Lawsuit against Zondervan complains about Bible statements on homosexuality
CASCADE TOWNSHIP -- A Canton man is suing Zondervan Publishing and a Tennessee-based publisher, claiming their versions of the Bible that refer to homosexuality as a sin violate his constitutional rights and has caused him emotional pain and mental instability.
Bradley LaShawn Fowler, 39, is seeking $60 million from Zondervan, based in Cascade Township, and another $10 million from Thomas Nelson Publishing in the lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Fowler filed the suit against Zondervan on Monday, the same day U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr. refused to appoint an attorney to represent him in his case against Thomas Nelson, a Tennessee publisher. Fowler filed a suit against Thomas Nelson in June. He is representing himself in both claims.
"The Court has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims," the judge wrote.
Fowler alleges Zondervan's Bibles referring to homosexuality as a sin have made him an outcast from his family and contributed to physical discomfort and periods of "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment."
The intent of the publisher was to design a religious, sacred document to reflect an individual opinion or a group's conclusion to cause "me or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence ... including murder," Fowler wrote.
Fowler's suit claims Zondervan's text revisions include and then delete the reference to homosexuality without informing the public of the changes.
The other suit, against Thomas Nelson and its New King James Bible, mirrors the allegations made against Zondervan for "manipulating" Scripture.
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5 comments:
Nahhhh, don't get caught in the hype. Christians are freaking out about McDonald's supporting gay rights too. Give the courts a little bit of credit...they're not complete wackos. It's just that the media tells you about this guy's gripe because it's so ridiculous. Your rights aren't going anywhere! Fear not!
Yeah, I heard about that. Although I really hope you are right, I haven't seen a whole lot of progress that is being made in the courts. Right now we are pretty safe. But i'm convinced that things are getting worse, not better. I think what's happening in Canada is a good example of what happens when a nation comes under God's wrath.
Is it God's wrath? Or simply our failure to emulate godly lifestyles that convince others that Jesus Christ is worth living for? I've been a Christian for a long time, but I still look at the church today and ask, "Why on earth would anybody want to be like one of us?" Until we give them a reason, I don't think we'll see much positive change. But hope is not lost. Yet.
I think our failure to emulate godly lifestyles is what is bringing God's wrath. But rather than dispute whether this slippery slope of free speech issues is the result of God's wrath on the nation, I think all Christians (as you said) should recognize first the symptoms of the real issue: which is our lack of godly lifestyle as well as not equipping the church to defend our faith for the cause of Christ.
Maybe someone should write a book on this. I think a close look at our nations history will show that the rise of postmodernism, darwinism, and other humanistic ideas has brought us to where we are today. Surely no one doubts this. But I think tracing it back to its origins and looking at the specific events (such as Roe v Wade) that happened during each phase will display how real these problems are. And perhaps it will give us a better glimpse as to what will come if things don't change, starting with us.
What a dummy!!
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