From OneNewsNow: Clergy in the crosshairs

Clergy in the crosshairs

Jim Brown - OneNewsNow

A Texas congressman who is a former judge warns that the "hate crimes" legislation reintroduced in the U.S. House could potentially lead to the arrest of Christian pastors who speak out against sexual immorality.

Representatives John Conyers (D-Michigan) and Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) are sponsoring the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913), also known as the "Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act." The bill would add sexual orientation to the list of categories covered under federal hate crime law. When Democrats passed the bill in 2007, they were divided over whether to add "gender identity and expression" to the list.

Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) says under the legislation, pastors, rabbis, or imams could be charged with encouraging or inducing a "hate crime" if they preach against homosexuality.

"Every preacher of the gospel, unless you cut out parts of it; every imam who mentions anything with regard to sexual immorality -- they could be pursued, and in other countries they have been," says the Texas lawmaker.

Gohmert shares information he received from abroad. "I was talking to a guy from Norway who was telling me that people are even afraid to say Mary was a virgin, because just bringing up sexuality at all can raise problems with law enforcement," he says.

Gohmert believes the Conyers-Kirk bill is also unnecessary because hate-motivated crimes are not a major national epidemic. He notes that during his time as a judge, he found that people who commit crimes out of anger and hate have a better chance of being rehabilitated than those who simply commit crimes randomly.

From OneNewsNow: Planned Parenthood Honors Hillary Clinton

Planned Parenthood honors Hillary Clinton

HOUSTON - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told a Planned Parenthood convention that reproductive rights, as well as women's rights and empowerment, are key issues in President Barack Obama's foreign policy.

Clinton vowed her support for these issues during a speech Friday evening at the Planned Parenthood's national conference in Houston.

She was honored by Planned Parenthood...the nation's leading abortionist.... with its Margaret Sanger Award, the organization's highest honor, for her work throughout her public service career on behalf of women's health and reproductive rights.

Clinton said these rights are building blocks of democracy as societies that deny and demean women's roles are ones more likely to engage in behavior that is negative, antidemocratic and that leads to violence and extremism.

But local T.V. station, KHOU, reports that while applause welcomed Clinton inside the crowded ballroom, outside pro-life activists were holding a vigil.

It says among the hundreds of demonstrators who stood praying for an end to abortion was Sheila Theisen.

She said “We want this administration to know that we don’t want to pay for the death of all these children."

Planned Parenthood receives hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding every year.

“There’s no reason to be killing children. There’s no reason,” Theisen said.

Secretary Clinton started her day in Washington, where she and the President announced the administration’s new direction in Afghanistan. One priority, she said, is ensuring the expansion of women’s rights there.