Vatican Says Freedom Of Expression Does Not Mean Offending Religions

Catholic News Service ^ | 2/6/06 | John Thavis

[muir_redwoods]

"Vatican Says Freedom Of Expression Does Not Mean Offending Religions"

Sure it does, I can laugh at anything I find laughable. Others are free to take offense and insult right back at me. That's the healthy give-and-take of a free society. We have many rights but we don't have the right to never be offended.

Sorry if I've offended anyone but if you're going to pass for a grownup, grow a thick skin and learn to laugh at yourself.

[AmericanChef]

I think the world's population is more deeply offended by their violent reaction. What do they have to say about that?

[steve-b]

What possible relevance does this have to these statements of craven appeasement?

[sinkspur]

What possible relevance does this have to these statements of craven appeasement?

Huh? You asked a question, and I answered it. It is very likely that Benedict XVI agrees with these statements.

[steve-b]

I doubt it. My read is that Benedict XVI doesn't come from the surrender-monkey tradition.

[Uncle Miltie]

"freedom of thought or expression ... cannot imply a right to offend the religious sentiments of believers,"

If you replace "cannot imply" with "should not promote" then I agree.

"Cannot" implies that the force of government will ensure the prohibition.

"Should not promote" implies the moral force of the church and the wisdom of its leadership should make people think twice about unwisely causing offence.

Even the Catholic Church should (as opposed to "must") accept that there is freedom to do minor evils (causing offense) when prohibiting them creates a major evil (restricting freedom of conscience).

[Uncle Miltie]

"Oh nonsense, reminding people to be polite in regards to certain topics is an abandonment of nothing!"

"Cannot" is an absolute prohibition. That's not a friendly reminder; it is force.

[newzjunkey]

Perhaps this is more in the vein of smack-down on the war-on-Christianity than a war on free speech.

[Free Baptist]

Philippines -- 95% plus Roman Catholic population. Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines establishes a maximum sentence of 4 years and six months for "Offending the Religious Feelings."

I am intimately familiar with this because in January of 2003 I along with three others were criminally indicted under Article 133, and we have been battling this in court in the Philippines ever since. The complaint under which the prosecutor filed the charges was from a cult called Ang Dating Daan, not Roman Catholic people. Members of that cult were most angry that we displayed a placard with the words, "Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me (John 14:6)."

The Philippines Justice Department informed us that Article 133 was from old Spanish law, and had originally been written to protect Roman Catholic priests from being harassed during public events like pilgrimages, funerals, etc.

As time goes on, all anyone has to do to offend someone's religious feelings is quote the Bible.

[Stone Mountain]

The Vatican, commenting on a series of satirical newspaper cartoons that have outraged Muslims, said freedom of expression does not include the right to offend religious sentiments.

Gee, my understanding of freedom of expression does include the right to offend religious sentiments. Otherwise, it wouldn't be called freedom. It seems that everyone advocates freedom until faced with a point of view they don't agree with...

[Cementjungle]

Islam was made up my a nut in order to recruit fighters, so in my book it doesn't even count as a valid religion.

[Cementjungle]

correction: Islam was made up by a nut in order to recruit fighters, so in my book it doesn't even count as a valid religion.

[yankeedame]

The Vatican bureaucracy is full of linguini-spined Europeans. One of them probably released this. There are still many of us, though, who have the spirit of the Crusaders in us.

Amen!

[sgtbono2002]

The Vatican is feeling a twinge in their spines too.
Too bad. Too bad.

[sgtbono2002]

I was thinking the same thing.

I guess when you get scared you can recognise anyones God.

[Oztrich Boy]

Vatican Says Freedom Of Expression Does Not Mean Offending Religions

Not exactly a disinterested source.

[Fruitbat]

He shouldn't be that scared. I'm sure the Vatican is well guarded.

[FormerLib]

That's not a friendly reminder; it is force.

Someone says "cannot" to you and you say they are using force?

You sound like one o' them Howard Dean supporters.

[Cronos]

Geez, it must be embarassing to be a Catholic.

Nope, I'm not. I agree with what the Vatican said that " freedom of expression does not include the right to offend religious sentiments" --> I don't like the P*** Christ or the Madonna with elephant dung. I think that offends my religious sentiments. However, I didnt' go around burning buildings.

[Cronos]

This just in Cardinal, Allah's not real. Since your own Bible tells you that there is no other God but the Living, i.e. Biblical God, Allah must be a false god. But hey, far be it for a laymen to tell you what your religious underpinnings are, eh.

Get real -- the Cardinal said nothing about the falseness of Allahh, all he said was "We shouldn't diminish the love and respect Muslims have for their prophet Mohammed. This is very important for them and therefore cannot be the object of derision or ridicule," I don't want a picture of Christ mocked. I think a picture of a black skinned person saying "masssah" equally degrading.