The Banning of Religious "Hate Speech"

Our Socialist Neighbors to the North, Canada, have a law that bans what they consider Religious Hate Speech, but in actuality is a PC Law to limit anyone from condemning Homosexuality and Islamism. And that of course is a restriction of you Freedom of Speech. now some wanker in Britain has place the same kind of law in a crime bill, and it is not getting much support at all.

(CNSNews.com) - The British government is expected to drop a contentious proposal to outlaw religious incitement, having failed to get the legislation through the House of Lords quickly enough to avoid running out of parliamentary time.

Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to announce an election date once parliament resumes next week after an Easter recess. Lawmakers will sit only until the end of the week before parliament is dissolved and the election campaign begins.

As a result, and because of strong opposition in the upper House of Lords, the government is unlikely to push through the religious hate-speech measure, which forms part of a broader crime bill.

The government is keen to pass the crime bill, which creates a national, FBI-style agency. The man who will head the agency has called the legislation "one of the biggest changes in UK law enforcement since the 1960s."

Opposition parties are generally in favor of it, but are troubled by a section that would outlaw words, behavior or material which are "likely to stir up racial or religious hatred."

Strong lobbying has been underway for months, and some critics of the measure charged that the government was only promoting it to appease the Muslim constituency, whose traditional support for the ruling Labor Party has ebbed because of Blair's support for the Iraq war.

Some Muslim groups have long been calling for the legislation, arguing that their community needed the protection in the face of anti-Islamic sentiment expressed since the 9/11 attacks.

Opponents, ranging from evangelical Christians to comedians who sometimes target religious subjects, worry about the effects on freedom of speech. Some critics pointed to a situation in Australia, where similar legislation saw two Christian pastors found guilty of vilifying Islam.

It's good of the smart Brits to see that this kind of law is not a law to protect but one to limit Free Speech. And speaking of the Australian's law, there is a big campaign on to overturn this restriction of Rights.

(CNSNews.com) - A campaign to dump a religious hatred law in Australia is winning growing support from churches -- including some whose opinion on the law has shifted since two Christians were found guilty of vilifying Muslims.

Mainstream church leaders are adding their voices to other Christians asking the State of Victoria's Labor government to rescind the legislation, saying it poses a danger to freedom of speech.

Victoria's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act made headlines around the world after Muslims took two pastors before a tribunal, complaining about a post-9/11 seminar designed to explain Islam to a Christian audience.

The case against the pair was the first to be brought under the law, which was promulgated by the Victorian government despite concerns raised by Christian groups that it could stifle evangelism or end the right to question the validity of other faiths.

The law passed and took effect in January 2002. Just two months later, Nalliah's Catch the Fire Ministries hosted the seminar. Muslims attending the meeting filed a complaint which after a drawn-out process culminated in December's judgment.

Nalliah and Scot argued that the intention was to help Christians reach out in a loving way to Muslims, and to understand the religion through references to its own scriptures and other writings.

But the tribunal judge, Michael Higgins, ruled against the two, saying the seminar "was presented in a way which is essentially hostile, demeaning and derogatory of all Muslim people, their god, Allah, the prophet Mohammed and in general religious beliefs and practices."

These kinds of laws don't protect people from Hate, they are created to prevent people from speaking them opinion or voicing their objection to other religions or life-style practices that are Biblically based. These laws only protect Muslims and Gays, because so far that's all that have objected and it's always Christians that are having to go to court. When are the PC Police when Muslims call us "Infidels" or Gays call us "Straights"? Political Correct Speech is wrong, and especially enforcing it with a law. Freedom of Speech is the Biggest protector of the ensuring that our other Rights are not trampled. Once you have limited the Freedom of Speech, the rest of your Rights are soon to be restricted also. I don't agree with Hate Speech, but I also don't want to limit anyone's freedom to say stupid things or ignorant blathering, because when you do, everyone will be hurt in the process. American's Rights are God Given and to be protected by the Gov't, not given by the Gov't. And the Freedom of Speech is the most important Right, and may it stay that way.


Mr Minority