On Wednesday, August 14, a federal judge, denying a motion to dismiss, ruled that a Soros-backed pro-homosexual "civil rights" organization, Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) based in New York, can move forward and sue Pastor Scott Lively of Springfield, Mass. for allegedly committing international "crimes against humanity."
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Pastor Scott Lively refuses to back down and is being bitterly attacked by the homosexual movement. |
This unprecedented lawsuit is based on pro-family speeches and writings critical of homosexuality by Pastor Lively at conferences in Uganda and in the United States. CCR is claiming that Lively's opinions were the direct cause of about a dozen minor incidents of harassment in Uganda over a period of ten years, which they consider "crimes against humanity." They offer no evidence that the perpetrators of these incidents had ever communicated with Lively, or had even read or heard anything by him! Instead, they make the preposterous charge that somehow Lively's few speeches and writings created a "virulently hostile environment" in the entire country of Uganda, and thus he is responsible.
In our exclusive coverage of the hearing back in January on the motion to dismiss, we reported how we sat in the courtroom and heard Lively's Liberty Counsel lawyers eviscerate virtually every argument brought up by the plaintiffs. At one point Federal Judge Michael A. Ponsor even told the CCR lawyer that he is "struggling to see actionable behavior" in anything Lively did or said, and that he can't see that any of Lively's conduct that amounts to "persecution" or "conspiracy."
Unusually harsh and hostile ruling on motion to dismiss
But that was then. In his 79-page ruling issued last week, Judge Ponsor accepts all of the points raised by the Soros-backed plaintiffs and denies all of the points raised by Lively's lawyers. In addition, Ponsor excoriates Pastor Lively's "offensive conduct" relating to his pro-family activity and his "distasteful" use of the First Amendment.
We're living in a time of outrageous and hostile anti-family court rulings. The Supreme Court and state "gay marriage" rulings, the rulings against pro-family businesses, recent "transgender rights" rulings, and rulings against parents of schoolchildren are just a few. But this ruling goes far beyond anything we've ever seen or even read about.
Detailed analysis coming up. Because of the egregious and convoluted nature of this case and the ruling, MassResistance is preparing a detailed analysis of the judge's ruling and how the judge has determined that Pastor Lively -- presumably no longer protected by the First Amendment -- can "legally" be sued in an American court on these charges.
What this is REALLY all about: a new international standard for "crimes against humanity"
Why is this New York-based Soros-based group going to such unusual efforts and expense to prosecute Pastor Scott Lively for international "crimes against humanity" -- simply because of things that he said?
This is not an accident. It could represent for them an unprecedented weapon for the international homosexual movement going forward.
A major driving point of the hardcore homosexual movement is the internal narrative among themselves that criticism or distaste of homosexual behavior (what they call "homophobia") leads to genocidal extermination of homosexuals. To us (and most people) that may seem to be a paranoid delusion. But that is what they tell each other that pro-family people really desire. And it's a big part of what drives them to relentlessly silence any disagreement of their behaviors through intimidation and harassment as well as oppressive anti-bullying laws, "anti-discrimination" laws, and other tactics.
However, their bigger goal is worldwide. At the end of their complaint against Lively the plaintiffs declare what they are asking for. Included is: "a declaratory judgment holding that Defendant's conduct was in violation of the law of nations." And a preponderance of the arguments in the complaint clearly lead in that direction. Thus, it's clear that their real goal is much bigger than just punishing Scott Lively.
This case could essentially make Uganda the Nuremburg of the gay rights movement. They are seeking an official declaration from a United States Federal Court that "homophobic" speech and writings constitute international crimes against humanity because of the "climate of terror" that they would cause in a country.
This would have huge value to them. It's one thing for Barack Obama to go to other countries and chastise them about their laws and customs reflecting traditional values regarding homosexuality. But it's another to have the club of "crimes against humanity" behind it.
This case represents the declaration of a new global standard. The entire world would be put on notice that all disapproval of homosexuality must be ended. You can't criminalize homosexuality in your country anymore, or even have laws curtailing it in any way -- because that would be considered on the level of the Nazis' actions against the Jews.
And it would certainly be used against any number of individuals and groups here in America and around the world. That's the real problem. That's why they're putting so much effort into it. It's the opportunity they've been waiting for.
Pastor Scott Lively and his legal team outside the courthouse. From left: Horatio Mihet, Pastor Lively, Steve Crampton, Philip Moran
The plaintiffs appear to be moving as quickly as they can to start the "discovery" phase of the lawsuit in Springfield Federal District Court. Basically, the plaintiffs will demand to see tons of Lively's emails, records, and other material -- largely a fishing expedition, it would appear, to find anything that might strengthen their case. As usual, we will keep you informed.
A final note: We have been critical of pro-family legal defense efforts in important, high-profile cases over the years. Much of it has been terribly weak and simply second-rate. Not so with Liberty Counsel. In this case they have really impressed us. They've done a first-rate job and fought brilliantly. Unfortunately, they're just up against a completely corrupt and irrational legal system on a scale that resembles something out of the old Soviet Union. This is a disgrace. In our opinion, Judge Ponsor should be impeached and disbarred. But Lively's legal team is not giving up, and we're behind them.
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