This sucks on so many levels. Even if such a measure wasn’t binding, it would give the godbots a legal leg to stand on when they try to sneak their crap into schools, etc. I think anti-defamation or discrimination laws should be restricted to protecting only those attributes people have no choice in, such as race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

The Defamation of Religions resolution is entirely about free speech, which is a basic human right. It’s interesting that the ACLJ is marketing their opposition solely on the grounds of Christian persecution. If Muslims weren’t imprisoning and torturing Christians for proselytizing and trying to convert Muslims, I wonder where they would stand on this issue. In other words, if it were merely about the “defamation” of religion, wouldn’t the Christian fundies be standing with their Muslim fundie brothers? Both camps act massively bent out of shape when anybody says anything bad about their religion.

Thus, some “defamation of religion law” that aims to restrict expression against some religion, EVEN IF the US were to sign on to it, would be unenforceable in the US due to the First Amendment.

I’m no expert on international law, but you are correct. If the UN passes some sort of resolution, it doesn’t have any enforcement power inside the US. We’d have to sign it or ratify it or something. There’s no way we would ever do that. So I’m not worried about it taking effect within the US.

I am concerned that such a thing would be implemented in other countries. Europe, for example, has bent over backward to placate the extreme Muslims. Look at the Danish cartoon controversy from a few years ago. The entire European continent should have told the Muslims to shut the hell up. If they can’t stand freedom of speech, they should move (back) to a country that doesn’t have it.

Basically they screw with you every chance they get. You might be sitting at home minding your own business, and the power will go off. Call the power company, and they’ll tell you that your power has been turned of for non-payment. But, I paid my bill. I’m sorry, you’ll have to come down and talk to someone…Ooops, our mistake, you did pay your bill. Your power gets turned back on…until next month when something else gets screwed with.

Entertainingly, if you get caught proselytizing, you can be put in jail, or put to death. By the way as a non-muslim, you can’t testify in court. If a Muslim says they saw/heard you attempting to talk Christianity, you can get into a huge bunch of trouble.

As an atheist, I found the whole thing more than a little amusing.

Mind you, an atheist wouldn’t fare as well as a Christian, but then again, I’m not likely stupid enough to 1) Go to Pakistan, or 2) Attempt to convert a Muslim.

Would you be pro- or anti-lawn bowling??

That depends on whether I can use some fundies as the pins!

Yes. Thank you for that. I was hoping someone would provide an unbiased link. When I Googled it, all I found were articles by religious groups. I wanted something that wasn’t colored by a missionary or anti-Islamic agenda.