Mohamed the Teddy Boy?

[Finless]

Originally Posted by Lazlo

We have legalised corporal punishment in this country - but only for children.

We do? I thought it was banned everywhere apart from IoM (or other island).

It's stupid in other countries, and it's stupid in this country.

Bring back caning in schools I say.

Ignorance of the law is no defence in any country.

V/true but one would like to think some element of common sense might prevail here (or there) although I think the days of people 'thinking for themselves' are numbered.

[NotDeadYet]

Originally Posted by Finless

although I think the days of people 'thinking for themselves' are numbered.

I think this is a good example of not thinking for oneself. Let's go to a fervently muslim country and name a toy after their main prophet and then get confused as to why they're getting upset.

Would anyone in their right mind take a teaching job in Jerusalem, name the class gerbil Hitler and then wonder why the locals were none too pleased?

Our big problem is being continually surprised that the rest of the world is not like us when we assume it will be.

[Lazlo]

Originally Posted by Finless

We do? I thought it was banned everywhere apart from IoM (or other island).

Don't you remember the huge flap a few years ago about this? The usual suspects said bannng smacking children was "political correctness gone mad". Or something. Assault is assault as far as I was, and am concerned. Seems it's only acceptable when it's perpetrated against the defenceless / voteless.

Originally Posted by Finless

V/true but one would like to think some element of common sense might pervail here (or there) although I think the days of people 'thinking for themselves' are numbered.

"Common Sense" means different things to different people. To me, it's common sense that ANY interference of religion in the state is A Bad Thing, in Sudan or elsewhere. That includes schools as well as the legal system. Many would disagree, and I've noticed an interesting correlation[1] between people who bang on about "common sense" and people who like to spout the kind of BS commonly found in "certain" newspapers.

[1] Not that that necessarily means anything

[Step]

Originally Posted by Finless

The world would be a much nicer place if religion was banned.

No offence but I have to say that IMHO this is a rather naive view.
Kindness and humility is the central teaching of all religeons I know.
Have you never met any truly religous people?
The once that really have understood are all most tolerant and kind!
Because they are content within their belife and therefore themselves.

The problem is not religion at all. It is people using the pretext of religion to manipulate groups of people to thier own ends by exploiting discontent and providing convenient scape goats. If there was no religion there would simply be more instances of of people whipping up hatered on ethinc or socioeconomic pretexts.

And the reasons are always the same envy and/or the need to boost the ego by feeling superior and by feeling one belongs.

This teddy bear issue is the most extreme example.
I reminds me of the british seamen taken hostage in iran.
They just found a convienient pretext to exploit vunerable Brit(s)
to their own ends by creating situations where nothings get totally blown out of proportion.

[Lazlo]

Linky linky

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by NotDeadYet

I think this is a good example of not thinking for oneself. Let's go to a fervently muslim country and name a toy after their main prophet and then get confused as to why they're getting upset.

H'mmm, didn't the good little Muslim children choose the name - couldn't possibly be entrapment, or attempting to rouse hatred???

Originally Posted by NotDeadYet

Our big problem is being continually surprised that the rest of the world is not like us when we assume it will be.

Tooo true. Our assumption that children are sweet innocent things and would not be subject to extremeist teachings, nor used as tools in a Jihad, is quite unbelieveable.

Cheers, Paul

[NotDeadYet]

Originally Posted by Step

Have you never met any truly religous people?

Honestly, I can't think of anyone I've met that ever let their religion come before looking out for themselves or who didn't just stick to the beliefs that suited them.

Truly religious people are few and far between.

Religious heads, certainly in the west, seem to either have their own personal agendas like the papacy or are too spineless to make a stand on anything worthwhile like the Archbishop of Canterbury. They seem to have as little conviction as politicians.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Step

The problem is not religion at all. It is people using the pretext of religion to manipulate groups of people to thier own ends by exploiting discontent and providing convenient scape goats. If there was no religion there would simply be more instances of of people whipping up hatered on ethinc or socioeconomic pretexts.

Nope the issue is religion:

Religious laws, that’s why this women is in jail because she broke the law, this law was based on the religious beliefs that the profit Mohammad must not be depicted by an Idol. She did not raid their version of Tesco’s or burn some building down, Just dig up some history on other religions and the shit that goes with it including Christianity, half the shitty places I’ve been in this world has been to clear up the messes of two different religions hell bent on killing each other, however saying that we all know its some small power hungry dictator on a trip, but it’s all done in the name of their particular god, from the crusades to present day.

Sean

[stevechesh]

ahh, good old Islam. The religion of tolerance. About time we stopped giving aid to these people and start looking after our own. The UN are a waste of space full stop. Darfur is just another name in a long list of genocides they have stood by and watched. Srebrenica was another, and i was there. . . .

Teddy Bear Insult Teacher Gillian Gibbons Jailed In Sudan |Sky News|World News

Thousands of people are marching in Khartoum calling for British teacher Gillian Gibbons to be executed.

Ms Gibbons was jailed for 15 days. The 54-year-old has been jailed for insulting Islam in Sudan after allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Mohammed but the crowds say her 15-day sentence is too lenient.

The protesters gathered outside the presidential palace carrying knives and sticks, chanting "shame on the UK" and "kill her by firing squad" from loudspeakers.

Local journalist Rob Crilly told Sky News he understood that a Sufi sect within the country had called for the demonstration and he spotted the sect's green flags among the crowds.

He saw protesters "passing their fingers across their throats" and newspapers with her picture on the front page being burned as they chanted "no one lives who insults the Prophet".

Mr Crilly said he was forced to get out as the situation was "turning nasty".

Mrs Gibbons escaped conviction on a more serious charge of inciting hatred, for which she could have faced 40 lashes or six months in prison.

She is thought to be serving her term at a women's prison near the capital, Khartoum, before being deported to the UK.

[Finless]

Originally Posted by Step

No offence but I have to say that IMHO this is a rather naive view.

We are debating semantics now. I'll stick by my comment, if there were no religion then everyone who is currently killing 'for their religion' would just have to admit they are psychopathic killers and find another excuse for their actions (for the most part)?

I am not saying that the core beliefs of any religion (for the most part) are bad.