Topic: Catholic Church has Indian skeptic arrested for blasphemy

[Shibboleth]

Sorry I wasn't trying to say that it wasn't the truth. What I meant to say is that he wasn't imprisoned because it is the truth. I hate when this happens but I also hate when people go to jail for preaching holocaust denial. I do not think we should police thought.

[AxeGrrl]

I also hate when people go to jail for preaching holocaust denial. I do not think we should police thought.

But isn't it the preaching part that gets those people put in jail, and not merely 'thinking' that the holocaust never happened?

It seems to demonstrate that actions and not mere 'thought' are the issue in those places where holocaust denial isn't tolerated.   Aren't those laws in place because those countries don't want such abhorrent/hateful 'seeds' to take root there again?

[Shibboleth]

I also hate when people go to jail for preaching holocaust denial. I do not think we should police thought.

But isn't it the preaching part that gets those people put in jail, and not merely 'thinking' that the holocaust never happened?

It seems to demonstrate that actions and not mere 'thought' are the issue in those places where holocaust denial isn't tolerated.   Aren't those laws in place because those countries don't want such abhorrent/hateful 'seeds' to take root there again?

That is the intent of all prosecution of heresy. They do not want the seeds of that given thought to take root.

[AxeGrrl]

I also hate when people go to jail for preaching holocaust denial. I do not think we should police thought.

But isn't it the preaching part that gets those people put in jail, and not merely 'thinking' that the holocaust never happened?

It seems to demonstrate that actions and not mere 'thought' are the issue in those places where holocaust denial isn't tolerated.   Aren't those laws in place because those countries don't want such abhorrent/hateful 'seeds' to take root there again?

That is the intent of all prosecution of heresy. They do not want the seeds of that given thought to take root.

But to quote the cliche, where's the 'victim' in blasphemy/heresy?  how does merely coming to a different conclusion about 'ultimate reality' harm anybody else? lying and revising history, trying to convince people that one of the most horrific events in human history never happened, that it's all a 'conspiracy' by the victims in question, can be demonstrated to cause harm to living, breathing people........

blasphemy?  not so much.

and i'm sorry, if one cannot demonstrate 'harm', then the argument isn't sound.

[Shibboleth]

Read Mao. He felt the same about other things which is why he had the great reeducation. That is why I am against any form of controlling speech of this nature. Those in power can define what is and is not a danger to society and always find a means of justification.

I will also add that such actions usually become counter productive where what the government is trying to suppress becomes a rallying point for those that are under the government. The Stalin notebook issue going on in Russia right now is a good example of that fact.

Forced abstinence does not teach responsibility.

[Neon Genesis]

Funny how Christians have to go all the way back to four or five decades ago to find a single example of atheists persecuting Christians on the same level of the Catholic church's persecuting of non-Christians.

[Shibboleth]

Funny how Christians have to go all the way back to four or five decades ago to find a single example of atheists persecuting Christians on the same level of the Catholic church's persecuting of non-Christians.

Two wrongs do not make a right and the lesser of two evils is still evil so I do not want this to be interpreted as saying that persecution in the name of God is ok but Christians get arrested in China every year and sent to labor camps not to mention North Korea.

[Neon Genesis]

The god-man emperor of North Korea is not the world's best example of an atheist persecuting Christians in the name of atheism.  There should be a new rule like Godwin's law.  Like whenever you say something bad about Christianity, it is inevitable that someone will draw comparisons to communism.

[Shibboleth]

It is the whole... these bad guys... they do not represent us but those bad guys... they represent you mentality that you see across the board. I didn't try to bring up atheism in this nature. I was just showing that controlling speech in any direction is dangerous and you can say, "well we have a good cause for doing so" but like Mao you can see that people will find justifications for their actions. Things like Mao are a good example because the situation is so salient and well known.

[Rabbit]

What if he started a religion? Like "The Church of I'm Right!"?

Anybody who says that he's wrong is being blasphemous.

Use the stupid law to persecute the persecutors.