The Supreme Court stated that Åke Green had violated Swedish law as it currently stands regarding agitation against groups, and that the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression as well as freedom of religion does not protect him. However, the Supreme Court also stated that the freedom of expression as well as freedom of religion provided by the European Convention on Human Rights, which is superior to normal Swedish law according to the lex superior principle regarding the ECHR found in the Instrument of Government (Regeringsformen) 2:19, gives him protection, since jurisprudence shows that a conviction would probably not be upheld by the European Court. The Local, 29 Nov 2005: Åke Green cleared over gay sermon Green became a cause celebre for anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps, who has labelled anyone who held the belief that God could love non-elect sinners as being eternally damned. Nonetheless, Phelps installed a monument praising Green on his website. (All of the other "monuments" to people on Phelps' sites actually express joy at the death of that person.) Phelps also launched a new website, (GodHatesSweden.com) partially in tribute to Green. Green subsequently denounced URL "I think it is appalling that people say things like that," Green said, "it is extremely unpleasant." In response, Phelps and his organization, the Westboro Baptist Church, denounced Green as a traitor and an ingrate, and he later removed the Green tribute from his website. Responding to the sentence, Sören Andersson, the president of Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL), said that religious freedom could never be used as a reason to persecute URL Åke Green cleared over gay sermon
The Supreme Court stated that Åke Green had violated Swedish law as it currently stands regarding agitation against groups, and that the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression as well as freedom of religion does not protect him. However, the Supreme Court also stated that the freedom of expression as well as freedom of religion provided by the European Convention on Human Rights, which is superior to normal Swedish law according to the lex superior principle regarding the ECHR found in the Instrument of Government (Regeringsformen) 2:19, gives him protection, since jurisprudence shows that a conviction would probably not be upheld by the European Court. Green became a cause celebre for anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps, who has labelled anyone who held the belief that God could love non-elect sinners as being eternally damned. Nonetheless, Phelps installed a monument praising Green on his website. (All of the other "monuments" to people on Phelps' sites actually express joy at the death of that person.) Phelps also launched a new website, (GodHatesSweden.com) partially in tribute to Green. Green subsequently denounced Phelps. "I think it is appalling that people say things like that," Green said, "it is extremely unpleasant." In response, Phelps and his organization, the Westboro Baptist Church, denounced Green as a traitor and an ingrate, and he later removed the Green tribute from his website. Responding to the sentence, Sören Andersson, the president of Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL), said that religious freedom could never be used as a reason to persecute people.
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The Local, 29 Nov 2005: Åke Green cleared over gay sermon
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URL Åke Green cleared over gay sermon
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