Of immediate concern is H.R. 1592 �?the “hate crimes�?bill that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March. This bill establishes a new federal offense for “hate crimes�?and adds “sexual orientation�?and “gender identity�?as protected classes in the U.S. criminal code. These classes are based solely upon unverifiable self-identification and/or sexual behavior.

Ominously, this bill mandates a separate federal criminal prosecution for state offenses �?with the possibility of life imprisonment �?for crimes motivated by actual or perceived “sexual orientation�?and “gender identity.�?Significantly, H.R. 1592 doesn’t even define what the term “sexual orientation�?means!

Obviously, we have many concerns with a bill like this �?including the fact that it is constitutionally suspect, unfair, dangerous, indefinable, unnecessary and un-American.

And not only does H.R. 1592 violate the concept of equal protection under the law by granting more government protection to certain classes of people, it is a clear overreach of federal power �?allowing the federal government to intervene in local and state affairs.

But even more chilling is the fact that H.R. 1592 paves the way to religious persecution �?with “hate crimes�?laws inevitably leading to “hate speech�?laws targeted specifically at Christians and other faith groups who hold traditional beliefs on homosexuality.

Already this has happened in Canada, Sweden, Belgium, France, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, England, and New Zealand. Even here in the United States in Philadelphia, Christians have been arrested and jailed under a state “hate crimes�?law.

Let’s face it: homosexual and transgender activists know full well that the church is one of last bastions in Western culture that has yet to cave in to the demands of a radical agenda that seeks to redefine fundamental concepts such as marriage, family and gender.

Here’s the bottom line: If this Thought Crimes law passes, your right to share politically incorrect parts of your Christian faith could, in fact, become a federal crime.

Clearly, a grave threat to our civil liberties and the liberties of our children and grandchildren is now upon us.