Ake Green
Åke Green born 3 June 1941 is a Christian pastor who was sentenced to one month in prison under Sweden's law against hate speech for preaching a sermon in his own church to his own congregation that condemned homosexuality as "a cancer on society". Green was indicted on charges of "hate speech" for preaching God's holy scriptures to fellow believers in his church and sent to prison.
On February 11, 2005 a Swedish appeals court, Göta hovrätt, overturned the conviction and acquitted Åke Green as a result of international pressure and negative publicity. On March 9, the Prosecutor-General of Sweden appealed this decision to the Supreme Court of Sweden, which on November 29 acquitted him as well.
In their opinion, the Supreme Court ruled that the pro-homosexual Swedish Law used to prosecute Green violated Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Homosexual Activists lobby for Swedish "hate speech" Law
In 2002, the Swedish parliament, as a result of lobbying activities from the militant Swedish Gay Rights Movement, included homosexuals in a list of groups protected from "expressions of disdain". The list appears in a section of Swedish criminal law (Brottsbalken) known as The Act on Persecution of Minority Groups (Lagen om hets mot folkgrupp).
Ake Green's Sermon
At his church in Borgholm, Green delivered a sermon in which he described homosexuality as:
... abnormal, a horrible cancerous tumor in the body of society," ... homosexuals [are] perverts, whose sexual drive the Devil has used as his strongest weapon against God. ... A person cannot be a Christian and a homosexual at the same time... homosexuality is chosen, not inborn, and everybody can be set free and delivered...
Many Christians believe Ake Green to be a martyr for his faith, and applaud his courage and testimony. Green's arrest and imprisonment created a global outcry among fundamental Christians against homosexual oppression of freedom of religion and freedom of speech for religious leaders who denounce homosexual behavior as sinful and contrary to God's teachings.
References
- Ake Green Website
- CBN News Swedish Paster Jailed for Preaching from the Bible
- Ake Green's Sermon on Homosexuality
- Green sentenced to prison for preaching God's Word
- Pastor Jailed for preaching against homosexuality
- English translation of the sermon
- Judgment of the Supreme Court (translated to English from Swedish)
