Religious censorship and free speech
By M Parrott
Article ID: 1210
When religious censorship is discussed, it is often about an individual being censored. Religious censorship does happen within groups too, and we’ll come to that later. First we’ll start with the individual and the law.
A man in Chesterfield England (his name evades me) was preaching Christianity on the street. A group of homosexuals approached him and asked him what he thought of homosexuality. He said, and this is a quote, “the Bible says it is wrong“. The man was then arrested for breaking of the peace. Wait, what?! The guys asked him and he said the truth. As the Bible says:
“If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” – Leviticus 20: 13
So, let’s get this right, the man was arrested for quoting a book? More importantly, after he was asked his beliefs? How stupid of me! Of course! He gave away a plot in a book! Am I going to be arrested for talking about Harry Potter in the streets? When did Parliament or Congress pass a law saying we couldn’t talk about books in the streets? It never did! So why was he arrested? The men – it doesn’t matter that they were homosexual – asked what he thought. He didn’t even say what he thought; he just stated what the Bible says. And what’s wrong with that? It’s not revolutionary; it’s been round since the third century, at a time when homosexuality was a fully accepted part of life. We could examine whether if the Bible quote itself is right or wrong, but that’s not the point.
If you’re going to ask a question of anyone and you know the answer will be offensive, you deserve everything you get! There’s a concept that seems to have been forgotten in western culture: freedom of speech, a right protected by the Universal Declaration of Human rights. You can’t be prosecuted for what you say, but for the effects your speech causes. He quoted text that was against homosexuality, he wasn’t saying he was against homosexuality, and didn’t threaten the men who approached him. It’s like quoting Nazis versus being a Nazi: two completely different things.
Religious people have every right to quote their religious scripture, even to the point where they are attempting to convert people. Now that may surprise you coming from this website, but you’ll see where I’m going. If religious people have every right to push their beliefs through the media, why are atheists, agnostics and skeptics censored? Aren’t agnosticism and atheism both religions? Many people go on about how they’re not structured, but they are. There’s a group called the Atheist Alliance, which is pretty much a religious group with a set of beliefs, making them a religion. So what on Earth is the difference? Nothing. The only reason the religious attempt to silence the agnostics, atheists and skeptics is because they are scared. They’re scared of a new modern society that prides itself on logical reasoning and thinking. Atheists, agnostics and skeptics can disprove religion, whereas the religious can not do the same to them.
Atheism, Agnosticism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and even Scientology, are all the same thing the end. People follow the rules that they chose to abide by (in Western society you chose a religion, it is not forced upon you) and they believe what is stated by that religion.
Atheists, agnostics and skeptics may offend the religious, and in turn may be offended by religious beliefs. If you’re offended by something walk away. Turn the television off. Close the window. How hard is it to do any of that? You do not have to read, watch or listen to anything. No one’s going to come along afterwards with a pop-quiz.
Religious talk works both ways. Religious people have every right to talk about their beliefs. And in the same way, those religious people can’t stifle speech from agnostics, atheists and skeptics. If you want to stop free speech, you should be willing to give up that right yourself.
Podcast
Support
Email alerts
RSS
Facebook