Hey! In this country, you can't talk about God like that!

[man4allcats]

News from the "What First Amendment?" department:

"Just say no to blasphemy laws"| by Jonathan Turley at USA TODAY

Around the world, free speech is being sacrificed on the altar of religion. Whether defined as hate speech, discrimination or simple blasphemy, governments are declaring unlimited free speech as the enemy of freedom of religion. This growing movement has reached the United Nations, where religiously conservative countries received a boost in their campaign to pass an international blasphemy law. It came from the most unlikely of places: the United States.

While attracting surprisingly little attention, the Obama administration supported the effort of largely Muslim nations in the U.N. Human Rights Council to recognize exceptions to free speech for any "negative racial and religious stereotyping." The exception was made as part of a resolution supporting free speech that passed this month, but it is the exception, not the rule that worries civil libertarians. Though the resolution was passed unanimously, European and developing countries made it clear that they remain at odds on the issue of protecting religions from criticism. It is viewed as a transparent bid to appeal to the "Muslim street" and our Arab allies, with the administration seeking greater coexistence through the curtailment of objectionable speech. Though it has no direct enforcement (and is weaker than earlier versions), it is still viewed as a victory for those who sought to juxtapose and balance the rights of speech and religion.

- snip -

Thinly disguised blasphemy laws are often defended as necessary to protect the ideals of tolerance and pluralism. They ignore the fact that the laws achieve tolerance through the ultimate act of intolerance: criminalizing the ability of some individuals to denounce sacred or sensitive values. We do not need free speech to protect popular thoughts or popular people. It is designed to protect those who challenge the majority and its institutions. Criticism of religion is the very measure of the guarantee of free speech — the literal sacred institution of society.

- snip -

The public and private curtailment on religious criticism threatens religious and secular speakers alike. However, the fear is that, when speech becomes sacrilegious, only the religious will have true free speech. It is a danger that has become all the more real after the decision of the Obama administration to join in the effort to craft a new faith-based speech standard. It is now up to Congress and the public to be heard before the world leaves free speech with little more than a hope and a prayer.



Emphasis mine - m4ac

[MNDemNY]

1. Fuck-a-bunch-of gods, and jesus too. and that dickhead mohammad can kiss my ass,

the buddha can eat my poo, all the hindu gods can have a circle-jerk, John Smith and Brigham Young can go fuck horses.....and any others I have missed can drink piss.

[and-justice-for-all]

4. You speak the langauge of my heart....

:loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

[martymar64]

16. Kill all gods. Destroy all nations.

[daedalus_dude]

21. Buddha will eat your poo.

[damntexdem]

2. There can be no freedom of religion without freedom of blasphemy.

This is for the simple reason that religious bigots will label any religious statement with which they disagree as blasphemy. Believers and unbelievers alike cannot be assured of religious freedom so long as there are anti-blasphemy laws.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Amen. Heck, Christ was considered quite the blasphemer in his day.

[Zoeisright]

5. Blasphemy doesn't mean what most people think it does.

It's actually presuming to speak for God, like the right wing cretins do all the time.

[MNDemNY]

8. So since there is no god then all religion is blasphemy? Interesting.

[Beer Snob-50]

6. is criticism of religion actually blashemy?

i would say no. i would venture to say that the rw attempt at rewriting the bible from it's "liberal" bent may be considered blasphemy.

[rd_kent]

7. Fuck all religions and all the gods that dont really exist!

And fuck anyone who says they do exist. Proof! Put up or shut up.

[SammyWinstonJack]

9. .

:evilgrin:

[ArbustoBuster]

19. I worship this small rock, which obviously exists.

Proof of the rock's holy miracles? Um...er...look over there! *runs*

[starroute]

10. Any religion that needs special protection has already lost

I can kinda-sorta understand blasphemy laws intended to prevent members of your own religion from saying off-message things. It still sucks, but it's got a certain rationale in terms of keeping the community following a coherent set of standards.

But when you start looking for laws to prevent other people from saying mean things about your beliefs, you're admitting that those beliefs can't withstand scrutiny. You're expressing a fear that you might start losing adherents in droves if they ever got the chance to hear an alternative viewpoint.

And that amounts to a confession that your "religion" isn't a religion at all -- that it has no basis in higher truth -- but is simple a set of arbitrary tenets enforced by official coercion.

[SoCalDem]

11. Religion is a comfy way to "explain" death of a loved one

and where they "go", or to create fear in the uneducated when terrible natural disasters happen..but beyond that it's all just another "storytime" with big bucks attached. Big bucks for the ones who "have the word whispered to them by God".

Legislating what educated/disgruntled people say about the story or the storytellers, should not be allowed.

[mitchum]

13. +1

[Fumesucker]

12. "It came from the most unlikely of places: the United States"

Someone has been drinking some serious rot gut moonshine..

It's not at all unlikely that this came from the USA..

[mitchum]

14. Fuck Baby Jesus, unicorns, and leprechauns!

[asdjrocky]

15. Unicorns? Really?

[mitchum]

18. Yes...unicorns, but one must be very careful...

that horn can be very painful

[MNDemNY]

20. Leave the unicorns alone!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. Jonathon Turley can shove it up his self-righteous racist ass.

The "law" has nothing to do with censoring free speech. It's just a formal condemnation of hate speech.

Fucking Pat Buchanan wannabe.

[man4allcats]

22. Racist Pat Buchanan wannabe?

I can't honestly say I'm really all that familiar with him, however, I did run across this:

Turley received his bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1987. In 2008, he was also awarded a Doctorate of Law (Hon.) from John Marshall Law School in recognition of his career as an advocate of civil liberties and constitutional rights.

Turley, in his capacity as a constitutional scholar, testified in favor of the Clinton impeachment. In October 2006, in an interview by Keith Olbermann of MSNBC, he expressed strong disapproval of the Military Commissions Act of 2006. In numerous appearances on Countdown and The Rachel Maddow Show, he has called for criminal prosecution of Bush administration officials for alleged war crimes, namely torture.



Emphasis mine - m4ac -

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

24. Look up his opinion on Thurgood Marshall.

There's a reason Turley's racist ass went from golden child to pariah overnight.

[man4allcats]

25. Thanks for the heads up.

At least with regard to Marshall and Sotomayor, he does come off as rather WASPish. That aside though, I am still curious to know just how vested the Obama administration may be in any support of the so called blasphemy laws.

[MonteLukast]

23. Fuck you Tom Cruise!

And your fucking witchcraft that didn't even get the fucking fire off me!

[TexasObserver]

26. Religion is the scourage of humanity.

And I reject the god or gods of all who insist I honor their religious beliefs.

There is nothing sacred about religion. It's the enemy of good and decent living.