Politics
Thursday December 15, 2005
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
French MP Faces 6 Months Jail and $30,000 Fine over "Hate Speech" against Homosexuals
By John-Henry Westen
OTTAWA, December 15, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A law banning hate speech against homosexuals enacted in France last year has proved its criticisms valid by being pressed against a sitting MP for comments which cannot be considered hateful in any true sense. Christian Vanneste, a member of the UMP representing the Lille region faces up to six months' imprisonment and a $30,000 fine after being taken to court by three homosexual activist groups - SOS Homophobie, Act Up-Paris and Sneg.
The Telegraph reports that the public prosecutor at the trial in Lille said Vanneste was guilty as charged but made no recommendation on how he should be punished. Judgment on the case will be given on Jan 24.
While the Telegraph reports that Vanneste offended homosexuals "by saying they represent a 'threat to humanity'. Vanneste actually referred to homosexual behaviour as dangerous rather than homosexual persons.
Vanneste's offensive comments were originally made in parliament during the debate on the hate speech law which Vanneste opposed, and more recently repeated to newspapers. In Parliament he said that the idea of making "homophobia" illegal was a "contradiction in terms ... This will bolster the notion that homosexual behaviour has the same value as any other kind of behaviour, when, in fact, it is obvious that it is a threat to the survival of humanity."
Criminalizing speech against homosexual acts would see persons stating the faith positions of major religions imprisoned.
Comments against homosexual acts are common from Christians who believe, as a matter of faith, that such acts are gravely immoral. Homosexual acts are portrayed in Scripture as a "grave depravity" and an "abomination." Also, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says that that such acts are "intrinsically disordered and contrary to the natural law," adding that "they can never be approved."
Similar hate speech laws were passed in Canada this year, and while there have been no prosecutions under the law thus far, human rights tribunals have heaped heavy fines on Canadian Christians for speaking out against homosexuality.
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- LifeSiteNews.com Needed to Balance Mainstream Media Bias During Canadian Elections
- Ecuador Approves Constitution with Pro-Abortion, Pro-Homosexual Language
- Martin Sheen Stars in Ad Opposing Assisted Suicide in Washington State
- Linda Gibbons Acquitted of Charge Used by Province to Avoid Challenge to 14-year-old "Temporary" Injunction
- None of Canada's Major Parties, Leaders are Pro-Life
- Dressing to Sexually Arouse Men or Not
- Calgary Bishop Confronts Alberta Health Minister For Criticizing School Board's Rejection of STD Vaccine
- Democrat Party Risks Becoming the "Party of Death": US Vatican Prelate
- Portrayal of Risky Sexual Behaviors on TV Inspires Imitation Says Study
- Letters to the Editor - September 30, 2008
- Prime Minister Harper: Not Now, Not Ever Will Conservative Government Protect Unborn Children
- Beer Boycott to Resume after MillerCoors Again Supports Sadomasochistic Sex Fair
- Canadian Bishops Issue Pastoral Letter Encouraging Faithfulness to Anti-Contraception Encyclical Humanae Vitae
- New York's 15-Foot No Speech Abortion Bubble Zone Bill Denounced as "Unconstitutional"
- Can "Fireproof" Save Marriage at the Ballot Box in November?
- International Pro-Life Conference "Creating a Culture of Life" Kicks Off This Thursday
Most Read this Week
- Pornographic Planned Parenthood Videos Taken Off Site after Protests
- Priests for Life Forces Members of Congress to Face Carnage of Abortion
- Powerful Pro-Marriage Film "Fireproof" Opens in Theatres This Friday
- Obama Calls Ad by Abortion Survivor a "Despicable Lie"
- Lord of the Rings Star to Use Gandalf Connection to Promote Homosexuality in Schools
- Bishops To Congress: "We Can't Reduce Abortion By Promoting Abortion"
- 2008-2009 Television Season to More than Double Homosexual Characters
- German TV Ads Promote Children "as a Cherished Matter of Course"
- One U.K. Catholic School Stands against HPV Vaccination
- Five Chaplains Lose Jobs for Praying 'In Jesus' Name'
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.