> -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Dinowitz [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 1:36 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: want a ghost in a jar? > > Let me put on my long time, hard core occultist hat here. > If it is indeed a spirit caught in a jar (it's been known to happen) then > the > question is why and if it is right to release it or keep it captured. That > all > depends on if its a spirit with a 'personality' or not. If its just plain > spiritual energy of some sort then there's not really a problem. The > description > of the other black thing still does not say if it has a personality behind > its > actions. I'm surprised that the seller didn't go to a priest or someone > else > versed in these matters to deal with it.
I'm not sure if the law would care (when we take it to its ridiculous extreme). For example selling a person in a vegetative state (in other words lacking a personality) carries (mostly) the same charges as selling a fully vivacious person. Perhaps "mental anguish" may be dropped, but the law is the same. If we are moving into the area of animus or non-human spirits then perhaps it wouldn't be covered by such laws, but the law is generally clear that ignorance is no defense. If I were to sell a box without knowing what was in it I would be guilty (to a greater or lesser extent) if that box contained illegal goods. Of course this would also bring up the fact that a legally-binding test of some kind would be required to determine the disposition of the jar: fraud, human or otherwise. So far there has been no test to provide respectable, replicable proof in such matters so I think, legally at least, this would end up in the "fraud" arena. > As for putting a person up for sale on ebay, I'm sure its been known to > happen. > The D/S or S&M crowd would probably do it. I'm not sure - that generally falls under the prostitution laws (renting instead of selling a person) in most areas. Although that's a question in and of itself: can a prostitute auction off service on eBay if it's legal in their area? In the past we've seen local standards upheld to prosecute in many cases... Of course eBay doesn't really have a "services" section that I've seen... but many service-type auctions have taken place. They do have a "mature" section and (even there) a blanket "no offensive materials" section. Personally I don't find prostitution offensive, but it's clear many others do. Another simple fact in this case is that eBay simply prohibits any sales of "human parts or remains". If (again assuming belief) the person selling is claiming that this is a "Ghost" (which by all definitions I've found indicates a human spirit) then it would seem to violate this policy. Jim Davis President, http://www.depressedpress.com Webmaster, http://www.firstnight.org Webmaster, http://www.cfAdvocacy.org Senior Consultant, http://www.metlife.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
