A lot of commenters at News 9's Web site do not think this is "hate speech":

An Oklahoma lawmaker's anti-evangelical comments are attracting national attention.

"The evangelical agenda is destroying this nation; it's just a fact," Rep. Sally Kern is heard saying on a YouTube video posted Friday.

In an exclusive interview with News9.com Kern (R-Oklahoma City) admits it is her voice on the recording and stands by her comments. She said she's just stating the facts on what she believes.

"I'm not evangelical bashing, but according to God's word that is not the right kind of lifestyle," she said. "It has deadly consequences."

[…] Rep. Kern said the Christian community, especially in Oklahoma, should not be surprised by her comments because she's made similar statements in the past.

Kern said the attention isn't necessarily wanted, but she says she won't shy away from her opinions and beliefs, either.

"What is wrong with me as an American exercising my free speech rights on a topic that is a very big issue today?" she said.

One of Kern's most controversial claims is that evangelicals and Christianity is more of a threat to the United States than terrorism.

Kern said she doesn't know who taped the speech and when it was recorded.

"Shame on the person who didn't have the courage to come and say, 'I'm going to tape you and put it out on YouTube,'" she said.

Karen Parsons is a local activist. She said the majority of Oklahoman's don't care about religious affiliation.

"They care whether or not people are attacked," she said. "They care about whether or not their kids are bullied in school and it's this kind of speech, this kind of hate speech that gives the bullies the license to do it, and that's got to stop."

Parsons also said that Kern's comments are an embarrassment to Oklahoma.

"Hate speech has such negative consequences. The words really mean something." Parsons said. "She's a legislative leader and people pick up on her words and they take them to be the truth."

Rep. Kern also said that Christianity is "the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam." She said evangelical churches "are going after your young children, as young as two years of age, to try to teach them that the Christian religion is an acceptable religion." She said Christians "are inflitrating city councils," and that Christianity is like toe cancer:

One of my colleagues said we don’t have an evangelical problem in our community…well you know what, that is so dumb. If you have cancer in your little toe, do you just say that I’m going to forget about it since the rest of you is fine? It spreads! This stuff is deadly and it is spreading. It will destroy our young people and it will destroy this nation.

Is that hate speech? People aren't "born" Christian, after all, they choose to be Christian. If that's the way they are, then as long as they keep it behind closed doors, people shouldn't be attacking them, but God said that this hateful lifestyle is not His wish for His people, and that's just the simple truth. If the Christian's can't handle it, it's not hate speech, it's just me expressing my opinion.

If you think this is Christian-bashing, be sure to go read the original unmodified article, and especially the hundreds of comments attached to it. The quotes above are changed only in the group that Rep. Kern identified as "destructive," the "biggest threat our nation has," and like "toe cancer." If you think the above version is Christian-bashing, then the original is gay-bashing. Period.

And while Kern has absolutely no evidence of gay people "inflitrating" or "indoctrinating" anyone, there can be no argument whatsoever that Christians are "going after our young children," "inflitrating city councils" (and all levels of government), and "want to get into the government schools so they can indoctrinate" the children in favor of their agenda. They freely admit it, and attack anyone who says that other religions or beliefs should somehow have the same opportunity.

I believe that "God's Word," about which Rep. Kern professes such admiration, says this about the idea of accusing other groups of doing what Christians openly advocate for themselves:

²God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them.

    ³You can see the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye. ⁴How can you say, "My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you don't see the log in your own eye? ⁵You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye.

I wonder if Rep. Kern's Bible includes the New Testament. Many fine local Christian bookstores will sell her one if she doesn't have one. Perhaps the Gideons could send her one.