The Bible verse that dare not speak its name

Chris Trumbull of Casper, Wyoming has painted a sign on his fence with a verse from the Bible. Here's what it looks like.

This is a verse that believer's never quote -- not even Fred Phelps, Steven Anderson, or Doug Wilson. It's as though it had been removed from the Bible. But it hasn't.

Here is what it says:

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:13

Mr. Trumbull's interpretation is a bit weak, though. Leviticus 20:13 doesn't say: "To be gay = death." It says, "Kill homosexuals."

And not even Chris Trumbull is willing to say that.

It's time for believers to remove the verse that they cannot say out loud -- or just throw the whole damn Bible away.

Would the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act criminalize the preaching of Leviticus 20:13?

I think it would. Here's why.

Leviticus 20:13 reads as follows:

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:13

This is, according to the Bible, a direct quote from God. It says simply this: "Male homosexual acts are an abomination. Anyone who performs such acts must be killed."

Or even more simply: "Kill Homosexuals."

If a pastor read Leviticus 20:13 and told his followers that they should do as God says in this verse, he or she would be advocating (and, therefore, aiding and abetting under Section 2, Title 18 of the U.S. code) a violent crime against homosexuals, which would be a criminal act under the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Of course, it's unlikely that any Christian minister would read Leviticus 20:13 in church. Even the most vile and virulent Bible believers are embarrassed by this verse, and no one, not even Steven Anderson, Fred Phelps, or Doug Wilson is crazy enough to tell followers to do what God clearly commands them all to do in Leviticus 20:13.

But a preacher that did that would not just be crazy, but also a criminal under the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.