We tend to think that religious leaders; who are such shrinking violets that they have to imprison a teacher for calling a teddy Muhammed, or can claim that loose women cause earthquakes, and not be laughed off the face of the earth. Or incite people to set fire to stuff over some daft cartoons in a shitty Danish paper no-one reads, is a trait exclusive to the Muslim world. A sign of religious lunacy unplugged, a theocratic zeal (by the minority) that has been largely banished from the once Christian Europe. So it's going to be obvious that a 26 year old pop star; who is looking at two years in jail for blasphemy, for saying dinosaurs are more plausible than parts of a holy book, has happened in Saudi. Wrong! This pop star,- Dorota Rabczewska; is from Poland. Yes in the godless, athiestic wastelend of Europe, it is potentially possible (the article this post is on about is highly partial, so its 20/20 how likely she actually faces jail.) to be imprisoned for "disrespecting religion" She actually said:
“it is hard to believe in something written by people who drank too much wine and smoked herbal cigarettes.”
Oooh Dangerous...
This got the response from a Polish fundie, worthy of Stephen Green of Christian Voice.
"Ryszard Nowak is chairman of the Committee for the Defence Against Sects. This group exists to “protect Christian values”
It is clear that Doda thinks that the Bible was written by drunkards and junkies. I believe that she committed a crime and offended the religious feelings of both Christians and Jews."
No? She challenged an idea. It's called freedom of speech.
If you think this is just sabre rattling, it becomes more disturbing when we hear:
"The couple aren’t the first to be brought to court over offending Christians. In 2003, artist Dorota Nieznalska was convicted of “insulting religious feeling” and sentenced to six months of “restricted freedom” — that is, travel restrictions — and 20 hours/month of community service. Why?
In 2002, Nieznalska created an art installation called “Passion”. Part of the installation offended Christians.
League of Polish Families members attacked Nieznalska verbally and physically at the Gdansk gallery where her Passion installation was being exhibited last year. The work, an exploration of masculinity and suffering, shows a cross on which a photograph of a fragment of a naked male body, including the genitalia, has been placed. The League sued the artist. In July 2003, a court found Nieznalska guilty of “offending religious feelings.” It sentenced her to half a year of “restriction of freedom” (she was specifically banned from leaving the country) and ordered her to do community work and pay all trial expenses. When the judge read the sentence, League members packing the courtroom applauded ecstatically. The artist has been pursuing legal appeal to get the sentence overturned on free speech grounds."
Whether it is just pure shock value, or whatever. It is appalling that an EU member can restrict travel and impose community service. -For an artist who superimposed a willy on a cross. No-one was harmed, a victimless crime, and you get treated as if you had shoplifted. This is the problem with curtailment of freedom of speech, especially vis a vis religion. If they can get "offended" at this, and get them prosecuted, what next? You can bet that, empowered; - they will find something else to censor. A disturbing cycle. The article ends with this interesting, if slightly shouty summation.
"How can Europeans cry foul when Muslims are offended by a cartoon, when they themselves press charges and demand imprisonment over something as simple as a pop star making negative statements about their religion?
Blasphemy laws are an offense to anyone who values liberty and intellectual freedom. They are a tool used by religious fundamentalists to silence nonbelievers. Fundamentalists of different religions do not use the laws to silence one another (such as Christians vs. Islamists); no, they are used solely against the secularist. Maybe it’s time for the secularists to start suing** the religionists!"
** I know he's being sarcastic, but better to shoot down these peoples "arguments"with debate, than call in the lawyers. If you have to immediately do that, then you must have pretty lame foundations.
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