Christians arrested for defending their beliefs

[Osem]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

that sounds like your describing a bigot

Or a hypocrite, ironic that eh??

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

I wouldn't want to do business with them if I thought that I would end up having an argument with them and I presume that is the belief of many others.

What I think has happened here is you've dived right in to defend the 'persecuted' group without actually stopping to read the facts first. Yes I agree in cases usually like this it's the Muslim who is the victim, they do seem to come in for a lot of stick (rightly or wrongly) but you'd be better off actually looking in to the facts and basing your intelligent, well-read and eloquent opinion on them instead.

[Stuart]

This whole thread raises some interesting questions.

When does it cease to be OK to say something about someone's religion? While it is obviously never OK to say (for instance) that religion reqires child abuse, is saying the way *certain* Muslim women are required to dress is a form of bondage (it's worth pointing out here that I read an article in the Evening Standard 2 or 3 years back that was written by a Muslim women which went even further than this and said Muslim women's wear is sometimes used to hide evidence of rape and serious physical abuse)? Would it have been OK for the Muslim woman to say the Christian fascination with the Cross (on which their Messiah died) is a sign of a fascination with death, or some sort of celebration of His death?

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

This whole thread raises some interesting questions.

When does it cease to be OK to say something about someone's religion? While it is obviously never OK to say (for instance) that religion reqires child abuse, is saying the way *certain* Muslim women are required to dress is a form of bondage (it's worth pointing out here that I read an article in the Evening Standard 2 or 3 years back that was written by a Muslim women which went even further than this and said Muslim women's wear is sometimes used to hide evidence of rape and serious physical abuse)? Would it have been OK for the Muslim woman to say the Christian fascination with the Cross (on which their Messiah died) is a sign of a fascination with death, or some sort of celebration of His death?

I think it all depends on how "what's being said" is being said. Personally I am open to discussion on my religion, as long as I feel its a constructive discussion, and where the person saying something is not doing so to deliberately cause offence. If you take the example of Muslim dress (I am assuming the Burqaa is being referred to) being used to hide evidence of rape, then this could be seen as a valid argument, if it was one of many reasons given for women wearing it, to which I would retort that women have worn other items to cover up rape or abuse (be they Muslim or non muslim). If some one said the "burquaa is worn to cover signs of abuse" and that was their only argument, then I would conclude they are simply looking for an argument.

If more people of different religions & non religions could sit down and discuss their views regarding religion, non religion, personal beliefs, with the intention of educating themselves and others (as opposed to simply being there to slag each other off), then I personally dont think that anything should be off limits.