This page includes my commentary on blasphemy, with associated links.
My writings are in black. Plagiarized text is in maroon, sometimes highlighted by me in red.
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Blasphemy is an epithet bestowed by superstition on common sense. Whoever investigates a religion as he would any department of science, is called a blasphemer. Whoever contradicts a priest (or preacher), whoever has the impudence to use his (or her) own reason, whoever is brave enough to express their honest thoughts, is a blasphemer in the eyes of the professional religionist. -- Robert G. Ingersoll
"I am myself a dissenter from all known religions, and I hope that every kind of religious belief will die out." -- [Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, educator, mathematician, and social critic (1872-1970)]
When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and pay the alms tax, let them go their way. Allah is forgiving and merciful. -- The Koran, 9.5
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. -- Jesus, Luke 19: 27
"The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum." -- Havelock Ellis
"An atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support."
-- John Buchan, Lord Tweedsmuir
"I know of no book which has been a source of brutality and sadistic conduct, both public and private, that can compare with the Bible." -- Sir James Paget
. . . The ridiculous idea of having blasphemy laws
. . . Examples of blasphemy in the advertising world
Now the fun begins; some of it not so innocent!
. . . 666 ___ Absolution online ___ Advertising ___ Arrests ___ Australia ___ Blasphemy justification
. . . Bumper stickers ___ Clone the Messiah ___Freedom from religion ___ Germany ___ Gideon Bibles
. . . How to get excommunicated ___ Jesus' Home page ___ Pakistan ___ Satire
. . .The Stupidest Religion ___ Theological places ___ UK ___ USA ___ Various
The ridiculous idea of having blasphemy laws
How much respect should be shown toward the tenets of the sacred texts of organized (or, disorganized, for that matter) religions? Two examples of what the key prophets of the two main religions are quoted in those sacred texts as having said are of the likes of slay them, by Jesus, the supposed Prince of Peace, and slay, by Mohammed, the (very many say) prophet of The Merciful One.
How much respect should we pay to these two alleged prophets, who modern secular societies would ordinarily term as being potential murderers, if not terrorists? Given that the religions of Christianity and Islam are based entirely on the supposed statements of these two supposed prophets, how much respect should we show toward those two religions? I maintain that we should not be required -- by law -- to show any respect whatsoever. I also maintain that we should not be enjoined by law from publicly expressing our disrespect for these supposed prophets, their resulting religions, and -- to some extent -- for those who believe in those religions. Consider the question of whether it would be impolite of me -- much whether it should be illegal -- to criticize the persons, and the beliefs of, those who carried out the attack on the World Trade Center. Our media and political leaders are quick to try to dissociate the obviously religious beliefs of those terrorists from being considered to be the beliefs of organized religion, in particular, Islam. Why such unreasonable delicacy? Those beliefs were nurtured by Islamic Mullahs. See How real is religious terrorism, and is it religious?
Should I be criticized for casting blame on persons and their ideas just because they are religious? Most people seem to think so.
Consider the question of whether it should be illegal to criticize the chief founder of another belief movement, and to criticize his ideas, and his followers. Here is one of is statements:
"I am doing the work of the Lord . . . " The author? Adolf Hitler.
It is my hope that a little blasphemy here and there, and by enough people, will lead to the eventual slow death of all organized religions through ridicule -- for the undoubted benefit of all mankind. The so-called innocent prayers, in public, of the gentle true believers help contribute to the religious mentality that, by definition, is irrational and can, therefore, justify any ridiculous or evil action whatsoever, including an even worse successor to the World Trade Center abomination -- an abomination right out of Biblical times and the Koran, and carried out, no doubt, by those of devout religious faith**. It would have been interesting to hear their last prayers -- uttered just instants before they entered Paradise! ** It is a cop-out, and an overly deferential political correctness -- that would renounce such religious beliefs on the basis that they are not Islamic, even though they are indoctrinated into young people by Mullahs who are called Islamic. Hitler's were not Islamic either (they were closer to being Christian (see Was Hitler a Christian?) -- so what? The key point is that they were religious.
When I say that I would like to see the death of all organized religions, I mean the death of their religious belief systems. That is not to say that I want to see the death of the communities of church people, their companionship, their good works, and most of their activities.Such communities will remain and will, no doubt, continue to do good works -- in most, but not all, cases. It is just that the religious beliefs should die out. More than one prominent Christian church leader agrees that this trend has already been underway.
My beliefs are set out in more detail in My religious beliefs.
I shall add more . . .
Examples of blasphemy in the advertising world
Coca-Cola
As pointed out by Robin Wright in an article in the Los Angeles Times, Islamic suspicion and hostility rears its head in unlikely places and, to us, in ways that appear bizarre and even demented. She notes: "The movement's conspiratorial, even paranoid, mind-set is reflected in its admonition not to drink Coca-Cola, because, it says, the name reflected in a mirror forms the Arabic words 'No Muhammad, No Mecca.'" This is an excerpt from American Atheists News -- a Service of AMERICAN ATHEISTS -- onliue newsletter #962 of 9/25/01. See http://www.atheists.org.
Nike
In November, 1998 the giant Nike Corporation changed the logo in a line of its popular sneakers after complaints from Muslim groups that the lettering resembled Arab script for "Allah." To make amends, Nike spent $50,000 constructing a playground at a Mosque in Falls Church, Virginia, in order to seek forgiveness and recalled 38,000 pairs of offending footwear. This is an excerpt from American Atheists News -- a Service of AMERICAN ATHEISTS -- online newsletter #962 of 9/25/01. See http://www.atheists.org.
Philip Morris
This is a new kind of Call for Phillip Morrissss . . . -- for those old enough to remember the radio commercials of old! See Philip Morris.
666, The Number of the Beast: http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/666.htm . . . Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. Reams of detail!
Coverage of the Inevitable Apocalypso: http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/abimelec.htm Proof that Bill Gates is the anti-Christ.
IHateBillGates.Com - Fun Things: http://www.ihatebillgates.com/funthings/
Did you know that Bill Gates' real name is William Henry Gates III? Nowadays, he is known as Bill Gates (III) where III means the order of third. So what's so eerie about this name? Well, if you take all the letters in Bill Gates III and then convert it into ASCII code (American Standard Code for Info. Interchange) and then add up all the numbers....you will get 666, which is the number of the beast.
B = 66 I = 73 L = 76 L = 76 G = 71 A = 65 T = 84 E = 69 S = 83 I = 1 I = 1 I = 1
Add these numbers and they equal 666. Coincidence? Perhaps....
Maybe, but take Windows 95 and do the same procedure and you will get 666 also. And even MS-DOS 6.31 adds up to 666.
Still think it is coincidence? Stay with me....it gets better. . . .
Absolution-Online Welcome: http://www.absolution-online.com/ Home of theVirtual Confessional.
Instant-Absolution-Online Welcome: http://totl.net/InstantAbsolutionOnline/ This site is a parody of http://www.absolution-online.com (above).
Adland - By the adgrunts for the adgrunts: http://ad-rag.com/article.php?sid=127 It's sacrilege! It's funny! It's blasphemy! It's advertising! It's your call. Wide range of comments and examples of ads -- some serious, some not so!
The Cola Conspiracy: http://hunter.apana.org.au/~gallae/slack/rants/cola.htm Logos.
Devil Companies, Devil Products, Devil Logos: http://www.texemarrs.com/121997/LOGO.HTM Lucent Technologies; Reebok; International; Honewell, Lucifer Manufacturing; Lucifer Lighting Co.; 666 Company (Apple) Linked with Microsoft?; Proctor & Gamble's Old Man in the Moon; Of Pyramids, Eyes, Serpents, Eggs, and Crosses; Does the Walt Disney corporate logo conceal three cleverly disguised "6s" -- thus, 666?
Marketing Law: http://www.marketinglaw.co.uk/open.asp?A=233 Blasphemy in advertising. UK. The ASA criticised The Sunday Times recently for its use in an advertisement of an image of a woman wearing a leather bikini and tied to a wooden cross. It upheld complaints that the image was blasphemous. In this article, Nick Johnson reviews the current state of UK legal and regulatory practice in relation to blasphemy in advertising. . . .
blasphemy is still a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine. The offence applies to matter published which "contains any contemptuous, reviling, scurrilous or ludicrous matter relating to God, Jesus Christ, or the Bible, or the formularies of the Church of England, as by law established". It should be noted that the offence applies only to the faith of the established Anglican church. It does not apply to Muslims, Hindus, Baptists, Roman Catholics and other faiths. There has been only one prosecution since 1922. This was a successful private prosecution brought by Mary Whitehouse in 1976 in relation to a poem published in Gay News, which described Jesus' body in homo-erotic language.
Some have sought to argue that the law of blasphemy is inconsistent with rights to freedom of expression protected under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights however have indicated that the law of blasphemy is regarded as justified under the "margin of appreciation" allowed to member states. . . .
Philip Morris Inc. Charged With Blasphemy: http://web2.iadfw.net/~elo/news/cigs.html Philip Morris Inc. has been charged with blasphemy by several groups of Christians after the company introduced a new warning message on their packages of cigarettes which says "Smoking can help you meet Jesus sooner." . . . "This is a clear attempt to lure Christians into using their tobacco products," said Joshua Randall, president of Christians For God, who keep a close eye on all commercial advertising for signs of blasphemy against God**. ** What other kind of blasphemy is there, if not against God. One against Elvis?
Christian Urban Legends: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_cul4.htm Proctor & Gamble and Satanism.
NSWLRC - Report 74 - Blasphemy - 4. REFORM OF THE LAW OF BLASPHEMY - OPTION ONE RETENTION OF THE COMMON LAW: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/nswlrc/rpt74/00059.html . . .
Protection of God and religion. Blasphemy has its origins in ecclesiastical law, together with the other related religious offences of heresy, schism and atheism. However, the secularising trend in blasphemy law has clearly shifted the concern from the protection of religion to the protection of the established social and political order. If religious protection is considered to be the primary aim of the offence, it is anomalous that only scurrilous attacks are penalised while well reasoned, intellectual debate is not, though such debate may be far more effective in destroying religious belief.
4.18 The Commission recognises the natural wishes of people to protect objects of their veneration, but recourse to the criminal law may be entirely inappropriate for that purpose, particularly in a context where only one religion receives the benefits . . .
FILM AND LITERATURE CENSORSHIP PROCEDURE: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/alrc/publications/reports/55/sumrec.html The Australian Law Reform Commission. ... in its report on Multiculturalism and the Law that references to blasphemy in federal customs law be retained . . .
Blasphemy A guide and justification: http://simon.crabtree.com/satanism/blasphemy.html
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA Blasphemy: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02595a.htm Much detail!
See also Gideon Bibles.
Atheist Darwin Fish Bumperstickers !: http://www.unitedstatesatheists.com/bumperstickers.html
Free Atheist bumper-stickers: http://www.abarnett.demon.co.uk/atheism/bumpers.html
From irreverence to blasphemy: http://www.instantattitudes.com/antifundie.html Atheism, Adeism, Agnosticism, and FedUpWithFundamentalism. . . . First they burn books then they burn people. The problem with religious texts is that the answers aren't in the back, either. ZenCrafters - Total enlightenment in about an hour! In case of Rapture, can I have your car? . . . Pictures of many stickers, and links to other categories.
From irreverence to blasphemy: http://users.argolink.net/rault/antifundie.html Everybody needs something to believe. I believe I'll have another cup of coffee! . . . And many more bumper stickers.
Religious Tolerance - A Front for Hate: http://www.networkusa.org/fingerprint/page1b/fp-rt-front-groups.html PART I - INTOLERANCE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. THE ONTARIO CONSULTANTS ON RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE (OCRT) WEB PAGE URL LINK PROVIDED BY THE FBI IN THE PROJECT MIGEDDO REPORT.
Indian Skeptic Vol 1
2-1 Blasphemy Law in Germany: http://www.indian-skeptic.org/html/is_v01/1-2-1.htm Letter To:
1. M/s. Amtsgericht, . . . Wuerzburg, W. Germany. 2. Hon.
Minister of Justice, . . . Munchen, West Germany.
We are sad to know that in such a progressive country like West Germany Blasphemy Law is still in force.
God is a matter of belief and faith. Every person has the right to believe in god or not to believe. When the religion propagate god, the non-believers have the right to propagate atheism. In some countries, the government prosecute Atheists. West Germany, though one of the most progressive countries in the world in the technological and scientific field, still uses this barbarian law of Blasphemy against the heretics in connivance with the Catholic Church.
If we take the meaning of Blasphemy in a broader sense, we will find that every religion blasphemises the other religions as heretics and according to them, Blasphemy is the only sin for which there is no emancipation and are condemned for eternity.
Though god is being propagated by all religions and he is said to be omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, none have seen or heard god except the clergy and the prophets. . . .
The blasphemy law protects the priests from being questioned and the spirit of inquiry is nipped in the bud itself. The West German atheists published a cartoon of a catholic priest with god as a puppet in his hand and the blasphemy law in his pocket to protect him. Christ's figure on the rosary showed his head lowered in shame. Christ was not blasphemised. For this cartoon dozens of atheists in West Germany were arrested and prosecuted. But because of the protests of the free thinkers from other countries, the cases were withdrawn.
God or religion can survive only if it can withstand reason. What we cannot understand is when god is omnipotent why the Religious heads should protect their god from the onslaught of reason. If religious texts are true why are they incapable of proving it. Instead of fighting questions with rational answers why do they use law to supress reason?
After lying low for two years, the draconian law has raised its head once again. We understand that on 17-5-1988, Gottfried Niemietz of Freiburg, attorney of the free thinkers was served with a formal accusation for blasphemy under section 166 cc by the Wurzburg legal prosecutor. The alleged accusations are 1. Niemietz called the church "the biggest criminal organisation of history." . . . The inquisitions of the middle ages will prove whether church is a criminal organisation or not, or whether the church practices Bible. Just a few quotes from the Bible: . . .
5-43 (St. Mathews): Ye have heard that it hath been said, Though shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say into you, Love your enemies, bless them that curses you. Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. . . .
I do not know whether reason would prevail with the priests who suppress reason and free thinking. We sincerely believe that reason would prevail with the West German Government and this barbarian law of blasphemy would be thrashed and the prosecution against the Atheists are withdrawn for ever. We in India are deeply concerned about the onslaught against Atheists in West Germany. If religion and god would like to survive let them fight with reason and not by force and suppression.
L.T. Lawrence And Associates - Stupid Crime: http://ausmall.com.au/law/crime18.htm . . . Proctor & Gamble launched a civil suit against Amway this month claiming that Amway salespeople have been promoting rumours the rival company is in league with the devil. Proctor & Gamble say that this is simply not true, and may ultimately force Amway to have to prove otherwise. . . . claimed that Amway salespeople have been spreading rumours amongst fundamentalist religious communities in the US that P&G's trademark incorporates satanic symbols such as "666" and devil's horns, and that this slur cost the company a whopping $US595 million in lost sales
For an introduction to who Gideon was, see the introductory paragraphs of The Bible and Christianity are barbaric, and the following official home page:
The Gideons International: http://www.gideons.org/
Coverage of the Inevitable Apocalypso: http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/abimelec.htm The Abimelech Society from The Canadian Atheist (a quarterly newsletter).
The Abimelechs are an association of Atheist commercial, business, and professional men and women who have as one of their objects: The removal from circulation of the so-called Word of God or Holy Bible, from hotels, motels, hospitals, school classrooms, university dormitories, penal institutions, and many other places, and by the confiscation of New Testaments from school children, service personnel, and nurses.
The Association was founded in Canada 29 years ago by a couple of Freethinkers who, in a hotel room, found the only reading material to be a Gideon Bible, and were angered by this overt propaganda by the Christians . . .
The Abimelechs named themselves after the bastard son of Gideon and his followers . . .
ATHEIST FUN!: http://www.geocities.com/missus_gumby/tract.htm BIBLE STICKERS. Are you an Atheist? Well, whatever you do, DO NOT print and cut out any of the following labels and glue them to the front of the Gideon bible that you will find in your hotel room. But, on the other hand, if you were to print and post the following labels you would have the pleasure of knowing that the next inhabitant of your room may just get the message.
Blasphemous stickers for Bibles: http://www.geocities.com/missus_gumby/tract.htm Heretical Labels. Mischievous nonbelievers have been spreading labels and stickers around the internet recently, apparently for pasting onto such items as the Gideon Bibles found in many hotel rooms. The Wasteland would like to make it quite clear that this practice is immature, childish and not at all big or clever. Moreover it is likely to cause grave offense . . .
To help you recognise these . . . pieces of graffiti, we have reproduced several here. Please feel free to copy these images and send them to people who you feel need to be warned of this naughty and cruel activity.
More scandalous labels are to be found at The English Atheist website. Avoid it for the sinful heresy it is!
Blasphemous stickers for Bibles: http://www.abarnett.demon.co.uk/atheism/labels.html
The English Atheist: http://www.english-atheist.co.uk/ . . . Live, from Ye Olde Merrie Englande, it's the website of Martin J Burn -- an English Atheist. On this site are some articles that I have written, useful links, cutting quotes, home brew Atheist humour and some XG midi files. . . .
Guidelines on Excommunication: http://infoweb.magi.com/~godfree/excom.html How to get excommunicated.
Cartoon courtesy of the Norwegian Heathen Society.
We concentrate on the Roman Catholic Church because it is one of the worst for inflating its numbers by counting everyone who was ever baptised without taking into account current attendance, and because leaving membership in many fundamentalist and cultish Christian groups is fairly easy. For instance, if you are a Mormon, you can simply send a clearly worded letter to your local Mormon bishop asking to have your name erased from the membership records of the church, and it shall be done.
If you are a member of a European State Church, there are tax advantages to leaving it. [Because of the oppressive religion-supported state-imposed religious taxes.] Visit the site of the Norwegian Heathen Society for further information.
The Roman Catholic church apparently does not excommunicate its members easily. They say that the reason for this is to leave the way open for reconciliation. However, their thinking is based on irrational belief and is motivated by fear, and they assume that you are the same. They believe that you will react as they do to the fear of death, and wish to deny reality and embrace an illusion. Even more importantly, by never giving up a member, the church is able to claim millions as members, who do not accept its doctrines, who never attend, who never contribute money or time and who are, in fact, opposed to what it stands for. This greatly enhances its power. If you were ever baptised a Roman Catholic, and have not been excommunicated, you are still being counted. If you do not wish to contribute to the power of the Roman Catholic church, you may want to get yourself excommunicated.
Also, think of the publicity that there would be in only 5 or 10% of the world's billion or so Catholics decided to leave the church permanently, by way of requesting excommunication. This is what I hope will eventually happen.
Why should I get excommunicated? Three good reasons:
The Roman Catholic church is misogynistic. The Roman Catholic church is homophobic. The Roman Catholic Church is antidemocratic, authoritarian and intolerant.
like every religion, the Catholic church, when it is in a minority position, is all in favor of tolerance and democracy. However, when it is in control, as in Ireland or Poland, it shows its true colors. The church is much more comfortable with authoritarian right-wing governments and has historically allied itself with them. If the people in so-called 'Catholic' countries who do not accept the homophobic, misogynistic and intolerant doctrines of Catholicism would take the step of leaving the church, especially in a positive direction towards humanism, the church's power to do harm would be greatly lessened. Historically, the church saw Mussolini and Hitler as bulwarks against atheistic communism and actively supported the fascist Spanish dictator Franco against the democratic republic. Hitler, although a Catholic, never committed a grave enough sin to merit excommunication. Such an action on the church's part might have saved millions of lives.
As of 1983 there are nine canons under which excommunication can take place. . . .
Suggestions for getting in the mood (optional)
Remember: BLASPHEMY IS A VICTIMLESS CRIME . . .
My excommunication from the Mormon Church: http://www.lds-mormon.com/myexcommunication.shtml
. . . During this time the website grew and grew -- from only a few pages and dozens of hits a day in 1996 to hundreds of pages and more than ten thousand hits a day in 2000. The site hosted the views of numerous people. A couple of those people were "called in" and coerced into having the things they had said removed from the internet on the threat of disciplinary action by the Mormon authorities. . . .
To my knowledge, I will be the first person excommunicated based solely on the content of a website. . . .
This site is part of:
Mormon Map - pages on this website dealing with Mormonism: http://www.2think.org/hii/map1.shtml
I'm Jesus Christ. I'm a messiah. This is my story: http://members.aol.com/Jesus316/index.htm My name is Jesus Christ. Welcome to My homepage! I work as the messiah for a major world religion - it's called Christianity.However, when I'm not at work I like to "surf the net". So I've finally made Myself a Web page. And I've got e-mail now, too!
Dr. Younis Shaikh Has Been Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy
Blasphemy law has become an abusive tool in Pakistan: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/2717/perarticles.html Includes comprehensive articles on Islam, and particular arrests.
The Blasphemy Law in Pakistan and its Impact: http://www.ahrchk.net/solidarity/199907/v97_03.htm Asian Human Rights Commission. . . . Religious fundamentalism has grown beyond proportions. Muslim clerics are demanding complete imposition of Islamic Shariah in Pakistan, making it applicable also to the non-Muslim citizens.
The minorities in Pakistan have already suffered seriously on account of sectarian legislation which has thrown non-Muslim citizens out of the mainstream of national life. . . .
The Secular Web - infidels.org: http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=135 Dr. Younis Shaikh Has Been Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy. See also: . . .
. . . The Secular Web - infidels.org: http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=189 Atheist Still on Death Row! Dr. Shaikh has been in prison since October 2000. The kangaroo court trial where the judge was intimidated by a crowd of menacing clerics has resulted in his conviction on charges of blasphemy. Death sentence - mandatory under Pakistan's barbaric blasphemy laws - was pronounced against him on 18 August 2001, and he has been in a Death Cell since then, with little personal contact with the outside world or with his supporters.
The Suicide of a Catholic Bishop The Suicide of a Catholic Bishop May Result in New Efforts to Repeal Pakistan's Blasphemy Law.
http--www.wco.com-~altaf-blasphemy.txt: http://www.wco.com/~altaf/blasphemy.txt Blasphemy Law is Insult to Islam By ASGHAR ALI ENGINEER. ONCE again the blasphemy law of Pakistan is in the news. One Yaqub Masih was sentenced to death by a lower court allegedly because he praised The Satanic Verses of Salman Rushdie. . . .
Christians are not the only victims of this dreaded law. Even Muslims themselves have fallen foul of it. A few years ago, a tenant who was a good Muslim, inadvertently dropped the Holy Quran. This tenant was in a dispute with his landlady, who exploited this opportunity. The person was killed by a mob for committing blasphemy. In yet another case, a prominent and elderly social activist, Akhtar Hamid, wrote a poem for children in which he likened someone to a lion; he was sued under the blasphemy law and was sentenced to death as he had allegedly insulted the Prophet's son-in-law, Hazrat Ali, who was likened to a lion by the holy Prophet. Presumably, the social activist was victimised because he was fighting against slumlords in Karachi.
DRAINING THE SWAMP OF TERRORISM COULD SHIFT ATTENTION TO ROLE OF PAKISTAN, FATE OF BLASPHEMY DISSIDENTS: http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/islam5.htm American Atheists Flashline. Ellen Johnson (President of AA) says that by freeing Dr. Shaikh, Pakistan would send the world community a clear signal that it is serious about fighting terrorism and dealing with the conditions which give rise to it . . .
. . . Now, in a classic case of "blowback," Pakistan finds itself under internal assault from Islamic fundamentalists who see the Musharraf government as an obstacle in establishing a Pan Islamic theocracy. One symptom of that struggle has been the use of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, which prohibit any statements which question or "insult" Islam and its founder, the prophet Mohammed. It is estimated that up to three hundred people have been charged and imprisoned under the statutes, but so far no one has been executed. Those acquitted of the accusations, though, inevitably become targets for fundamentalist hit squads.
Since his arrest in October, 2000, Dr. Shaikh has been imprisoned and late last month was convicted under the blasphemy charges. Shaikh, 46, had delivered a lecture at a medical school in Islamabad where he discussed pre-Islamic customs. He noted that Mohammed and his family did not observe traditional Muslim practices such as shaving body hair or circumcision prior to receiving a religious revelation. Students complained to an organization of clerics, which in turn demanded that the government prosecute Shaikh under the repressive statutes. . . .
The Amish Home Page: http://www.down.net/amish/
antichrist.com.au: http://www.antichrist.com.au/intro.html Many links and articles.
World Famous Atheist Cookbook: http://www.ffrf.org/books/wfac.html
The Church of the SubGenius: http://www.subgenius.com/ Meet Dr Bob!
Free thought, atheist and anti-religion humour: .http://www.scepticism-inc.com/humour.htm
Atheist Quotes: http://members.aol.com/nogodhere/atheistquotes.html The war on faith. "I don't believe in God because I don't believe in Mother Goose." -- Clarence Darrow.
The Godlessheathen Blasphemous Quotes Page: http://www.infidels.org/~godlessheathen/Quotes.html
People think that epilepsy is divine simply because they don't have any idea what causes epilepsy. But I believe that someday we will understand what causes epilepsy, and at that moment, we will cease to believe that it's divine. And so it is with everything in the universe.--Hippocrates, 5th century.
Christian Right Lobbies To Overturn Second Law Of Thermodynamics: http://www.theonion.com/onion3631/christian_right_lobbies.html
Coverage of the Inevitable Apocalypso: http://www.positiveatheism.org/tocapox2.htm Positive Atheism. Many stories, news items.
The English Atheist: http://www.english-atheist.co.uk/
GOD'S TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE: http://www.freeminds.org/aftrhour/godquestion.htm
Det norske Hedningsamfunn - Flash Animations - The Jesus Test: http://www.hedning.no/hedning/arkiv/flash/jesus.html
kestrel.org: http://www.kestrel.org/html/links.html#Xian Kestrel's perch. . . . Xian sites. as a recovering Catholic (35 years and counting), I take a very special interest in various "Christian" websites. I'm sorry if you're offended, but I'm pretty offended myself, having had this stuff rammed down my throat during eleven years at a convent boarding school.. . .
Landover Baptist Where The Worthwhile Worship. Unsaved Unwelcome: http://www.landoverbaptist.org/ CIA Unveils Secret Weapon Against Wacky Islamic Fundamentalists. "Without assistance from American Baptists," said CIA director, George J. Tenet, "we never would have stood a chance of getting inside the minds of religious lunatics." . . . Much stuff.
Links of Blasphemy, See You In Hell!!: http://www.angelfire.com/in2/holy/page2.html
McChurch Apocryphal Texts: http://www.mcchurch.com/apocryphals.html The First Internet McChurch Tabernacle is located at the core ... the hub ... the virtual beating heart of the World Wide Web. From the lofty vantage point of the Tabernacle, McTruth radiates out throughout the Web, like the spokes of a wheel, to all parts of the known universe . . .
The Official Anti-Dogma Site!: http://www.oads.freeservers.com/oads.htm Hello fellow heretics! This site is devoted to the heretic in us all and to those who have made it a matter of course to reject any and ALL dogmas. Dogma is religion and nationalism. This site is dedicated to advancing the knowledge of these evils and ways to prevent them.
The Onion News Archives Religion: http://www.theonion.com/archive/archive_religion.html . . . Jewish Elders Lift 6,000-Year Ham Ban. . . . Many more 'news' items!
My favorite quotes: http://www.mega.nu:8080/atheist_quotes_2.html
"If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament, he would be a criminal. If he would follow strictly the teachings of the New, he would be insane." -- [Robert G. Ingersoll]
The Skeptic Tank Skeptical Information Web Page Listing: http://www.skeptictank.org/skindex.htm
Wasteland Of Wonders Atheism and Atheist Dept: http://www.abarnett.demon.co.uk/atheism/index.html
Why Religion is Useless
and False: http://www.oads.freeservers.com/oads3.htm .
. . While a devout nationalist is usually looked upon
with derision, a devoutly religous person is usually respected
and revered. Ask most Germans their feelings on Hitler, the
majority would say that he is evil and dispised by them. Ask the
same Germans about Martin Luther, a German religous leader, most
would say that he is wonderful. Since religion is more wide spread and respected more
than nationalism, it is dangerous. What is so deathly lethal
about religion? This essay
examines that question.
Religion is plagued and
founded firmly on many evils. . . .
ON-LINE ISSUES FOR LIVE ART WEB SITES: http://art.ntu.ac.uk/liveart/issues/Front.htm Claire Hungate, Barrister Senior Research Scholar, The Nottingham Trent University. Detailed law issues.
In The News Blasphemy Law Change Coming (P & CU 11-97): http://www.care.org.uk/resource/parl_upd/pcu02_12.htm UK.
. . . Jack Straw, told the Home Affairs Select Committee . . . that he was considering amending the common law on blasphemy.
Common law is developed through a number of court judgements rather than being defined as a written law by Parliament. Currently, the law of blasphemy is defined as "Every publication is said to be blasphemous which contains any contemptuous, reviling, scurrilous or ludicrous matter relating to God, Jesus Christ, or the Bible, or the formularies of the Church of England, as by law established" . . .
In recent years there has been a lot of debate about whether the current law should be retained as it only protects the Christian faith. There was an attempt to abolish the common law in 1995 by a member of the House of Lords, but it was defeated.
. . . CARE (Christian Action Research and Education) will continue to stress the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and the special place that the Christian faith has in our national heritage. However, we . . . have suggested that the laws on public order should be reviewed to consider an offence of 'incitement to religious hatred'. . . .
What is this, but a self-seeking effort to maintain -- or even worsen -- the discriminatory status quo?
Blasphemy: http://www.fountain.btinternet.co.uk/theology/blasphem.html Why blasphemy Is Wrong. UK. . . . As a tolerant liberal I believe the current blasphemy law should be repealed, but replaced by an extended and strengthened blasphemy law. I believe this is the clear lesson to be learned from the Satanic Verses affair, and offers if not an escape at least an unexplored path from Salman Rushdie's current tragic situation. . . . Has interesting quotes, including:
Conor Cruise O'Brien in a review published in The Times in May 1989 writes:
Muslim society looks profoundly repulsive . . . It looks repulsive because it is repulsive . . . A westener who claims to admire Mulsim society, while still adhering to Western values is either a hypocrite or an ignoramus, or a bit of both.
I disagree with the author's concern that anti-Semitism is now being converted into anti-Islamism. I do not consider it to be any more unfair to be anti-Islamic than it is to be anti-Christian. Those are theological differences, not racist ones. For another distinction consider the terms anti-Judaic and anti-Arabic. The first is a religious reference, whereas the latter is a racial one.
BRITISH PROPOSAL AIMED AT RELIGIOUS HATE SPEECH: http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/islam11.htm American Atheists Flashline. Web Posted: Oct. 19, 2001. Will It Happen Here? Rowan Atkinson, the creator of the misanthropic "Mr. Bean" speaks out against an Orwellian proposal that could stifle criticism or humorous remarks aimed at religion and religious belief . . .
A proposed measure in Britain to combat terrorism in the wake of the September 11 bombing attacks would "outlaw religious hatred" according to its framer, and impose sentences of up to seven years in prison on those found in violation.
The result has pitted members of the Labor Party and Home Secretary David Blunkett against a growing, ad hoc coalition of civil libertarians and entertainment industry figures, including comic Rowan Aktinson, who say that the proposal casts too wide a net, and could even penalize satire aimed at religion. The measure is part of three emergency Home Office Bills, which are aimed at cracking down on terrorist groups by giving police authorities expanded power. . . .
The human rights organization "Liberty" quickly expressed concerns . . .
Yesterday, comedian Rowan Atkinson, the creator of the misanthropic "Mr. Bean" character, warned that satirists could fall under the purview of the new statute and face harsh prison sentences for simply making humorous remarks about religion.
In a letter to the Times of London, he said that he felt "great disquiet" about the Blunkett national security proposals, and said that it could even criminalize films such as the Monty Python biblical farce, "Life of Brian"
"I have always believed that there should be no subject about which one cannot make jokes," said Atkinson. "For telling a good and incisive religious joke, you should be praised. For telling a bad one, you should be ridiculed and reviled.
"The idea that you could be prosecuted for the telling of either is quite fantastic."
Atkinson added, "Having spent a substantial part of my career parodying religious figures from my own Christian background, I am aghast at the notion that it could, in effect, be made illegal to imply ridicule of a religion or to lampoon religious figures." . . .
The law could have a chilling effect on others, though, who deal with religion from a humorous or even critical perspective. Writer Matthew Parris, in a Saturday Times of London commentary, asked: "So is David Blunkett ready to send V.S. Naipaul to prison?" referring to the latest winner of the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature. During a recent appearance on the British program "Newsnight," Naipaul pointed out that Islam diminishes the status of the individual, and was a "dark" force which fostered cowed cultures.
Parris added: "All three of our major religions in Britain -- Christianity, Islam and Judaism -- have a hateful idea at the very core. That idea is Exclusion: the 'othering,' if you like, of the unredeemed."
The Blunkett proposal also raises questions of how Britain today would respond to the case of writer Salman Rushdie, whose novel "The Satanic Verses" incited Muslim riots throughout the world in 1988. Islamic, Christian and Jewish organizations widely denounced the popular author for his fictional narrative which included imaginary scenes of the prophet Muhammad. . . .
For more commentary, see the link below . . .
Guardian Unlimited Politics Comment Blunkett pays lip service to free speech: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9115,576131,00.html Catherine Bennett. Oct. 18, 2001. The Guardian. . . . David Blunkett's decision to jettison freedom of speech . . . Why should the objects of religious hatred be privileged over all the other victims of insults and harsh words? . . . Of course, Blunkett's law is not good news for everyone. Imagine how tricky, if not impossible, it is going to be for the clerics who must soon find forms of worship that do not demean or insult all those who belong to other, contradictory faiths. Think of the difficulties for the new, faith-based schools. . . .
Would it now become a crime to criticize -- and, yes, even revile -- an important and revered religious leader on the basis of his beliefs? I certainly hope not! Consider some statements by Martin Luther. Why should I not be able to revile this man and his beliefs as much as much as I would those of Hitler? Would it be illegal to revile Hitler? This British proposal is a real threat to free speech and to freedom from religion! Britain, even now, with its institutional Divine Right of Kings, is no longer the exemplar of democracy. Nor is Canada. The USA is.
Would it become a crime to criticize or revile the Koran, given statements such as the following?
The Termination of israel A Qur'anic Fact It is evident that Allah has Promised to subject upon the corrupted Children of Israel His believing servants who will afflict them with a horrible torment . . .
READERS RESPOND -Government Chooses Indian Religious Logo: http://www.iwchildren.org/sedgwickresponse.htm I am a Baptist and have read your page on the praying Indian logo in Kansas. (http://www.iwchildren.org/sedgwickprays.htm) I honestly never thought about Indians having a religion but since you point it out this guy is praying. That isn't right because this is America which is supposed to be for freedom, not a dictatorship run by atheists or Jews who don't want the Savior of Mankind to have his rightful place in our lives and pick some off beat seal. No Indian picture is going to pray for me, it's just a symbol of a guy praying that the county uses all the time. If you really understood what equality is you would thank Christians for helping you to raise yourselves up and spread His word. The founding fathers intended this nation to be Christian but it seems to me that Liberals and the power of Indian gambling has influenced politicians to go against the Constitution. Any one who wants to be have eternal life can follow the Lord Jesus Christ and he will hear their prayers. Even the Indians. -A Concerned Christian . . .
You may show this Indian looking like he is praying with some Indian feathers looking religious but Christians hold the bible and that is the way to pray - . . .
Sedgwick County is committing blasphemy against the Lord. You Indians tying to place your self above the Lord God of all will answer to his wrath. This is disgraceful and disrespectful I will not read your web site again. . . .
The Blasphemy Ring: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9046/blasphemy.html Many links.
Catholic League Press Releases 4th Quarter 1999: http://www.catholicleague.org/99press_releases/pr0499.htm THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE IS THE NATION'S LARGEST CATHOLIC CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. IT DEFENDS INDIVIDUAL CATHOLICS AND THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH FROM DEFAMATION AND DISCRIMINATION.
Ingersoll the Magnificent: http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/lewis/lewing05.htm by Joseph Lewis. Gems Concerning The Church. When Christianity came into power it destroyed every statue it could lay its ignorant hands upon. It defaced and obliterated every painting; it destroyed every beautiful building; it burned the manuscripts, both Greek and Latin; it destroyed all the history, all the poetry, all the philosophy it could find, and reduced to ashes every library that it could reach with its torch. And the result was, that the night of the Middle Ages fell upon the human race. . . . Give the church a place in the Constitution, let her touch once more the sword of power, and the priceless fruit of all the ages will turn to ashes on the lips of men. . . .
The Taliban and the early Christians (some even to this day) have very much in common -- except that the Christians have murdered far more people -- so far. A collection of many or all of his writings.
Secular Humor and Blasphemy - Links page: http://members.aol.com/skepticweb/humor.html Secular Humor and Blasphemy. This page is essentially a continuation of the Secular People and Atheistic Net Culture page. The following links are very much part of atheistic net culture, just that these are much more hard-hitting.
Women Against Fundamentalisms: http://www.gn.apc.org/waf/journal6p53.htm Taslima Nasreen and the fight against fundamentalism Journal no.6 1995. pp53-56. Angela Cummins
The disease of
religious fundamentalism is not restricted to Bangladesh alone
and it must be fought at every turn... I am convinced that the
only way the fundamentalist forces can be stopped is if all of us
who are secular and humanistic join together and fight their
malignant influence. I, for one, will not be silenced. "
Excerpt from the preface of Lajja (Shame) by Taslima Nasreen
0N 4 June 1994, Taslima Nasreen, the popular Bangladeshi columnist and writer, was charged under section 295 (a) of the Bangladeshi Penal code for "hurting religious senti-ments" and a warrant was issued for her arrest. immediately, Islamic fundamentalists renewed their demand for her death and threatened to release 10,000 snakes to symbolise her infamy.(1) . . .
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