The Polish Supreme Court has handed down a landmark ruling that will make prospective blasphemers think twice befiore they run rough-shod over the most delicate and profound dimension of human awareness.Local courts had rueld that Adam Darski, who heads a Satan metal group, was merely performing within his chosen artistic convention and did not intend to offend anyone when he tore up a bible and blasphemed against the Churchon stage. The Supreme Court has ruled that such conduct constitues an offence not only when someone intends to attack relgious feelings but is simply aware that it might be offensive to some.
I commit blasphemy as many times a day as I can. I regularly insult peoples' gods. You see that's my religion. My religion's main belief is to belittle other religions & gods whenever possible. If the religious try and rebuke I simply remind them that their god is a god who preaches forgiveness so they must forgive me.
It is. What's worse is that the RCC's fingerprints are all over this one - yet we all know that no-one would ever get prosecuted under this law for offending Jews.
Desecrating national flags in public is an offence in the US and other countries. But isn't that ridiculous? It's only a rag, innit? Threatening a public official is also punishable, but thems only words, ain't they?
did not intend to offend anyone when he tore up a bible and blasphemed against the Churchon stage
A gentleman friend of mine told me about this a while ago.
He is an attention seeker, he obviously knew full well that it would offend millions of people and will no doubt come out of this a very very rich man for all the publicity he is getting.
Like that idiot Terry Jones with his Qur'an burning stunt.
The more attention these morons get the more stupid things they are likely to do.
Terry Jones got famous for that burning stunt and has now moved into film "Innocence of Muslims film" again to offend people.
The should be ignored, giving them attention is all they want.
(and yes, you may all now point out the irony of me giving them attention while saying not to give them any attention:)
Polonius,there is a difference between government law and a law that is imposed because of a religious belief that not everyone shares.In fact you could say that that is like Sharia law if to a lesser degree.
It’s now very common to hear people say, “I’m rather offended by that,” as if that gives them certain rights. It’s simply a whine. It’s no more than a whine. It has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase - “I’m so offended by that.” Well, so ******* what?
Rising above the Nergal case, too many people fail to see that our 'anything goes' cutlrue, our 'let-it-all-hang-out' culture, our '5-minutes of fame' culture is among the main reason for the morall rot which may cause the West to succumnb to Muslim fanaticism and take-over perhaps sooner than anyone thinks. If you doubt it, try following the spread of their outposts acorss the globe - the Phillipines, Latin America, Scandinavia, North America, continental Europe, you name it.
The sick permissive, hypercommercial, popculture-fuelled society tells people 'it's OK to be this or that or do this or that', regardless of whether it is sensible, advisable, rational, decent, valuable or individually or socially harmful. Legions of the gullible swept along by every passing fad lap it all up and throw common sense, decency, restraint and decorum to the wind.
Not religion but popculture is the opium of today's masses.
I teach a module on astronomy and myth at my uni. Last week I made a joke at Apollo's expense about him being sneaky and manipulative because he persuaded Gaia to set a giant scorpion on Orion because the latter had slept with Apollo's sister Eos. He also tricked his other sister Artemis into shooting Orion. Yesterday we discussed Poseidon sending a flood and a sea monster to devastate Philistia just because his wife was offended by Cassiopeia claiming that she and her daughter were more beautiful than the Nereids. Luckily Perseus saved Andromeda from being devoured by Cetus, the monster, but Poseidon came in for a bit of stick from yours truly. Should I expect the Polish inquisition to come bursting through the door next Tuesday shouting, "Blasphemy!"?
Polonius,I don't fail to see these things.It should not be the place of any religious institution to impose it's will on anyone imo.How you equate destroying a book or offending a god that they don't believe in;as the same thing as a moral breakdown is beyond me.Do you know what idolatry is Polonius?I believe in and respect God,I wish people would show believers some respect,but it's not my place to tell people how they should believe or suggest that they be punished because they offended my religious sensibilities.The book is quite clear on idolatry.
Becuase you have latched onto one thing, the Nergal case and similar epsiodes in a horse-blinkewred fasion. I am referring to the grand sweep of contemporary popculture, which is impactiung human behaviour -- the Jerry Springers (rarely if ever deals with religion), reality TV, the do-something-outrageous-and-get-your-5-minutes mentality, the increasingly foul language in public space, the depraving soaps nad sitcoms -- the whole shebang as contirbuting to today's moral ambiguity, confusion and decay. The language of poltical 'dialogue' (if you can call it that) is also a prime offender. If this continues, Shariat will prevail sooner than anyone thinks!
I haven't latched on to one thing,I'm discussing the topic Polonius.I'm not saying that there are not contributing factors to society's ills,but this is not what we are discussing here.It's about the Church being allowed to interfere with.peoples lives and trying to dictate that people hold something in esteem,in which they don't believe,This amounts to an infringement of a fundamental right;and that is to believe how you wish.
I think we should fight all forms of bigotry, defend democratic ideals and protect civil rights for all - and put an end to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens. Including pagans.
When courts rule in favour of someone's biases, they say courts are indepndent bodies. When they rule the other way, the same poeple shout 'infringement'. Unless lobbies are outlawed, every citizen, company, organisation or other entity has a right to try to influence the ruling powers. The Church is no exception. Its priority is to protect religion, whilst some artist may feel that artistic freedom should be unfettered and in art 'anything goes'. In a democracy, there will be voters and parties and MPs supporting the one and the other position and probably intermediate positions in between.
Besides blasphemy, obscenties, foul language, vulagrity, Jerry Springeresque popculture, etc. are not things contributing to a better, gentler, friendlier society, but on the contrary -- rile up, aggrevate and unsettle. Do our turbulent really need more chaos and confusion?
You slice it 6 ways to Sunday if you want,and try to justify it,but wrong is flat out wrong Polonius.You show me where there is a blasphemy law in the U.S.Take a gander as to why there isn't......
But as the song goes 'Let Poland be Poland.' Polish sensibilites including the nation's supreme judicial organ at this point in time are what they are. In future the permissive society's inclination to the 'anything goes' mentality may eventually come to the fore. When it does, all we can say is 'God help Poland!'
BTW, citing American exsmples, one could also say that handguns and rifles should be seld at every Leroy Merlin, Castoirama and Praktiker in Poland. Are you a big fan of the gun culture?
I must say seems a bit strict... but was it ALREADY a law? If so; he gets what was coming to him..regardless what the law was or if he had any "respect" for it. Especially breaking a law in a public manner *shrug*
Doesn't matter to me if it is speed limit, litter, health dept (dog poo & such), hitting someone or spitting on the sidewalk. I have to adjust from state to state when there are things different. We still have states with dry counties opposed to wet and with blue laws. With exceptions..most statutes are selected in ballots as yay or nay in Propositions. So its what that locality majority more. And I certainly enjoy FL sharing many of my home of record AZ's gun carry laws.
US stilll has several states with blasphemy laws on books..some made law as late as 1977( is that? Penn? MD?). But 20th century US Supreme Court usually rules them against 1st Amendment when they are brought that high
Though one could get nailed for Anti-semitism in laws if you tear a Tanahk/Torah up in public
Another example of PC justice. A few years ago some 'artist' in NY ( I won't mention the nationality but he wasn't Portuguese!) displayed a cruxifix in a jar of urine. Those who protested were shouted down that it's simply freedom artistic expression. I wonder whatJewish NY would say to a n 'artistic installation' comprising facsimile of the Tora imemrsed in a bowel of excrement.
The point is not to try and push the tit-for-tat limits of the permissible and bend the law to the breaking point but but to be guided by comon sense, restraint and mutual respect.
polonius, extreme PC is exactly not being allowed to say certain things because it may offend people. As for ********** , this work is not intended to denounce religion, it alludes to a perceived commercializing or cheapening of Christian icons in contemporary culture. (the artists words not mine)
again fiting your views stated.
if you want to be seen as a man of depth, you should look beneath the surface.
Polonius, as a christian, shouldn't you be more forgiving? Seriously, old boy, take a deep breath, relax, go for a stroll, pick a wh0re and wash her feet. It might do you good.
FlaglessPole I woiuld be absolutely oppsoed to a so-called aritstic 'installation' depicitng the Tora or some nation's flag immersed in excrement, urine or anything else that would be offensive to Jews or others. But this cannot work one way.
PC is about creating new pet sacred cows (homosexuals, Jews) but turning a blind eye to other forms of discrimination such as Catholic-bashing and Pole-bashing.
PC is the personficaiton of Orwell's poignant words: Everyone is equal except some are more equal than others!
