Update on the Hate Speech Bill by Philip Rosenthal of ChristianView Network
Yesterday, the Department of Justice updated Parliament on their responses to submissions for the Hate Speech Bill. They are proposing up to five years jail sentence for what they call “hate speech”.
Currently, the former leader of the Finnish Christian party is defending herself against a criminal charge of “hate speech”.
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In answer to questions, Deputy Minister Doug Jeffrey clarified that the proposed religious exemption clause 4(2) would protect exposition and proselytising only.
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So, for example a church minister would be protected in what he said in a sermon or preaching in the street, but he would not be protected if he casually said something against homosexuals in a pub.
This is dangerous because it means that Christians as well as the 9/10 South Africans who believe that homosexual sex is always wrong can be silenced in ethical and political debate.
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It is also problematic, because teaching people the moral law of God is a necessary preparation for evangelism. If people don’t believe they have sinned against God, they won’t see any need to turn to God.
Such pre-evangelism does not necessarily take place in the same conversation as the Gospel appeal to convert.
Further, Christians need to debate with others for example on LGBT policy in shared society such as schools. Now their views can be re-framed as “hate speech”.
What of politicians taking at stand against homosexuality? The South African Constitutional Court has already ruled in Qwelane that opposing so called “same-sex marriage” is hate speech in terms of the Equality Act. What else will they declare?
Making the matter more complicated, the Deputy Minister of Justice seems to have contradicted himself in his interpretation of the religious exemption clause on several occasions, and other state officials have other interpretations. Can we then even rely on the protections he is now promising?
Further, the latest proposals would criminalise the vague concept of “cultural harm”. What does that mean? Top lawyers don’t know. It will mean whatever activist groups say it means and judges agree to. You can argue just about anything controversial justifies “cultural harm”.
Deputy Minister Jeffrey is selling this “hate speech” law to Parliament based on the precedent of other Western and African countries. Nevertheless, what he is proposing is far broader than these other Western countries and would give woke government officials a blank cheque to persecute Christians.
It is also concerning that this bill is being pushed forward with a lot of time pressure. To catch up with previous updates on the same Bill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeVaUl8sxEo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe8OPHN7Q1s
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