When Does Religion become a Hate Crime?

[§outh§tar]

The government of Prime Minister Tony Blair, with its eye on Islamist militants, has begun a nationwide campaign to make inciting religious hatred a crime punishable by imprisonment.

Home Secretary David Blunkett said the government's aim is to extend anti-discrimination laws to stop hatemongers from targeting people because of their religious faith and to "sideline" extremists who claim to speak for them.

The new law would be a "two-way street," Mr. Blunkett said. "It applies equally to far-right evangelical Christians as to extremists in the Islamic faith."

http://www.washtimes.com/world/20040718-115716-7774r.htm

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A bit touchy.. eh? Is atheism recognized as religion in case of such an event? Will free speech go to the fishes?

Will we no longer be able to make fun of Proud Muslim???? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I bet the atheists are having their cake and eating it too..

Your thoughts please..

(Mod Hat: I needed to reduce the quote length. Honestly, I tried to find some way to keep the bit about Monty Python in there, but in the end I just couldn't pull it off.)

 

[Thor]

Outrageous! Although I am against racism of any kind I do believe people should be given the choice, not forced by law.

This is New Labours quick fix made while they were panicking. This is to catch people like that....damn, who's that dude...with the hooks...one eye...well anyway, it's to catch people like him. Generally anyone who opposes the government using religion will be arrested. The UK is very slowly turning into a police state.

 

[Mystech]

I bet the atheists are having their cake and eating it too..

Why's that, exactly? Atheists defame religion as much as anyone else (even if they don't typically try to incite any sort of frenzy against them) I don't see how atheists have anything in particular to gain from this sort of infringement on the British ability to speak freely.

 

[§outh§tar]

Why's that, exactly? Atheists defame religion as much as anyone else (even if they don't typically try to incite any sort of frenzy against them) I don't see how atheists have anything in particular to gain from this sort of infringement on the British ability to speak freely.

I was only pointing out that atheists might just as well bash each other without concern for this law.

But it was a joke anyway, ok?

 

[laughing weasel]

Laws will never stop hate only education can do that there will always be people who will hate people based on arbitrary distinctions skin, religion or sexual orientation. Education or experience usually broadens the perspective so I would rather support education initiatives over censorship. The only thing this law will accomplish is to drive the hate underground to smolder until the next Hitler or Milosevic come along to exploit it.

 

[Fallen Angel]

oh yes, let's educate, because if we educate, nobody will be jealous, nobody will have ambitions over other people, nobody will be striving to better their situation at the expense of others..... what's communism again?

education has it's place, and so does punishment. where education fails, punishment needs to pick up.

 

[spaganya]

oh yes, let's educate, because if we educate, nobody will be jealous, nobody will have ambitions over other people, nobody will be striving to better their situation at the expense of others..... what's communism again?

education has it's place, and so does punishment. where education fails, punishment needs to pick up.

I think when laughing weasel said his bit about education, i think he was trying to state the fact that education breeds tolerance. And with tolerance is lesser instances of violence. (such as the racist white guy who hates all black people, but finally one day he HAS to interact with one at his job and realizes they arent all bad and starts learning that they are "just people too" hence lowering the possibility of him doing or saying things that are demeaning or degrating because "i have a friend who ...." blah blah)

I do agree that education helps but even with education, ignorance can still exist.

Ultimately tho, my reaction to this post is that i think the possible laws have their purpose, for example... terrorists of today are twisting the teachings of the Quran in order to justify the mass killings of people. Much like the Christians did with the Crucades and things like the spanish inquisition. I do believe that what brought those things to an end was the realization of the TRUE meaning of those religions and the education of peoples in what it really means to be part of that religion. Its all about tolerance people. Even if you dont agree what someone says, or does, or believes, the other person should have the natural right to make their own decisions (whether they are right or wrong) and until we can find a way to get that thru to the "terrorists" and the other types who use religion as fodder for evil doings, then things wont change....

(p.s. i have no idea if i made any sense whatsoever... lol)

 

[Fallen Angel]

yeah, education breeds tolerance, but it doesn't replace people with ideas that will harm other people. if anyone here believes that there is a future where everyone will be educated and there will be no more conflicts because people will get along then you are ignorant of the world around you. so we'll always need laws, and we'll need police, etc. etc. well, unless we do a hive mind thing.

 

[spaganya]

yeah, education breeds tolerance, but it doesn't replace people with ideas that will harm other people. if anyone here believes that there is a future where everyone will be educated and there will be no more conflicts because people will get along then you are ignorant of the world around you. so we'll always need laws, and we'll need police, etc. etc. well, unless we do a hive mind thing.

that wasnt my point. of course laws will always exist, simply because in order for there to be good there has to be bad, so "evil" in whatever form will always exist and need to be regulated for the safety of others. tolerance and education help reduce the numbers of psychos out there that we have to worry about.

 

[§outh§tar]

gee, if they really are phsychos, do you think "tolerance and education" will really help?

I never saw a lion tamed by cotton candy.