American Pastor Could Face Stiff Fines for 'Conspiracy' Against Homosexuals
The Rev. Scott Lively runs a Bible study four mornings a week at Holy Grounds Coffee House in Springfield, Mass. His Abiding Truth Ministries provides meals and movies for the homeless and hosts about 45 people at Sunday services. But outside of Springfield, Lively is not universally loved. The 58-year-old Pentecostal pastor, husband and father of four is accused of persecuting LGBT people abroad, a crime against humanity under international law. A lawsuit by Sexual Minorities Uganda , an LGBT advocacy group, alleges that Lively has conspired with Ugandan religious and political leaders since 2002 to strip gays of their rights in that country which has resulted in housing and employment discrimination, arrest, torture and the murder of gays and lesbians. The case, filed in 2012, is expected to go to trial early next year in a U.S. district court in Massachusetts. If convicted, Lively could face a fine. "He's very clear that you have to silence LGBT people and eradica