Tag Archives: blasphemy and defamation of religion

Russia Takes on the Pastafarians

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Andrew Stuttaford

I’ve always thought that the joke about the Great Spaghetti Monster was a touch on the leaden side, but compared with Russia’s response to the “Pastafarians”… NBC reports: MOSCOW, Russia — The march of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti … Continue reading →

Posted in Church & State | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Mission to Moscow (Theocon Edition)

Posted on August 3, 2013 by Andrew Stuttaford

This is about a piece that comes from the Daily Beast, so a few caveats are in order, even if we ignore a headline (“Why American Social Conservatives Love Anti-Gay Putin”) that may not be the work of James Kirchick, … Continue reading →

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Symbiosis

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Andrew Stuttaford

Vladimir Putin’s attempt to blend social conservatism and Russian Orthodoxy into the mix that is (nominally: the reality is rather grubbier) the ideology of his regime continues. The Guardian has the details. First, we have an unpleasant piece of anti-homosexual … Continue reading →

Posted in Church & State, law | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Rewards of Violence

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Andrew Stuttaford

The Commentator reports: The Australian National University (ANU) has apparently banned the satirisation of Islam for fear of inciting violence and creating a backlash. The Australian newspaper reported this week that the ANU cited international violence in the wake of … Continue reading →

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About That First Amendment Thing

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Andrew Stuttaford

CBS Pittsburgh: PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Students at Carnegie Mellon say it’s freedom of expression, but the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh calls it inappropriate and disrespectful. At an annual art school parade, a female student dressed up as the pope, and … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

It’s Not Just Pakistan

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

Cross-Posted on the Corner: There are blasphemy laws in India too, and in this instance a case there comes with a possibly somewhat unexpected twist. The Guardian reports: When water started trickling down a statue of Jesus Christ at a … Continue reading →

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Atheism & Islam

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

Barack Obama: “But even as this land of my youth has changed in so many ways, those things that I learned to love about Indonesia — that spirit of tolerance that is written into your constitution, symbolized in your mosques … Continue reading →

Posted in Church & State | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Same Old, Same Old

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

The Guardian‘s Nick Cohen has written a powerful piece on the “Weimar of the Aegean” which is well worth reading in full, but this detail caught my attention: One can say with certainty that old alliances between extreme political and … Continue reading →

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Leviathan vs. Behemoth

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

EUObserver reports: BRUSSELS – The European Commission has said that Poland’s prosecution of a rock group for “blasphemy” is against European values. It said on Wednesday (31 October) in a written statement for EUobserver that “national blasphemy laws are a … Continue reading →

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Or Maybe The Line Crumbles

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

Writing in The Washington Post, Jonathan Turley notes the West’s retreat from freedom of expression. The whole article is well worth reading, but here’s a key extract: [Blasphemy law is] the oldest threat to free speech, but it has experienced … Continue reading →

Posted in Church & State, politics | Tagged | 4 Comments