’ laws in the UK and the case for retaining the law against blasphemy are made in the Christian Voice Briefing Paper: The Name of Jesus Christ’
http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/Briefing%20papers/ART853.pdf

Here are some links to do with sexual healing:

Or click here for the Christian Voice website: http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/