From 1st January 2010, Eire has introduced a blasphemy law that most right-thinking human beings should see is contradictory to free speech. This thread isn't about upsetting the uptight martyrs on this board, but a daily contribution in protest at the attacks on free speech from a fellow EU member country and as a protest against the proposed UN "Defamation of religion" clause.
If you are offended by irreverance toward your religion then leave now, you have been warned. However let me reiterate that this isn't about upsetting the martyrs on this board who are only too willing to take offence at anything and everything I post, but as a protest against the attacks on free speech currently going on in the world.
But to appease those same pious martyrs, I start with Islam.
Quote:
“There is some question as to whether Islam is a separate religion at all… Islam when examined is not much more than a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of plagiarisms, helping itself from earlier books and traditions as occasion appeared to require… It makes immense claims for itself, invokes prostrate submission or ‘surrender’ as a maxim to its adherents, and demands deference and respect from nonbelievers into the bargain. There is nothing-absolutely nothing-in its teachings that can even begin to justify such arrogance and presumption.”
Christopher Hitchens "God is Not Great"
Edited by matt75 (01/03/1005:19 PM)
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Looks more like he's ranting at the government of Ireland.
Considering I said exactly that in my post... where does the confusion lie? Grubber is on my ignore list and I have no intention of toggling his post so I can only imagine the vitriol contained therein. Any excuse to attack me.
Funny, I have just had a thought... GRUBBER IS DEFENDING ISLAM.
And another thought GRUBBER IS AGAINST FREE SPEECH
Edited by matt75 (01/04/1007:31 AM)
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“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
Richard Dawkins "The God Delusion"
Edited by matt75 (01/04/1006:15 AM)
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From 1st January 2010, Eire has introduced a blasphemy law that most right-thinking human beings should see is contradictory to free speech. This thread isn't about upsetting the uptight martyrs on this board, but a daily contribution in protest at the attacks on free speech from a fellow EU member country and as a protest against the proposed UN "Defamation of religion" clause.But to appease
those same pious martyrs, I start with Islam.
Quote:
“There is some question as to whether Islam is a separate religion at all… Islam when examined is not much more than a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of plagiarisms, helping itself from earlier books and traditions as occasion appeared to require… It makes immense claims for itself, invokes prostrate submission or ‘surrender’ as a maxim to its adherents, and demands deference and respect from nonbelievers into the bargain. There is nothing-absolutely nothing-in its teachings that can even begin to justify such arrogance and presumption.”
Christopher Hitchens "God is Not Great"
I is all for free speech........ but me thinks we have forgotten just how new a concept free speech is........ it is not that long ago that the magazine OZ in Britain was tried and found guilty of blasphemy and I think a couple of the magazine's guys where sent down cos of it.
me thinks the bit about Islam NOT being a separate religion........ is the guy just being sarky........ cos it's on a level of claiming Christianity is not a separate religion cos Jesus said he came to fulfill the laws of Judaism........ Mohammed said he was to complete the processes started by earlier prophets such as Jesus........ you could argue that both Jesus and Mohammed can be seen in the same light as the Guru Granth who completed and set in stone the Sikh religion.
but going back to the idea of freedom speech over religion........ it has taken most Christians over 2000 years to bend to the idea that other voices should also be freely heard ........ with the other religions........ who let others speak about them........ more or less the same number of years as the Christians........ remember even long after Napoleon........ heretics (such as all those unusual sub-groups which grow up in 19th century America) would have been crushed most any where in Europe........ Roman or Protestant Europe.
can those who have taken thousands of years to accept the idea of freedom of speech not let those who are still on the way........ a little more time to catch up ?
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David Ben Gurion (the first Israeli Prime Minister): "If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been Anti - Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault ? They see but one thing: we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?"
me thinks the bit about Islam NOT being a separate religion........ is the guy just being sarky
If you read the book, he makes a very strong case that the Arabs invented Islam because they felt that their own prophet was overdue. They didn't just plagiarise Judaism and Christianity, but also the arab pagan religions they replaced (Zoroastrianism).
Originally Posted By: cable2
can those who have taken thousands of years to accept the idea of freedom of speech not let those who are still on the way........ a little more time to catch up ?
You seem to be suggesting that Islam requires a little more protection than Christianity or that we should all be a bit more careful in criticising it. I disagree in the strongest possible terms. It is that sort of dhimmitude that has forced Islam into the public psyche us (undeservedly) being protected from any sort of criticism.
That sort of attitude is part of the problem in creating this new wave of blasphemy laws, not the solution.
Edited by matt75 (01/04/1009:49 AM)
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