Åke Green
Åke Green | |
---|---|
Church | Swedish Pentecostal Movement |
Personal details | |
Born | |
Nationality | Swedish |
Denomination | Christianity |
Åke Green (Swedish:
The Supreme Court stated that Åke Green had violated Swedish law as it currently stands regarding agitation against groups, and that the constitutionally guaranteed
Background
In 2002, the Riksdag included references to sexual orientation in a list of groups protected against persecution in the form of threats and expressions of disdain. The list appears in a section of Swedish Criminal Code (Brottsbalken) known as "agitation against a population group" (hets mot folkgrupp).[4]
The sermon
At his church in
Green had invited members of the media to attend the sermon, but none were present when he preached it in the presence of about fifty listeners. He wrote a summary of the sermon, including the above-mentioned quotes, which was printed in the local newspaper Ölandsbladet. A representative of nearby
Controversy
The
The Supreme Court stated that Åke Green had violated Swedish hate speech law (Lagen om hets mot folkgrupp). A conviction would probably not be upheld by the European Court[1] considering Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which covers freedom of religion. After a discussion of the case law regarding Article 9 and 10 the court stated: "Under these circumstances, it is likely that the European Court, in a determination of the restriction of Åke Green’s right to preach his Biblically based opinion that a judgment of conviction would constitute, would find that this restriction is not proportionate, and would therefore be a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights."[2]
The sentence has raised a controversy all around the world, with disputes between those who see it as a victory for
Green became a cause celebre for anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps, who has labelled anyone who held the belief that God could love non-elect sinners as being eternally damned. Nonetheless, Phelps installed a monument praising Green on his website.[7] Green subsequently denounced Phelps.[8] "I think it is appalling that people say things like that," Green said, "it is extremely unpleasant." In response, Phelps and his organization, the Westboro Baptist Church, denounced Green as a traitor and an ingrate, and he later removed the Green tribute from his website.
Åke Green was also supported by
Responding to the sentence, Sören Andersson, the president of Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL), said that religious freedom could never be used as a reason to persecute people.[1]
Temperance organisations
In the beginning of 2008 the organisation IOGT-NTO, a Swedish temperance movement, decided to withdraw Åke Green's membership, stating that his statements about homosexuality conflict with IOGT-NTO's bylaws.[9]
Instead, Green became an adherent of the Christian temperance movement, the Blue Ribbon. He was involved in another controversy following the announcement that he was to hold a speech at a common manifestation together with the Social Democrats on 1 May 2008, in Vänersborg. The Social Democrats excluded members of the Blue Ribbon, including Green, after several protests,[10] some of which were published in Vänersborgs local newspaper, TTELA.
See also
- Bibeltemplet, A parallel case also in Sweden
- Christianity and homosexuality
- Toleration
References
- ^ a b c "Åke Green cleared over gay sermon". The Local: Sweden's news in English. 29 November 2005. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Avgöranden" (PDF). 18 February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ "Supreme court press release 2005-11-29 (In Swedish)". Archived from the original on 17 February 2006. Retrieved 17 February 2006.
- ^ The Swedish Criminal Code, chapter 16, section 8.
- ^ "Pastor Åke Green's sermon on homosexuality". eaec.org. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ Den svenska politiken – Struktur, processer och resultat. Henry Bäck, Torbjörn Larsson, 2006. p. 78
- ^ God Hates Sweden Archived 5 January 2005 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Savage, James (7 January 2005). "Swedish Pastor Disowns US Hate Site". The Local: Sweden's News in English. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005.
- ^ "(Swedish) IOGT-NTO's decision to exclude Åke Green". Retrieved 14 December 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "TTELA". ttela.se. Retrieved 14 December 2020.