UK News
Christians lose High Court challenge against BBC
By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Dec 5, 2007, 12:48 GMT
BBC Director General Mark Thompson, during a press conference in the West bank town of Ramallah, Thursday, 12 April 2007, briefing the press about the latest developments in the kidnapping issue of the BBC correspondent Alan Johnston. EPA/ATEF SAFADI
(M&C) - A group of Christian evangelists have lost a High Court case to sue the BBC's Mark Thompson for blasphemy over the show Jerry Springer - The Opera.
Two judges ruled that the play could be not be described as "blasphemous" adding the play, "as a whole was not and could not reasonably be regarded as aimed at, or an attack on, Christianity or what Christians held sacred".
The challenge was brought by the group Christian Voice which said it believed the play was, "an offensive, spiteful, systematic mockery and wilful denigration of Christian belief" and urged Lord Justice Hughes and Mr Justice Collins to allow the defamation case to proceed.
Christian Voice national director Stephen Green said his group had sought to overturn the decision by District Judge Caroline Tubbs not to issue a summons against the BBC's director-general who allowed the show to be aired on BBC2 in 2005.
However the High Court judges refused to intervene saying of Judge Tubbs: "She was entitled to conclude that on the undisputed evidence no jury, correctly directed as to law, could properly convict."
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Older Talkback
page: 1
They wanted to sue somebody for mocking their beliefs? Since when is that illegal? Last I checked, you could parody and mock anything you wanted. I think Christianity takes decent people and turns then into closed-minded, bigoted lemmings, and there's no such thing as Heaven or Hell, God or Jesus! Get a clue morons. Gonna sue me? That was blasphemous wasn't it? All religions, and I do mean ALL, are based on fictional books that have been changed and re-written over the years. Religion is the single greatest cause of hatred and violence on this planet, past and present. I agree with the first poster that it should be banned. Organized religion does nothing but twist and corrupt the purity of thought that we humans have when people aren't feeding us hypocritical, hateful, and condescending lies, telling us the whole that their hate is the truth. Oh, was that blasphemy again?
p.s. did it ever occur to anyone that catholic men become priests because they don't like sex with women? they use the church as an excuse to not have to explain to the world that they're homosexual pedophiles. why else would a healthy man not want sex with all of our beautiful women?
Since when does the Christian church behave like Muslim extremists? Kill the infidels!!! That's ridiculous, you don't sue somebody for 'blasphemy'! This is the year 2007, almost 2008. They just embarrassed all of Christianity, as well as the civilized world with this frivolous and archaic lawsuit. Who cares if they were being scathing towards your religion, that's their right, legally and morally. People have the right to dislike whatever they want, and even go so far as to make fun of it if they wish. It's what some of the best comedy is based on. Or is England still living in the dark ages? What's next, witch burnings if they find out the girl next door is a pagan?
DUxo8i
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waine UKDec 5th, 2007 - 14:07:18
I for one would ban all religions they are nothing but hypocrits. those wanting to ban Jerry Sringer probably have no qualms about the death and destruction being carried out by Bush and his laquies in Iraq and Afghanistan. after all Bush claims he speaks to God and is only carrying out His orders. What a bl---y shower.
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