{"id":24001,"date":"2015-08-11T12:00:08","date_gmt":"2015-08-11T16:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/swiss-catholic-bishop-may-face-3-years-in-prison-for-anti-gay-hate-speech\/"},"modified":"2015-08-11T12:00:08","modified_gmt":"2015-08-11T16:00:08","slug":"swiss-catholic-bishop-may-face-3-years-in-prison-for-anti-gay-hate-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/swiss-catholic-bishop-may-face-3-years-in-prison-for-anti-gay-hate-speech\/","title":{"rendered":"Swiss Catholic Bishop May Face 3 Years In Prison For Anti-Gay Hate Speech"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swiss Catholic Bishop May Face 3 Years In Prison For Anti-Gay Hate Speech<\/b><\/p>\n

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A Swiss Catholic Bishop was charged with “inciting people to crimes,” after he delivered a hate filled sermon of Leviticus at a German debate on marriage and family on July 31.<\/p>\n

Swiss Bishop Vitus Huonder cited the go-to anti-gay<\/a> passage of Leviticus 20:13 that if a man<\/a> lies with a man<\/a> as he lies with a woman<\/a>…they shall surely be put to death, with Huonder adding “suffice to clarify unambiguously the church’s position on homosexuality,” implying that the Catholic Church condones violence toward LGBT people.<\/p>\n

As Newsweek<\/em><\/a> reports, Bishop Huonder’s sermon caused a stir in both Switzerland and Germany, gaining the attention of the Pink Cross, the Swiss Gay Federation. The group filed a criminal complaint against Hounder after concerns that his sermon would legitimize and inspire followers to commit violence against LGBT people.<\/p>\n

Bishop Huonder faces three years in prison if convicted. Hounder issued an apology although he mistakenly listed the wrong date of his speech in his statement:<\/p>\n

“I am sorry if my 50 minute lecture in Fulda on 2 August 2015, which dealt with the biblical basis for marriage and family, was understood as diminishing homosexual people.<\/p>\n

“This was not my intention. During the lecture I quoted several uncomfortable passages from the Old Testament to do with marriage, sexuality and family. I want to clarify that I… would in no way wish to diminish homosexual people.”<\/p>\n

Huonder’s anti-gay<\/a> views run contrary to popular opinion in his home nation of Switzerland<\/a> where over 50 percent of the nation’s population supports gay<\/a> marriage as of February 2015.<\/p>\n

The post Swiss Catholic Bishop May Face 3 Years In Prison For Anti-Gay Hate Speech<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\nAnthony Costello<\/p>\n

Swiss Catholic Bishop May Face 3 Years In Prison For Anti-Gay Hate Speech<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n