Vanguard News Network

THREATS TO A FREE INTERNET

By Rev. Ted Pike

The internet is an unprecedented means to leap over established media walls and to speak or receive the whole truth. No longer must Americans depend upon the popular press or the “Big Three� TV evening news programs. Much freer, unbiased news is now available on the web. This alternative is deeply troubling to those who want to control what we hear and think.

In this article, I will briefly discuss two enormous challenges to freedom on the internet. First, the threat of “anti-hate” laws. In many countries, such as Canada, hate laws criminalize “cyber hate,” which includes internet criticism of taboo subjects, particularly homosexuality and matters Jewish. Second, the threat from phone and cable giants. They want to commercialize the internet, giving preferential service to those they favor, while discriminating against those they don’t.

Hate Laws: Huge Threat to Internet Freedom

Anti-hate laws are the most direct, effective way to destroy a free internet. Sec. 13.1 of Canada’s federal hate law, the Canadian Human Rights Act, forbids any statement on the internet which holds up members of federally protected groups to “hatred” or contempt. As a result, since its inception 28 years ago, many who have criticized homosexuality or Jews or have questioned the accuracy of the alleged six million figure of the Jewish Holocaust victims, have been prosecuted, fined thousands of dollars, and threatened with prison if they continue such internet “cyber hate.” Paul Frohm, authority on Canada’s internet hate laws, summarizes: “In 28 years, no victim has ever been acquitted of a 13.1 charge-‘hate’ on the internet or on telephone answering machines. No one! Also, all of the victims have been on the right of the political spectrum. It’s Soviet style political censorship.â€? (www.cafe.canadafirst.net)

Internet Hate Laws: Creation of ADL/B’nai B’rith

Canada’s speech crime laws are the product of B’nai B’rith International and its civil liberties branch, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith (www.adl.org).

B’nai B’rith is a global Jewish religious, educational, fraternal, and charitable organization with a half million Jewish members occupying 2100 lodges and chapters in more than 50 nations.

B’nai B’rith describes itself as the voice of organized Jewry. B’nai B’rith/ADL is also the voice of anti-Christian Jewish activism. ADL occupies the frontline of legal efforts to block Christian nativity scenes, public display of the Ten Commandments, prayer in schools or prayer in the name of Jesus, Biblical creationism, Christian witnessing to Jews, etc. (See, “Defeated in Congress, ADL Attacks Religious Right“)

At the same time, ADL is totally supportive of homosexuality, encouraging acceptance of the “gay lifestyleâ€? even in kindergarten and grade school curricula. ADL supports abortion, pornography, and whatever is against Christian family values. It bestows “tolerance” awards on businesses, especially in media and communications, which discriminate against Christian “homophobia” and encourage respect for the “diversity” of homosexuality.

Not All Jews Support ADL/B’nai B’rith

Many Jews vehemently disapprove of ADL Christian bashing. The most outspoken and well-known is Orthodox rabbi Daniel Lapin, head of the Seattle-based “Toward Tradition.” Last summer during his program on the Trinity Broadcasting TV Network, Lapin warned millions of evangelical viewers that ADL/B’nai B’rith was in “relentless attack on evangelical Christians.” (See, “Rabbi Lapin: Christians Under ‘Relentless Attack’ by ‘Secular Judaism’“)

ADL decries conservative political activism, saying that such violates separation of church and state. Yet ADL is not timid about uniting synagogue and state. ADL is deeply involved in the U.S. government’s hate crimes law enforcement program. Under the ADL-inspired Hate Crime’s Statistics Act of 1990, ADL obtained the right to teach all FBI, Justice Department, and local police its skewed definition of what “hate” is.

ADL’s working definition of “hate” is simple: It means to be biased against a federally protected group, especially Jews and homosexuals. As a result, Christians who adhere to the “hateful” Biblical view that homosexuality is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22) or that Jewish leaders contrived to have Christ crucified 2000 years ago automatically become “haters,” potential hate criminals.

ADL’s Record of Persecuting Christians

ADL enforces its bias against Christians by convicting and fining Christians, especially in Canada, for public criticism of homosexuality. (See, “Crackdown on Holocaust Reductionists: Omen of Coming Persecution of Christians“) Yet in the U.S., ADL is straining to initiate similar persecution. On October 10, 2004 Philadelphia D.A. Lynne Abraham, member of ADL’s national executive board, gave orders to arrest 11 Christians who were peacefully singing a hymn and holding up Bible verses critical of homosexuality during a gay pride rally. She charged them with seven violations of the law, including ADL’s Pennsylvania hate law. Total jail time threatened was 47 years, plus $90,000 dollars in fines each. Fortunately, as a result of massive criticism, ADL was thwarted in its attempt to jumpstart persecution of Christians in America; a higher court freed the Christians, finding no legal basis for their arrest. (See, “Eleven Christians Jailed for Criticizing Homosexuality“)

ADL Wants ‘Big Brother’ Hate Bureaucracy for America

ADL wants America to come under the control of a federal anti-hate law like the one it persuaded Parliament to establish in Canada in 1971. Today, as a result of ADL’s Canadian Human Rights Act, criticism of homosexuality or Judaism, whether from the pulpit, talk radio, or publishing, is now punishable by huge fines and years of imprisonment. In America, ADL is lobbying Congress for passage of its Orwellian federal anti-hate bill, “The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act” (LLEEA). LLEEA purports to only give the federal government power to put down violent hate crimes in the states. Actually, it destroys states rights and law enforcement, setting up a bias-motivation justice system like Canada’s. (See, “New Hate Bill: Obituary for Talk Radio“)

Under Canada’s hate crimes tribunal system, evidence of bias against members of federally protected groups, plus plaintiffs’ claims of being “traumatized” by such criticism, defines whether a hate crime has occurred. Truth is not accepted in this skewed justice system. Because such criteria are highly subjective, hate crimes cases are notoriously drawn out through trial and appeal, financially and emotionally exhausting Christians and free speech advocates. (See, “David Irving, like Galileo, Victim of ‘Thought Crimes’ Inquisition“)

Steps to End “Cyber Hate” on the Internet

For the past five years, ADL/B’nai B’rith has been establishing a 55-nation European hate crimes bureaucracy, called the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). OSCE contains a special department dedicated to ending internet free speech. The International Network against Cyber Hate (INACH) is a think-tank of political, legal, communications and internet experts dedicated to finding ways to ban Internet criticism of Israel or matters Jewish. (See, “Global Hate Crimes Gestapo Being Created“)

Yet INACH faces a difficult problem. Many nations have not yet adopted ADL hate laws. Also, the internet remains vigorously free, bursting with creative, unrestrained powers. For the present, OSCE agenda must content itself to:

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Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian Conservative watchdog organization. Rev. Pike has produced a powerful 80-minute video documentary on the ADL/B’nai B’rith origins of hate laws worldwide. Watch a 7-minute preview of “Hate Laws: Making Criminals of Christians” and read many articles explaining the dangers of hate laws at www.truthtellers.org

TALK SHOW HOSTS: For interview with Rev. Ted Pike, call 503-631-3808.