Thought crimes are not the purview of a biblical, theocratic state. But they are of modern America. And Pennsylvania Senator Timothy Kearney (D-26) is doing his part to see Pennsylvanians are punished for what goes on inside their heads.
Senate Bill 63, sponsored by Kearney, would amend Titles 18 and 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for the “offense of ethnic intimidation.” The bill states that “a person commits the offense of ethnic unlawful intimidation if, with malicious intention toward the actual or perceived race, color, religion or national origin, ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity of another individual or group of individuals, he commits an offense under any other provision of this article or under Chapter 33.”
In other words, we are not simply going to punish you for your actions against an individual, but for your thoughts about that individual’s perceived race or sexual orientation, for example. Unfortunately, the enactment of “hate” (read: thought) crimes has increased in America in recent years, as the totalitarian state views its role as enforcing the state’s humanistic religion and controlling the thoughts of Americans.
Biblical civil law, on the other hand, does not extend the government’s authority into the realm of thought life. It is focused on certain outward sins (murder, kidnapping, assault, theft, blasphemy, bearing false witness, etc.). God reserves the right to punish sins of the mind (covetousness, for example), but the state has not been granted such authority.
Secularists opine that biblical law punishes people for what they think or believe. To them I say: no, it doesn’t, but your humanistic law code does.
Chris Hume is the managing editor of The Lancaster Patriot and host of The Lancaster Patriot Podcast. He can be reached at chris@thelancasterpatriot.com.
