Religious Tolerance In The UK

[BiBottomBoy]

The House of Commons recently passed a law making it a crime to insult, harm, threaten or otherwise discriminate against people based on their religion.

That's fine - but what's really amusing is the law also includes groups of people who are exempt from the law (i.e. you can insult or discriminate against them based on their religion. Here's the language from the new law:

For the purposes of section 17A any group of persons holding the following religious beliefs or lack of religious belief shall not enjoy the protection of this part of the Act—

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(a) Satanists;

( believers in human sacrifice to propitiate a deity;

© believers in animal sacrifice to propitiate a deity;

(d) believers in female genital mutilation to live in accordance with the rules of a religion;

(e) believers in violence as a means of proselytising a belief;

(f) believers in the supremacy or superiority of one race over another;

(g) believers in the supremacy or superiority of one gender over another;

(h) Scientologists;

(i) Jedi Knights.’.

[JKane]

HAHAHAHAHAHA! God I love the Brits! Wish they had one for Mormons too...

(j) believers in the ability of magic underpants to protect one from harm;

[TampaYankee]

We have many of the same restrictions though not couched in law that way exactly. but Religion is not permitted as an excuse for violence or sacrifice (depending) or other actions outlined there.

It's all in the wording for much of it.

[BiBottomBoy]

I'm just happy that as far as I can tell if I want to go to the UK and be a Sith Lord, I have religious protection.

[MsGuy]

Lest you think the House is taking any of this lightly, I invite you to read this transcript of the committee's working session on this bill.

[BiBottomBoy]

I want to dress all in black, go to parliament, breath heavily and look Cameron in the eye and say "Your father? I am your father."

[TampaYankee]

Lest you think the House is taking any of this lightly, I invite you to read this transcript of the committee's working session on this bill.

We didn't need this to tell us the inmates have taken over the asylum. Anyone with clear perception could tell that. However, this another of many stark examples that they have taken over that asylum known as the House of Representatives.

[MsGuy]

You might want to think that over a bit, BBB. I ran across some really hinky stuff in their Anti-Torrorism Act while I was looking for the above link.

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Err, TY, you do understand we're talking about the English here...

hee hee hee

[BiBottomBoy]

The strength of the Anti-terrorism act is nothing compared to the power of The Force.

[BiBottomBoy]

This is my favorite part of that debate:

Mr. Grieve: In amendment No. 25, I listed Scientologists before Jedi Knights. There has been debate about whether Scientology is a religion, and there is a court authority to suggest that it is a set of philosophical beliefs but not a belief in a deity. I leave that to one side. With Jedi Knights, it is difficult to know. They seem to believe in a force, because the force has to be with you, and they appear to be able to master the force by the processes of their own spirituality.

Chris Bryant: It is fictional.

Mr. Grieve: I have no idea whether being a Jedi Knight is fictional. The text from which it is derived was written by an author who was not pretending that it was revealed truth, but there seem to be a number of people who, for their own reasons, put in their census return that it is their religious view. I cannot comment any further on that.

Chris Bryant: I hate to say this, but it is also true that several hon. Members have placed light sabres in the Cloakroom in the place where they could be hanging their swords. I do not think that that means that anyone believes genuinely in the power of the force in the sense of a religion.

Mr. Grieve: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman and fascinated by his expertise on the subject. All I can say is that he may be right, but I have no certainty on the matter.

[lookin]

'I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman and fascinated by his expertise on the subject.'

I leave it to the Rt Hon MsGuy to tell us if a simple 'Bless his heart.' would suffice here.

Me, I'm kinda partial to .

[TampaYankee]

You might want to think that over a bit, BBB. I ran across some really hinky stuff in their Anti-Torrorism Act while I was looking for the above link.

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Err, TY, you do understand we're talking about the English here...

hee hee hee

I screwed up. I saw House and immediate leapt to our own looney bin on this side of the pond.

Just wait though. After several legislatures tried to pass bills to defeat Sharia Law can this be far behind? The Legislatures seem to have forgotten or overlooked that the only way Sharia can be practiced is if they, the legislatures, authorize it and if the Executive agrees or is superseded by a two thirds majority of both houses. Im still trying to make sense of those looney actions.

[BiBottomBoy]

Whenever I see congress on television I sense a great disturbance in the Force.

[BigK]

Whenever I see congress on television I sense a great disturbance in the Force.

Good line. But in the case of Congress shouldn't it be Farce instead of Force.

[BiBottomBoy]

Eh. I'm more a fan of Darth's original plan to simply dissolve the imperial senate and let fear keep people in line.