Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

cynic

Maybe Tanker has beenn'picked up'

A 22-year-old man has been charged on suspicion of making malicious comments on Facebook following the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby. Benjamin Flatters, of Lincoln, was arrested last night after complaints were made to Lincolnshire Police about comments made on Facebook, which were allegedly of a racist or anti-religious nature.

He was charged with an offence of malicious communications this afternoon in relation to the comments, a Lincolnshire Police spokesman said. A second man was visited by officers and warned about his activity on social media, the spokesman added.

hays - that view is a bit muddy and in part makes opinion or whatever fit the facts ..... one natural reason for the jews to be "hated" was the very fact that their enforced profession of banking and money-lending made them obvious targets for opprobrium .... if you were a borrower and could beat up or even murder your creditor with impunity and thus escape your debt, whose side would you be on?

malicious communications, mmm maybe now they'll start to do the same with the preachers of hate.
2517

cynic

I am sure the main reason was the leaders of christianity fostering such hatred. The concept that the Jews killed Jesus is still in existence today. If they did then I would say, "not a moment too soon". He was a pain in the arse.

isn't it a pleasure to have a sensible discussion about (quasi) religious subjects without the interjections of the usual rabid dogs

2517
Yes, that would be good. I have never understood when the government stood by and let extremists preach death and sedition. There has been a period of political correctness lasting years when we should have been arresting people who were preaching death. We have a reputation for being a very tolerant society, but that has led to being taken advantage of.

cynic
It won't last long.

Tolerance could become something of the past. Since the sickening murder of Drummer Rigby, it has been noticeable there is an increasing level of support for our armed forces coupled with a near almost xenophobic patriotism. Neither is necessarily a bad thing, but as ever, the pendulum has a habit of swinging to far. Unless politicians address the issues of unchecked immigration, foistered upon the UK by membership of the EU, there is eventually going to be a severe backlash. Even more so when some of those migrants wish to impose their culture, whether that be religion or language on our own society. The imbalances need to be addressed and addressed quickly.

PS I see the fuckwit formerly known as Fishfinger has been doing himself proud recently, Tanker seems normal by comparison.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22663819

Seems the UK dosn't need Europe after all

cynic
Do you think one of our problems is that we are too tolerant and too political correct? Being upset by a comment about your religion is a pretty mild thing. What does it matter if I call Jesus or Muhammed a dickh**d? If I call you similar then you are unlikely to issue a fatwa. (maybe a Jewish fatwa - I-could-lose-a-bit-of-weight-but-who-knows-I-really-coulnt-say WA).

I can't discuss this without getting a bit political. Under the Blair/Brown government the UK became obsessed with political correctness. I am not recommending out and out sustained abuse, but holding up people's belief to ridicule is par for the couse. It should, in fact, be expected if you choose to believe in things without evidence. The underlying principle is that it is really not that importan and anyone suggesting a violent response or even death should be arrested at once.

freedom of speech paradoxically comes with responsibilities and thus certain restrictions and even consequences ..... assuredly one of those restrictions is being conscious of the sensibilities of others, though if that is followed to the nth degree, then one would scarcely be allowed to say anything at all - probably not even to discuss the weather!

there have always been radicals of all colours and creeds who will choose to offend or to take offense at almost anything ..... however, there are also "normal" people who find certain descriptive words offensive where others do not .... for example, i have no problem if some describes me as a yid or a tight-arsed jew, though i would hope the utterance was more light-hearted than malicious ..... from my side, i would NOT tease a moslem about his god, as i know that can easily cause offense, though again i accept that the infamous cartoons of a danish paper 2/3 years back were "fair play"

People should confront these ultra sensibilities. If people were unafraid to offend Muslims and any other militant faith followers such as Hindus and Sikhs then perhaps the importance of it all would lessen. I often joke with religious people that I know. I use an Algerian butcher at least once a week. They make their own sausages. The butcher came out from the back the other day and announced to me that he was now selling Halal pork sausages. The butcher's shop was full of muslims, including a few in traditional clothes with one woman in a burka. Their reactions were priceless. He then proceeded to hold up an empty sausage skin. This was followed by much laughter (and probably relief).

"ultra sensibilities"? ..... that's a matter of opinion, but going out of one's way to offend, in the broadest sense, is just bad manners - and yes, i know i am often guilty of that myself

i suspect that as immigrant groups (allow themselves to) become more integrated with mainstream society, most will generally but slowly lose their thin-skinned sensitivities and understand that teasing and derogatory comment are not necessarily meant maliciously

the "hard-liners" on all sides will forever try to promulgate discord, for whatever reason they like to imagine

There was this drunk Jock a big mouthed daffy [ Fred ] ? and a thick Mick ...............

At least we have no blasphemy laws any longer. They only applied to Chrtistanity and were abolished in 2008. The more religions have fun poked at them and they were held up to ridicule, the more desensitised they will become. Once they realise that aggressive responses won't get them anywhere hopefully they will stop worrying about it. This has certainly been the history of Christian sensitivity to comments about Jesus etc.

With abolishment of our blasmephy laws you say anything you like about religion, so long as it is not personally specific. Hopefully, we are well on the long road to a secular society. We need now to stop maintaining faith based schools with government funds and remove their charitable status. If people want a faith based education then they can pay the full cost and that should apply to all religions.

Religions themselves should not have charitable status and should be treated as businesses. It has turned out that the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII was no bad thing. We would do well to follow his lead. When you think of the wealth of the CoE and Catholic Church in the UK, we could solve our debt problem with a bit of confiscation once again. Then there are the other 'religions' such as Scientology which have extensive property.

wrong-headed argument; that's akin to thwacking a child because he hit another and saying, "Don't hit another kid!" .... you're tending towards being as intolerant as those about whom you complain

I can see where you are coming from, but the alternative is that we walk on egg shells. At the moment we are worried about upsetting religious people by criticising their beliefs. If we make comments about Islam for instance we risk violent reactions. We are far too careful. I am a firm believer that ALL subjects are fair game for humour however dark or unpleasant. There are few things less important than upsetting people. People who believe in silly things and want to propagate those beliefs deserve to have fun poked at them even if only to show up the absdurdity of it all. Just listen to Lenny Bruce.

why should religion be a "silly thing" just because it does not fit your own (non)beliefs? ..... freedom of speech also includes freedom to worship as one wishes and being ridiculed for so doing is a sign of gross intolerance on your part ..... on the other hand, generalised satire and criticism are certainly acceptable, so long as it is aimed with a genuine point and not just gratuitous abuse

Well, why should the state subsidise those who believe in extra terrrstial beings without proof and want to educate their children in the same beliefs? I am happy for them to be deluded if they so wish. But why do we treat their organisations as special and give them money to continue their indoctrination of the next generation?

It is also so middle ages!

now you're not only getting very silly indeed but getting far away from the original question about freedom of speech