[Episcopal Life & Religion News Service] Christians in the U.S., under the umbrella body of Interfaith Alliance, which represents a number of religions lobbying for social causes, is pressing the U.S. Senate for the reintroduction of hate-crimes legislation and be "true to the prophetic core or our religions."

The organisation said that a recent Justice Department report shows that there are almost as many crimes based on sexual orientation as religious bias. In 1999, the report documented 1,532 hate crimes because of religion and 1,487 motivated by sexual orientation.

The group's director, the Rev. C.Welton Gaddy wrote, "As people who are frequently victims of hate crimes because of our practice of faith, we understand why gay and lesbian Americans not only deserve to be-but must be- included in this legislation. We relate to their fear of being a victim, we sympathise with their struggle for equal protection."

Last year both houses of Congress passed legislation that would add sexual orientation to the list of protected classes under federal law, joining race, religion and others. The bill died in a House-Senate conference committee, President Bill Clinton had promised to sign it.

"Despite what you may have heard from Pat Roberts and the Rev. Jerry Falwell, scores of people of faith strongly support passage of [the bill]," Gaddy wrote. "The sacred Scriptures of many different religious traditions speak with dramatic unanimity on the subject of hate.

"When true to the prophetic core of our religions, we cannot condemn hate and then refuse to act to stop hate and the violence that hate foments upon us."

Thomas Hart, director of the Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations, agreed that the legislation is needed.

He said, "God love calls us to stand up against hate in our society. When that hate manifests itself in violent action, particularly against groups of people, we should do all we can to stop it. Hate crimes legislation is a step in the right direction."