3 Years In Prison For Insulting the Catholic church

[Jmpty]

http://thehumanist.org/march-april-2013 ... edamaruku/

[Navynukeman]

"blasphemy law," which prohibits "deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.

It's funny how stating a fact is insulting to religion...

[widdershins]

It's a well known fact that saying anything a Christian doesn't like is often referred to as "persecution".  This is much of the same.

[NitzWalsh]

Looks like I can't go to India if the book I'm writing ever gets published.

Blaspheme laws seem so ridiculous. I bet if he insulted Wicca instead of Catholicism it would have been forgotten the next day. It's not like the churches don't commit blaspheme against other religions every day when they tell them they're going to hell for not getting their Jebus on.

[BlackL1ght]

What is up with dripping statues anyway? You'd think people would know by now that it's just water seeping through a wall :roll: And why would god manifest himself by dripping? Seriously?

[PopeyesPappy]

And why would god manifest himself by dripping?

Gonorrhea.

That little slut Mary wasn't nearly as pure as the church would have us believe.

[commonsense822]

And why would god manifest himself by dripping?

Gonorrhea.

That little slut Mary wasn't nearly as pure as the church would have us believe.

Yeah virgin birth my ass.  Mary was the world's best liar, Joseph was the world's dumbest husband.

[Thumpalumpacus]

It's sad that India still has such an archaic law on the books.  Might it perhaps be a result of the ongoing tensions between the different religions there?

[gussy]

The world needs about 7 billion more people like this guy.

[BlackL1ght]

And why would god manifest himself by dripping?

Gonorrhea.

That little slut Mary wasn't nearly as pure as the church would have us believe.

Yeah virgin birth my ass.  Mary was the world's best liar, Joseph was the world's dumbest husband.

Woah woah woah. You're not giving him the proper credit. Mary was really fucking hot (if the pictures I've seen are accurate )

[Aupmanyav]

"Sanal Edamaruku is a world-renowned author and rationalist currently facing a maximum sentence of three years in prison plus fines for criticizing the Catholic Church."

Edumaruku is not a world-renowned author (that is a blurb), he is perhaps a rationalist (if not a publicity seeker). That somebody has instituted a case against him is not punishment. Perhaps the case is in the court and the competent judges would decide on it after hearing from both sides. If Edumaruku requires legal help, court will provide it free of cost. If Edumaruku is not satisfied with the verdict of one court, he has the option to appeal to a high court and then to the Supreme Court of India. Judicial system is one thing in which we Indians have faith, it does not fail very often.

It depends on exactly what Edumaruku said against the Catholic Church. An Indian does have the right of free expression but it is limited by its effect on the populace. If a statement is intended to be flagrantly abusive, then Courts will act according to law. Indian law does not allow that. Even on discussion boards, we have rules which do not allow us to exceed a limit. Edumaruku can sure put his points but in a civilized manner.

[Aupmanyav]

Mary was the world's best liar, Joseph was the world's dumbest husband.

Well, it was a stormy period with Roman soliders around. Jews accepted the son of an unmarried jewish girl as a jew. It must not have been very uncommon in those days. And Joseph evidently was not too disturbed by that.

[SGOS]

And why would god manifest himself by dripping? Seriously?

Jokes about social diseases aside, I think it's because God hasn't managed to perform a really serious miracle since the Old Testament.  Maybe a few during the New.  God came on strong when he first appeared to Moses, and for three thousand years, each miracle was bigger than the last, but eventually, he shot his wad, and the magnificence of his miracles started to ebb.  He hasn't managed to put together a decent miracle for the last 2000 years.  He's been reduced to the mediums of leaky walls and bread mold, and can only manage a world of miracles that mimic random events like thunderstorms and tropical cyclones.

He was once a magnificent god, but his work has lost its punch.  He's getting old, frail, perhaps even forgetful.  Every time he tries to rise to the occasion and impress with us with a miracle like a powerful earthquake reminiscent of his youth, he gets bitch slapped by the science of plate tectonics.  His once great dome shaped firmament has been dwarfed by an even greater expanding universe that boggles our imaginations more than any dinky planetarium that might have once covered the Mideast desert.  God's glory days are over and that he is being replaced by newer things that are more awesome and inspire much more wonder.

[NitzWalsh]

Mary was the world's best liar, Joseph was the world's dumbest husband.

Well, it was a stormy period with Roman soliders around. Jews accepted the son of an unmarried jewish girl as a jew. It must not have been very uncommon in those days. And Joseph evidently was not too disturbed by that.

Good point. Mary would never be able to admit to being raped or even willingly having sex with a Roman soldier. She would have been killed by her own people.

[Aupmanyav]

Nice post, SGOS.

NitzWalsh, those people also were wise and understood their times. That is why they had these kind of rules.