Actually that is interesting, because I find a lot of the teaching of Islam are offensive to my beliefs. does that mean I can prosecute the clerics that are presenting these ideas? but then again that would be against their beliefs.. hmm a catch 22 Allan
On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 11:51 PM, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > Bock the Robber is interesting. Here in the US, the new hate crimes > bill may cover the problems of blasphemy: > http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_hat1.htm > > On Jan 5, 5:18 pm, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > On 5 Jan., 15:25, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > Even in my beloved Ireland,> the backwards thinking and inability of > men to consider the needs of > > > women, groups to consider the needs of other groups, and church (also > > > state) to consider the needs of families indicates a serious lack of > > > integrative function that sheds light on the blasphemy laws there. > > > The country has not emerged from war mentality. It will need to do > > > this before moving up the pyramid or spiral (or whatever model you > > > choose) and come close to the unity consciousness needed for a > > > government that provides these kinds of freedoms for groups and > > > individuals. > > > > The Irish situation is interesting, Molly, and, as an irish > > expatriate, I agree with a lot of what you say. The blasphemy > > definition and penalties are part of a more general new Defamation > > Act, introduced into law a few months ago. They have yet to have a > > concrete trial before the courts and, should this happen, it will > > certainly be something which will go all the way to the Irish Supreme > > Court, where the discussion of basic constitutional issues will be > > very interesting (see the comments of one of my favourite [if > > stylistically somewhat extreme!] Irish bloggers, > http://bocktherobber.com/2009/04/blasphemous-libel). > > > > More generally, Ireland has been going through some interesting > > developments - transformations - in the past quarter of a century. > > When I left the country in 1984, it was going through a major > > Kulturkampf, which, at the time, conservative Catholicism seemed to be > > winning. The sea-change seemed to come in 1990 with the election of > > Mary Robinson to the largely ceremonial post of president (http:// > > en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Robinson). There was an amazing awakening > > of openness, self-confidence and "can-do" attitude. > > > > Unfortunately, this coincided with global financial deregulation and > > the Celtic tiger was born and nourished on the milk of the funny-money > > markets. The results were massive boom, dream growth-rates, > > practically full employment, comparatively massive immigration (into > > Ireland!) from Eastern Europe and a grossly inflated property bubble. > > Other results were the growth of an incredible greed mentality and an > > overweening hubris. The crash of 2008 has hit very hard, some > > commentators noting that Ireland has only been saved from Iceland's > > bankruptcy fate by virtue of its membership of the EU and the Euro- > > zone. > > > > The gigantic economic hangover has been accompanied in the past year > > by ghastly revelations of the extent of child-abuse by Catholic clergy > > and the complicity of the entire Catholic Church organisation in > > covering this up over decades. In the past few weeks four bishops have > > resigned in disgrace. The Catholic establishment in Ireland has been > > completely - possibly (hopefully?) terminally - discredited. > > > > Ironically, perhaps, I see these two developments as a major chance > > for Ireland. The basic resource of a young, well-educated, creative > > population, willing to work hard remains. The forced learning curve in > > 2009 has been steep and may just (hopefully) bring my homeland to a > > truer kind of maturity. > > > > Francis > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > ""Minds Eye"" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<minds-eye%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en. > > > > -- ( ) I_D Allan--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected].
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
