How do you feel about Obama supporting the "Blasphemy Exception" to Freedom of Speech?
In case you haven't heard, Obama supports laws which make it a crime to talk smack about someone's Imaginary Friend. ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ► Obama Accepts “Blasphemy†Exception to Free Speech http://www.openmarket.org/2009/10/21/obama-accepts-blasphemy-exception-to-free-speech/ In USA Today, liberal law professor Jonathan Turley is criticizing the Obama administration for endorsing a “blasphemy†exception to free speech: “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.†Granted, blasphemy may be patently offensive to significant numbers of people, but it is precisely such hard cases for which First Amendment protection is most important. Consider the fate of those unfortunate enough to live in countries without such protections. (Note: Some readers may find the following examples shocking.) ► Obama endorses 'blasphemy' exception to free speech http://www.examiner.com/scotus-in-washington-dc/obama-endorses-blasphemy-exception-to-free-speech ► Obama Seeks to Silence Free Speech Through Blasphemy Laws http://www.jbs.org/jbs-news-feed/5533-obama-seeks-to-silence-free-speech-through-blasphemy-laws ► Just Say No To Blasphemy: U.S. Supports Egypt in Limiting Anti-Religious Speech http://jonathanturley.org/2009/10/19/just-say-no-to-blasphemy-u-s-supports-eygpt-in-limiting-anti-religious-speech/ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ An example of someone being arrested for saying something that Theists didn't like is what happened to Italian Comedian Sabina Guzzanti. She said, basically, that the elderly Pope will shortly be where he belongs, in hell, getting his just desserts from the gays he denounced as evil in life. They threatened to put her in prison for FIVE YEARS for that... ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ► Comedian Sabina Guzzanti 'insulted Pope' in 'poofter devils' gag http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4732048.ece "after warning everyone that within 20 years Italian teachers would be vetted and chosen by the Vatican, she got to the punchline: "But then, within 20 years the Pope will be where he ought to be — in Hell, tormented by great big poofter devils, and very active ones, not passive ones." The joke may have gone done well with her crowd on the Piazza Navona in Rome, but not with Italian prosecutors. She is facing prosecution for "offending the honour of the sacred and inviolable person" of Benedict XVI." ► Penn & Teller: Season 7 Episode 10 – “The Vatican†http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Penn+Teller+Vatican&emb=0&aq=f# ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ With freedom of Speech being the FIRST amendment of the constitution, don't you think that Blasphemy Laws go against the very ideals that this nation was founded upon? I know that both the right and the left are tearing up the constitution, but for the Media to just TOTALLY GLOSS OVER this vitally important statement by the American President is disgusting! How do you feel about what Fearless-Leader said? ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ► Column: Just say no to blasphemy laws http://content.usatoday.com/topics/post/Religion/620000028.blog/1 Perhaps in an effort to rehabilitate the United States image in the Muslim world, the Obama administration has joined a U.N. effort to restrict religious speech. This country should never sacrifice freedom of expression on the altar of religion. By Jonathan Turley ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻ ☺ ☻
Religion & Spirituality - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
This is blasphemy. THIS IS MADNESS!
2 :
You have grossly misrepresented what Obama said. The media didn't "gloss over" it, some media that play loose with facts made it into something it wasn't. Peace.
3 :
I think the "Sacred and inviolable person of Benedict XVI." should be thrown in prison for aiding and abetting child sex abusers. Possibly the Vatican should be closed down as part of a system of child sex brothels and all the Cardinals and Bishops locked up for being part of an organized child sex ring. Religions deserve no respect at all.
4 :
Do you have any cites whose sources aren't the same dead link to a non-existant USA Today editorial?
5 :
Blasphemy is speech, thought, or action involving contempt for God or the Church, or persons or things dedicated to God. As bad as blasphemy is in not showing respect for your fellow human beings (like the "Christian" pastor who threatened to burn a Quran), I do not believe we should limit people's Freedom of Speech. I do not thing we can legislate people to show proper human respect and dignity to each other. This respect needs to comes from the heart and through fear of prosecution. But I think that people should be held responsible for their words and actions. If someone freely chooses to blaspheme then people of good conscience should use their Freedom of Speech to boycott that individual. For example: + Larry David urinated on a picture of Jesus Christ. + Sarah Silverman suggested that the Pope should commit sexual sin. + Kathy Griffin said "Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now." With love in Christ
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