In an article titled "Christophobia: The elephant in the room," published in The Sierra Times, Marsha West writes
http://www.sierratimes.com/06/09/25/207_200_116_8_99098.htm
"Christian groups like the American Center for Law and Justice will work their tails off to get laws on the books that make it a hate crime to say anything derogatory about the Christian lifestyle, or to use the Lord’s name in vain. Mocking Jesus Christ in any way shape or form will require a public apology—or three—and may require jail time. Madonna could get life."
Think this will ever happen? Would you support such laws? Why? Why not?
Do you think people like Ms. West will ever understand how unreasonable and intolerant they are being?
2006-09-27 03:38:18 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It'll never go through. It caters to specific religion, and doesn't fit the definition of a hate crime. A hate crime is like assaulting someone for their skin color or religion. Mocking Christianity is plain old mocking.
Mocking is protected by Freedom of Speech.
Hate crimes actually hurt people.
There's a huge difference.
As to the article:
"And don’t think this Christian is going away. I intend to push my right-wing agenda down the throats of all Americans, including liberals. If people don’t like my godly agenda, oh well. I’m an American, after all. I’m a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen. I have my rights!"
And I have my rights, too. And as Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr, Supreme Court Justice, said, "The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins." You want to shove your religion down my throat?
Bring it.
2006-09-27 03:43:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure what American laws are like, assuming this is an American thing, but I'm sure it breaches a law or freedom somewhere about freedom of speech. So I doubt it will happen. And I wouldn't support it because it doesn't comply with freedom of speech.
And I have no idea who Ms. West is and I didn't have time to read the article. =) Have a good day.
2006-09-27 10:42:40 · answer #2 · answered by pacific_crush 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ha. You know what the ironic thing about that is? So many Christians thought the Muslims were stupid for getting so uptight about the drawings of Mohammed. The Muslims got upset and the Christians basically said, "Oh, get over it!" And now you have stuff like this. Funny.
2006-09-27 10:40:34 · answer #3 · answered by . 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, it isn't. Insulting someone for being black, white, gay, straight or what ever IS. People can't help these things, but they can change their religion any time they want. Things like religious or political views are personal opinions. If I don't agree with those opinions, I have a right to say so, if I think they are stupid I have a right to mock them. I wouldn't expect anything less from people who disagree with my views.
2006-09-27 10:53:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mocking any religion and it's prophets is a hate crime and should stop. Once people learn to respect other people's differences, the world will be a better place to livel.
2006-09-27 10:46:01 · answer #5 · answered by Luv Peace 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a Christian, I think they are being stupid. We are not oppressed in this country. We are not marginalized in any way. Christians along the whole range of the spectrum have political power and occupy the range of positions in society. We can take it. It's like white people saying that they need special rights. Just dumb.
Bless all our brothers and sisters.
2006-09-27 10:47:25 · answer #6 · answered by Love Shepherd 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually, its a lot more serious than what Ms. West portrays. People like her... and the so-called Christian 'moderates' that aid and abet them by failing to confront them... are a very real, serious and immediate danger to the country and to the world.. Christian 'Dominionists' (Reconstructionalists, Theonomists) have largely usurped the local level political apparatus of the Republican Party, and are engaged in a sub rosa process to politically motivate moderate Christians under the false cover of religious issues such as morality and family values, under cover of front organizations like the Christian Coalition, the American Family Association and the Promise Keepers. The goal is nothing less than the takeover of all elective offices in the USA.
Their doctrine comes from the Bible, starting with the term 'dominion' at Genesis 1:28... “And God said unto them, [Adam and Eve] Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have DOMINION… over every living thing.” They interpret DOMINION as: “... a supremacy in determining and directing the actions of others or in governing politically, socially, or personally.”
They want to remake the USA as a theocracy... and they are succeeding.
Its most common form, Dominionism, represents one of the most extreme forms of Fundamentalist Christianity thought. Its followers, called Dominionists, are attempting to convert the laws of United States so that they match those of the Hebrew Scriptures. They intend to achieve this by using the freedom of religion in the US to train a generation of children via home-schooling and in private Christian religious schools. See: JESUS CAMP http://www.apple.com/trailers/magnolia/jesuscamp/trailer/ Later, their graduates will be charged with the responsibility of creating a new Bible-based political, religious and social order. One of the first tasks of this order will be to eliminate religious choice and freedom. Their eventual goal is to achieve the "Kingdom of God" in which much of the world is converted to Christianity. They feel that the power of God's word will bring about this conversion. No armed force or insurrection will be needed; in fact, they believe that there will be little opposition to their plan. People will willingly accept it. All that needs to be done is to properly explain it to them.
All religious organizations, congregations etc. other than strictly Fundamentalist Christianity would be suppressed. Nonconforming Evangelical, main line and liberal Christian religious institutions would no longer be allowed to hold services, organize, proselytize, etc. Society would revert to the laws and punishments of the Hebrew Scriptures. Any person who advocated or practiced other religious beliefs outside of their home would be tried for idolatry and executed. Blasphemy, adultery and homosexual behavior would be criminalized; those found guilty would also be executed. There are two conservative Christian pastors in Texas who have advocated the execution of all Wiccans. Ralph Reed, the executive director of the conservative public policy group the Christian Coalition has criticized Reconstructionism as "an authoritarian ideology that threatens the most basic civil liberties of a free and democratic society."
By failing to openly confront this insidious agenda, we have sown the seeds of our own destruction, while these religious wing-nuts are paving the way to Armageddon with gleeful anticipation.
"Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder." ~ Arnold Toynbee
http://www.religioustolerance.org/reconstr.htm
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/HistoryOfReconstructionMovement.html
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/Clarkson_RiseOfDomionism.html
2006-09-27 10:53:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Big brother in the shape of the church wants to control what you can say or think. Why that insanity only exists in America I don't know but in the UK the fundamentalists would be laughed out of court.
2006-09-27 10:42:11 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
In its broadest sense, hate crime legislation could be applied to Christians (as "hate speech" is one of the criteria). However, prosecutable hate crimes are more about actions (physical abuse, vandalism) than about speech.
To make criticism or blasphemy a hate crime is absurd.
2006-09-27 10:43:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, that's silly. A hate crime would be if we attacked a preacher and carved "god is not real" on his butt after kicking it for a while.
What you just described is freedom of speech, and if it didn't exist, they wouldn't be allowed to annoy us either. They should just deal with it like we have to.
2006-09-27 10:42:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋