The Thought Police

[badrose]

It has started.

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/preacher-arrested-for-calling-homosexuality-a-sin.html

Can the pendulum stop swinging?

[Doc]

This would be the "Thought Bobbies" since it happened in England.

[BigBlueBrock]

No one is so obsessed about what others are doing in the privacy of their homes as the Christian man. It's really quite fascinating.

As for the arrest of this guy, Britain has fairly strict anti-hate speech laws. This guy isn't the first to be arrested in Britain for "preaching" about the "sin" of homosexuality: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7725797/Christian-preacher-arrested-for-saying-gays-were-sinful-has-charges-dropped.html

They have also arrested persons for distributing anti-religious propaganda: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/8640048.stm

[CitizenBBN]

No one is so obsessed about what others are doing in the privacy of their homes as the Christian man. It's really quite fascinating.

As for the arrest of this guy, Britain has fairly strict anti-hate speech laws. This guy isn't the first to be arrested in Britain for "preaching" about the "sin" of homosexuality: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7725797/Christian-preacher-arrested-for-saying-gays-were-sinful-has-charges-dropped.html

They have also arrested persons for distributing anti-religious propaganda: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/8640048.stm

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -- Voltaire (Evelyn Beatrice Hall)

This isn't about religion, or what he said. It's about the UK having laws against "hate speech" at all. No one was cut, or had a bone broken, but even more blatant as far as I know he didn't call for anyone to act in a violent way or otherwise incite a situation that was a danger to public safety. No, all that happened is the State decided they didn't like his words, and he was arrested.

That's an unreal dangerous way to deal with "hate speech". Better to allow people to be offended than to empower the State to arrest those who say things the State has determined it doesn't want said. WAY better.

of course we fought a war to get away from such actions, believing instead it was better to be offended than to be under the rule of a government that thinks it should determine what constitutes "hate" or any other term they use to silence people. Our line is supposed to be inciting violence or calling for physical harm to others, or doing something that would cause such harm like yelling "fire" in a theater. Just hurting someone's feelings isn't enough to force someone to shut up with the power of the State.

I doubt I agree with a word he said, but in the US at least I'll defend his right to stand out on the corner and say it.