Brazilian Christian Censored and Fined for Making “Homophobic” Remarks in Book

Judge ordered book pulled from bookstores after three hundred of a total of 600 printed had been sold

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

MATO GROSSO DO SUL, BRAZIL, November 22, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) — A Brazilian Christian has been fined 2,000 reales (834 USD), and his book confiscated for publishing his belief that God condemns and punishes homosexual acts.

Naurio Martins Franca, a resident of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, is the author of “The Curse of God on the Homosexual: The Homosexual Needs to Know the Divine Curse that is Upon Him”.

The book reportedly states the Christian belief that homosexual behavior is sinful, and even “demonic”, and warns those who do not repent that “he who continues being a homosexual is defying the power of God and runs a great risk.”

Franca’s ordeal began last year when a judge ordered his book to be pulled from bookstores after three hundred of a total of 600 printed had been sold. Following the confiscation, a group of homosexuals burned the book in a protest outside of the International Church of Grace, Franca’s church.

“The book is based on the Bible, on the word of God. The law regards it as homophobia, etc.,” said Franca after charges were filed. “What can I do? The Bible is being usurped through the law of man. The Bible is the law of God,” .

The Bible repeatedly condemns sodomy, in both the Old and New Testaments, including a famous passage in Romans 1, which states that “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.”

Although Franca’s attorney reportedly argued at trial that his client had the right to freely express his opinions and religious beliefs, the judge responded that such rights were outweighed by the “principles outlined in the Federal Constitution, which would be the equality and dignity of the human person” and “discrimination is not tolerated”, according to a paraphrase by TV Morena.

The censoring of Franca follows a string of other acts of censorship by government authorities, as well as intimidating lawsuits by private individuals, against Brazilian Christians who wish to express their religious beliefs.

In 2007 the protestant organization National Vision for a Christian Conscience (VINACC) was ordered to cease its campaign of affirming heterosexual marriage, calling it “homophobic”, despite the fact that the government has failed to pass its so-called “anti-homophobia” law in the nation’s Congress. VINACC eventually lost the case on appeal.

In March of this year, the Brazilian Department of Justice fined the Association of Public Functionaries 14,800 reais (8,559 USD) for “discrimination’ for prohibiting members from registering their gay sex partners as “spouses”. In July, a Catholic priest’s book denouncing witchcraft was ordered removed from stores by a Brazilian judge.

Other organizations and bloggers have been intimidated with lawsuits for making public objections to homosexual leader Luiz Mott's endorsement of pedophilia and pederasty (see LifeSiteNews coverage at http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/aug/07083007.html).

Related LifeSiteNews Coverage:

Brazilian Judge: Catholic Priest's Book Denouncing Witchcraft Must be Removed from Bookstores
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jul/08070710.html

Brazilian Government Punishes Dissenters of Pro-Homosexuality Policy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/mar/08032702.html

Brazilian Homosexuals File “Hate” Charges Against Brazilian Christians
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/nov/07112805.html

Brazilian Gay Groups Launch Multiple Lawsuits to Silence Christian Opposition
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/aug/07083007.html

Brazil Attacks Against Family Defenders Backed by Pro-Homosexual Regime of Nation’s President
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07073108.html

Brazilian Priests Could Face Jail-time for Saying that Homosexuality is A Sin
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/mar/07031904.html

Source: LifeSiteNews

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