How Guidestar had Christian groups labeled

A brief asks the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit by Liberty Counsel against the charity-monitoring website Guidestar for smearing Christian non-profits with “hate group” designations based on mainstream religious views about marriage and sexuality.

WND reported in January when the lower court judge dismissed a lawsuit by Liberty Counsel over Guidestar’s promotion of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s designation of certain conservative organizations as “hate groups.”

Liberty Counsel sued after a label was placed on its GuideStar profile page stating the legal organization had been designated a hate group because it advocates traditional family values and opposes the gay-rights agenda.

Liberty Counsel argued the hate label was untrue and violated a federal law, the Lanham Act, against unfair competition and false advertising.

Judge Raymond Jackson of the federal district court in Norfolk rejected Liberty Counsel’s argument and