Do you consider this a "faith crime"?

[Darat]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5195462.stm
Gay police in anti-religion probe

...snip...

An advert, showing a Bible next to a pool of blood under the heading "in the name of the father", appeared in a national newspaper's supplement.

Scotland Yard said the inquiry "centres on whether the advert constitutes a faith crime."

...snip...

The advert in question is this one:

The original complaint to the police came from a Christian preacher, he states that the picture alongside the text (which made a statement that something like 75% of crimes against homosexuals had some motivation arising from the criminals religious beliefs - I'm trying to track down where that statistic came from) in means it is in breach of the new anti-religious hatred legislation. In the interview I heard he stated that the picture alone makes it a faith crime.

 

[brodski]

The advert in question is this one:

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/imagehost/144bf68615704b.jpg

The original complaint to the police came from a Christian preacher, he states that the picture alongside the text (which made a statement that something like 75% of crimes against homosexuals had some motivation arising from the criminals religious beliefs - I'm trying to track down where that statistic came from).

It would depend very much on whether the organisation could back up the claim they made in the advert that the majority of homophobic crime is religiously motivated.

 

[Jaggy Bunnet]

The advert in question is this one:

[qimg]http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/imagehost/144bf68615704b.jpg[/qimg]

The original complaint to the police came from a Christian preacher, he states that the picture alongside the text (which made a statement that something like 75% of crimes against homosexuals had some motivation arising from the criminals religious beliefs - I'm trying to track down where that statistic came from).

From the report the claim is slightly different - a 74% increase in the number of incidents where the motivating behaviour was religious belief.

 

[Darat]

Sorry - I didn't paste all of my text into the OP. From the interview the preacher seemed to be saying the photo alone should be enough for police action and the resignation of the head of the GPA.

 

[Darat]

From the report the claim is slightly different - a 74% increase in the number of incidents where the motivating behaviour was religious belief.

Yep but the claim the preacher made is the claim I tried to paraphrase. I've sent an email to the GPA asking for the source of their statistics.

 

[tkingdoll]

As long as they can back up the claim, then I don't have a problem with it.

I would have a problem with the claim being censored because a religious group did not like it. We shall see, but my money is on the complaint being dismissed.

 

[brodski]

Sorry - I didn't paste all of my text into the OP. From the interview the preacher seemed to be saying the photo alone should be enough for police action and the resignation of the head of the GPA.

So depicting gore and religious items in the same place should be a crime? There's going to be a lot fewer crucifixes around then, particularly catholic ones

 

[brodski]

From the report the claim is slightly different - a 74% increase in the number of incidents where the motivating behaviour was religious belief.

What may be of particular interest is to see if the majority of that increase is due to Christian bigotry, or if other faiths are equally (or more) responsible for the rise.

 

[BPSCG]

I would have a problem with the claim being censored because a religious group did not like it. We shall see, but my money is on the complaint being dismissed.

If it were in the U.S., I would agree. But GB's laws are different. Isn't there an anti-blasphemy statute on the books?

 

[Darat]

If it were in the U.S., I would agree. But GB's laws are different. Isn't there an anti-blasphemy statute on the books?

Yes but the last prosecution under that was in the 70s (and then it was private prosecution against "Gay News" by a moral majority style group see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/11/newsid_2499000/2499721.stm).

The legislation that is being used by the police in this instance is our very new "anti-religious hate" law - quite a different beast.

A Q&A about the new legislation: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3873323.stm

 

[brodski]

If it were in the U.S., I would agree. But GB's laws are different. Isn't there an anti-blasphemy statute on the books?

There is an anti blasphemy statute on the books, but this only applies to blasphemy against the doctrine of the Church of England, you're doing well if you can find out what the doctrine of the Church of England is, let alone blaspheme against it. The relevant legislation here is incitement to religious hatred, which applies to all faiths, however we also have a right to "freedom of expression", it's going to be interesting to see how these issues resolve themselves legally. My bet is on the advert being withdrawn "voluntarily" by the GPA, with no censure of them, the Crown Prosecution Service isn't going to risk this being taken to Strasbourg, and the GPA won't want a lengthy court battle, but would have to defend themselves vigorously from prosecution.

 

[Darat]

There is an anti blasphemy statute on the books, but this only applies to blasphemy against the doctrine of the Church of England, you're doing well if you can find out what the doctrine of the Church of England is, ...snip...

Agreed but I do know that it will involve jam making and tombolas....

 

[Lothian]

I thought the Religious hatred bill was stuck between the Commons and Lords. Has it been passed ?

 

[Darat]

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/racial-religious-hatred-bill?version=1

 

[Lothian]

I finally found the text of the act. I don’t think it applies to this advert but without knowing the section of the act under which the preacher thinks an offence has been committed, it is difficult to say for sure.

Section 29C of the act says A person who publishes or distributes written material which is threatening is guilty of an offence if he intends thereby to stir up religious hatred.

I don’t think the advert is itself threatening.

We must read the above in accordance with section 29J

Nothing in this Part shall be read or given effect in a way which prohibits or restricts discussion, criticism or expressions of antipathy, dislike, ridicule, insult or abuse of particular religions or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or of any other belief system or the beliefs or practices of its adherents, or proselytising or urging adherents of a different religion or belief system to cease practising their religion or belief system.

 

[RyanRoberts]

Unless it's exhorting people to go and beat up monks for being homophobic, you would hope it gets laughed out of court. The conscessions beaten out of the government were for exactly this reason.

Someone seems to think they might have a case though. Probably end up buried like the overzealous reaction to the MCB president saying he didn't like homosexuality.

 

[andyandy]

perhaps just to make sure there's no misunderstanding the monothestic religions could just clarify their stance on homosexuality....you know, about how it's not really a sin, and how that whole sodom thing was just God being crabby....

maybe then they could get offended by the implication that their relgion encourages homophobia and discrimination against gays....

 

[Mycroft]

What exactly is a "faith crime." Is it bashing religion? Inciting hatred against a religion?

 

[drkitten]

What exactly is a "faith crime." Is it bashing religion? Inciting hatred against a religion?

The text of the relevant act was referenced and quoted upthread. In broad terms, it's "inciting religious hatred."

 

[andyandy]

The text of the relevant act was referenced and quoted upthread. In broad terms, it's "inciting religious hatred."

couldn't therefore say, the Muslim council of Britain be tried for "inciting religious hatred" - as their strongly homophobic stance surely incites some to hatred of religion?