Heresy Trial In Greece

[Tony]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4606533.stm ...full article

A Greek art curator is set to go on trial for insulting the eastern Orthodox Church by showing a painting combining Christian and sexual imagery.
Christos Ioakimidis could be jailed for up to five years if found guilty.

The authorities removed the work from an Athens exhibition in the run-up to last year's Olympic Games, following a complaint by a far-right party leader.

I know some of the "right-wing"/religous extremists in America must salivate over the thought of sending people to jail for disrespecting religion.

 

[Grammatron]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4606533.stm ...full article




I know some of the "right-wing"/religous extremists in America must salivate over the thought of sending people to jail for disrespecting religion.

You know, when I read about people being prosecuted for heresy in Greece the first thing I think of is how f***ed up America is too!

 

[Tony]

Re: Re: Heresy Trial In Greece

You know, when I read about people being prosecuted for heresy in Greece the first thing I think of is how f***ed up America is too!

Huh? Read again, I didn't say anything about America.

 

[Ziggurat]

Re: Re: Re: Heresy Trial In Greece

Huh? Read again, I didn't say anything about America.

Umm.. Tony? Did you not read what you posted? Let me refresh your memory:

Originally posted by Tony I know some of the "right-wing"/religous extremists in America must salivate over the thought of sending people to jail for disrespecting religion.

Grammatron is spot on: people keep complaining about what American religious nutters would LIKE to do. But that rather conveniently misses the fact that America isn't where the religious nutters keep actually DOING such stuff. You know, for real, as in not just in their dreams. Somehow, the significance of that little fact keeps missing people. But hey, you came close to figuring it out, you did post the original story.

 

[El Greco]

I remember that story. There are religious idiots everywhere. They sue someone, a trial has to be conducted. I suspect the same happens everywhere.

He will not be found guilty. Not one in a million.

 

[Tony]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Heresy Trial In Greece

Umm.. Tony? Did you not read what you posted? Let me refresh your memory:

I never said anything about America. I was talking about religious extremists in America. BIG difference.

Grammatron is spot on: people keep complaining about what American religious nutters would LIKE to do. But that rather conveniently misses the fact that America isn't where the religious nutters keep actually DOING such stuff.

This is a blatant lie. The religious nutters do all kinds of stuff.

You know, for real, as in not just in their dreams. Somehow, the significance of that little fact keeps missing people. But hey, you came close to figuring it out, you did post the original story.

Your lies and defenses of religious extremists are noted.

 

[Tony]

I remember that story. There are religious idiots everywhere. They sue someone, a trial has to be conducted. I suspect the same happens everywhere.

He will not be found guilty. Not one in a million.

Why is that law even on the books?

 

[Ziggurat]

He will not be found guilty. Not one in a million.

I'll take your word for it. But why on earth do you tolerate such laws existing in the first place? According to the BBC story, "Mr Iaokimidis is charged with insulting public decency and the Church." Unless the BBC just got this wrong (which I'll admit as a possibility), then Greece still has laws that would never be considered even close to constitutionally permissible here in the US. No group deserves legal protection from insult.

 

[Ziggurat]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Heresy Trial In Greece

Your lies and defenses of religious extremists are noted.

Wow. I'm impressed. You NOTED it. Of course, you noting it doesn't actually make it in any way, you know, true or anything.

 

[Grammatron]

Re: Re: Re: Heresy Trial In Greece

Huh? Read again, I didn't say anything about America.

Why even mention it? It's of no consequence to the story. If you have a problem with some actions of religious nutters in USA then make a post about it. It seems very odd to me to make a post about some laws in Greece and then be angry about people who have nothing to do with it.

 

[BPSCG]

Christos Ioakimidis could be jailed for up to five years if found guilty.

You can't make this kind of stuff up - nobody would believe it.

Tell me again how the Europeans are so much more enlightened than us priest-ridden Americans.

Can someone tell me if Andres Serrano was prosecuted for heresy or blasphemy in the U.S.?

 

[El Greco]

Do you mean that any kind of insult is legal in th US ? You can insult in any way politicians, religious leaders, policemen, etc ?

 

[El Greco]

I could also ask similar questions about censorship in US, which certainly looks ridiculous here.

 

[Cleon]

Do you mean that any kind of insult is legal in th US ? You can insult in any way politicians, religious leaders, policemen, etc ?

Ahem. (No serious intent or offense is intended by the comments below.)


George "W" Bush is a douchebag.

The Pope is a Nazi who covers up for priests who diddle little boys.

Cops are pigs, and the Fraternal Order of Police is so corrupt it makes the mafia look like decent, upstanding people.


Short answer: Yes.

 

[aerocontrols]

I could also ask similar questions about censorship in US, which certainly looks ridiculous here.

What sort of censorship do you mean?

 

[Tony]

Why even mention it?

Because, like greece, we also have religious/right-wing extremists in America whose agenda isn't much different.

It's of no consequence to the story.

So? Freedom of speech ,and the protection thereof, is an issue I care about.

It seems very odd to me to make a post about some laws in Greece and then be angry about people who have nothing to do with it.

That's a non-sequitor. I'm not angry about people who have nothing to do with it. I'm pointing out that the people responsible for these events in Greece have counterparts in this country. You need to get over your persecution complex.

It's telling that you guys interpret an attack on religious/right-wing extremists as an attack on America in general.

 

[Grammatron]

Do you mean that any kind of insult is legal in th US ? You can insult in any way politicians, religious leaders, policemen, etc ?

To a degree yes.

I am not sure what your definition of an insult is, but I pretty much can go ahead and insult people. Exceptions being slander or libel.

 

[Tony]

Do you mean that any kind of insult is legal in th US ? You can insult in any way politicians, religious leaders, policemen, etc ?

Yes, it is legal.

 

[Grammatron]

Because, like greece, we also have religious/right-wing extremists in America whose agenda isn't much different.



So? Freedom of speech ,and the protection thereof, is an issue I care about.



That's a non-sequitor. I'm not angry about people who have nothing to do with it. I'm pointing out that the people responsible for these events in Greece have counterparts in this country. You need to get over your persecution complex.

It's telling that you guys interpret an attack on religious/right-wing extremists as an attack on America in general.

Then post about their actions; make a post about a case here where American right-wing/religious extremists are filing suits for herecy. That sounds like something I would be concerned about as well.

 

[BPSCG]

Do you mean that any kind of insult is legal in th US ? You can insult in any way politicians, religious leaders, policemen, etc ?

Cleon's answer is a little over the top, but it's essentially correct. You can't incite to riot or other violence (notice he didn't propose killing any of the public figures he named, nor to destruction of anyone's property), and the bar for libel and defamation are higher for public figures than for individuals; in other words, Cleon could call me a douchebag in a public venue and I could sue him for libel (go ahead and try it - see if I don't!). But public figures have to prove not just reckless disregard of the facts, but actual malice on the part of the libeler/slanderer, and (I believe) have a tougher time proving actual damage, since they are so much better-known than your average person. That's one of the reasons why, despite the huge amount that is written about politicians, you so rarely hear of them suing someone.