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United Nations Affirms the Right to Blaspheme

Discussion in 'Tilted Philosophy, Politics, and Economics' started by Baraka_Guru, Aug 11, 2011.

  1. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    So what do you make of this?

    Is this forwarding free speech and civil rights?

    Or does this just open the door towards religious hatred?

    Does it even matter? Will it change anything?

    Personally, I think it's best to stop the practice around the world of severe punishments under blasphemy laws. However, I think a balanced needs to be struck between free speech and hate speech.
     
    Baraka_Guru, Aug 11, 2011
    #1
  2. Spiritsoar

    Spiritsoar Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    New York
    Where do you draw the line between free speech and hate speech? Can you have the former without allowing the latter.?
     
    Spiritsoar, Aug 11, 2011
    #2
  3. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    You can definitely have the former. The problem is that hate speech can have a shifting definition.
     
    Charlatan, Aug 11, 2011
    #3
  4. grumpyolddude

    grumpyolddude Very Tilted

    Location:
    Metro Detroit, Michigan, USA
    Yep! This week's disagreement and dissent could be next week's hate speech.
     
    grumpyolddude, Aug 11, 2011
    #4
  5. Saltpork

    Saltpork New Member

    Location:
    right behind you....
    I think UN dictates...or "rules"...are ludicrous. They can't mandate laws or anything else for other countries. I'm not agreeing with the laws around execution for it at all, but it seems an empty gesture. The most they can do is sanction, and that in itself is meaningless. Right or wrong, the UN is out of place in this. Granted, in some countries it may make them consider their place in the world stage, but by and large there will be no change in those countries see blasphemy as a capital offense.
    --- merged: Aug 11, 2011 at 11:02 PM ---
    I think UN dictates...or "rules"...are ludicrous. They can't mandate laws or anything else for other countries. I'm not agreeing with the laws around execution for it at all, but it seems an empty gesture. The most they can do is sanction, and that in itself is meaningless. Right or wrong, the UN is out of place in this. Granted, in some countries it may make them consider their place in the world stage, but by and large there will be no change in those countries see blasphemy as a capital offense.
     
    Saltpork, Aug 11, 2011
    #5
  6. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    Sorry, you think the UN is wrong to take a stand against the killing of people for being blasphemous?

    So you would advise that the UN should remain silent and, therefore, tacitly in support of nation's that kill their own citizens (and in some case those who are not) for being blasphemous?
     
    Charlatan, Aug 12, 2011
    #6
  7. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    It sounds more like: the UN is toothless in this because this is not an imposition like a law with actual consequences. i.e., this won't stop theocracies from punishing blasphemers.

    It's more of "a suggestion."

    Though I disagree with the statement that sanctions are meaningless.
     
    Baraka_Guru, Aug 12, 2011
    #7
  8. Spiritsoar

    Spiritsoar Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    New York
    I think I'm ok with the amount of power the UN can exert in things like this. I don't really think the UN should have enforcement powers, that makes me think of it as an over-reaching super government. Sanctions make sense to me in that they seem to say "We don't have the power to change your sovereign laws, but we can make it known that the rest of the world doesn't condone and won't support this sort of behavior."
     
    Spiritsoar, Aug 12, 2011
    #8
  9. MSD

    MSD Very Tilted

    Location:
    CT
    It's not just theocracies, some European countries have laws prohibiting offense to religious people. A case against death metal band Behemoth was recently dropped in Poland because there is a national law prohibiting speech and artistic expression that offends the beliefs of two or more people. It seems that the prosecution could only find one person willing to go on the record as having been offended. There was a similar controversy over Gorgoroth's Black Mass inKrakow 2004, but those charges were dropped. I believe there was a recent decision to release footage of the show from police custody.
     
    MSD, Aug 13, 2011
    #9