Preface: I hope that this will mark the end of this thread. Not that the discussion was not interesting, BUT because it was tangential, unworthy of being called a discussion (because of the intransigent positions taken by individuals who differed with each other) and truly AWFULLY FORMATTED for anyone to follow without Panadol..
As far as I am concerned, the discussion was totally useless and was doing nothing to bring about any understanding. Allow me please to (very briefly) restate my points: 1: Individuals like Sanal, Salazare and organizations like the CSF are very useful for the purposes of keeping people (besides themselves) in check. 2: These useful but unaccountable folks should NEVER be allowed to supersede those individuals (i.e. govt officials incl judges & elected officials) who are answerable to the population by way of Judicial Review or Electoral Approval/Rejection. 3: Any other way, and we have a recipe for unaccountable nutty folks running amok - and the resultant breakdown of a democratic system. 4: IF Sanal has accused the clergy of presenting this "miracle" for the purpose of funds (I am paraphrasing here), he needs to provide the proof for this OR withdraw it. The "ENTRAPMENT" claim ignored the principle of "balance of power" between a normally powerful state authority and an individual with limited or zero authority. 5: Even if Sanal refuses to withdraw it, the members of the Church would do well to move ahead. Are you not the folks who preach "turn the other cheek"? Practise it. 6: This business about suing this one and that one, not only gives unwarranted attention to a veritable nut (even one with with good intentions), it also brings the Church into the sewage (pun intended). The only folks who gain anything are the lawyers. 7: Please (and I am speaking to reasonable folks), Please allow free speech. ...The more you ignore it, the more comfortable you will be..... and the more miserable the NUTS will be. 8: Pay NO mind to these so called 'blasphemy laws'. Remember that these types of 'unreasonable' laws can and WILL come back to bite "us" in strange places. You like to play with such toys, feel free. So much from me jc
