Queen Lili
The One To Destroy It All
CNA Staff, Jul 29, 2020 / 06:00 am MT (CNA).-
Catholic bishops have said that proposed hate crime legislation in Scotland could criminalize the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
In a statement issued July 29, the bishops argued that the Scottish Government’s new Hate Crime and Public Order Bill could lead to censorship of Catholic teaching.
“We are also concerned that section 5 of the Bill creates an offense of possessing inflammatory material which, if taken with the low threshold contained therein, could render material such as the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other texts such as Bishops’ Conference of Scotland submissions to government consultations, as being inflammatory under the new provision,” they said.
The bishops made the comments in a submission to the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee, which is scrutinizing the bill. The bill was introduced by the Scottish Government April 23.
The proposed legislation creates a new crime of stirring up hatred against any of the protected groups covered by the bill, which include race, religion, xesual orientation, and transgender identity.
The bishops cited their recent submission to the government on the proposed revision of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, in which they set out the Church’s teaching “that xes and gender are not fluid and changeable, and that male and female are complementary and ordered towards the creation of new life.”
They said: “Such pronouncements, which are widely held, might be perceived by others as an abuse of their own, personal worldview and likely to stir up hatred.”
The bishops also noted that recently public figures have been accused of “transphobia” for arguing that men cannot become women and vice versa. They include the “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who lives in Scotland.
“Many have also been accused of hate for using pronouns corresponding with an individual’s biological or birth xes. The freedom to express these arguments and beliefs must be protected,” they wrote.
Commenting on the bishops’ submission, Anthony Horan, director of Scotland’s Catholic Parliamentary Office, said: “Whilst acknowledging that stirring up of hatred is morally wrong and supporting moves to discourage and condemn such behavior, the bishops have expressed concerns about the lack of clarity around definitions and a potentially low threshold for committing an offense, which they fear, could lead to a ‘deluge of vexatious claims.’”
He continued: “A new offense of possessing inflammatory material could even render material such as the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church inflammatory. The Catholic Church’s understanding of the human person, including the belief that xes and gender are not fluid and changeable, could fall foul of the new law. Allowing for respectful debate, means avoiding censorship and accepting the divergent views and multitude of arguments inhabiting society.”
The Scottish Government proposed the bill in response to an independent review of hate crime laws led by the retired judge Lord Bracadale. The government argues the bill modernizes, consolidates and extends existing hate crime legislation. It also abolishes the offence of blasphemy.
In their submission, the bishops said they had no objection to the proposal to abolish the common law of blasphemy, which has not been prosecuted in Scotland for more than 175 years.
But the bishops said they were concerned the bill could feed “cancel culture.”
“The growth of what some describe as the ‘cancel culture’ -- hunting down those who disagree with prominent orthodoxies with the intention to expunge the non-compliant from public discourse and with callous disregard for their livelihoods -- is deeply concerning,” they wrote.
“No single section of society has dominion over acceptable and unacceptable speech or expression. Whilst the legislature and judiciary must create and interpret laws to maintain public order it must do so carefully, weighing in fundamental freedoms and allowing for reasonably held views, the expression of which is not intended to cause harm.”
Just posted in November another article with the possibility of the book being banned.
Bibles and newspapers ‘would be banned under new hate crime law’ | Scotland | The Times
Since I do not wish to subscribe to that site, I'm trying to find other sites that were able to get the article before they put up a paywall.
Even an atheist said this was one of the goals back in October, so much for it being a white man book. Right when people are finding out who the real people of the bible are.......hmmmmm..
I will ban the Bible using Hate Crimes Bill, says atheist
I will ban the Bible using Hate Crimes Bill, says atheist
An atheist has written to a newspaper saying he welcomes Scotland’s proposed Hate Crimes Bill because he will be able to monitor all holy books and sermons and report any ‘hatred’ to the police.
The letter, by Ian Stewart, Convener of Atheist Scotland, stated, ‘Atheists see some merit in Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf’s Hate Crime Bill, as it will enable the prosecution of all Scotland’s religions and their Holy Books for spreading hatred.’
He added, ‘We fully intend to monitor all Holy Books, sermons in places of worship and the social media accounts of the various religions and report any hatred to Police Scotland for criminal investigation.’
Revd David Robertson, a former Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, said that Stewart’s letter ‘illustrates perfectly’ why the legislation should not be made law.
Robertson said that Stewart incorrectly ‘regards any disagreements with any of his fundamental beliefs as self-evident “hate”’.
He added: ‘He is, in effect, saying that we should all be closed down unless we accept his authoritarian morality.’
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill is highly controversial. It would criminalise words deemed ‘likely’ to ‘stir up hatred’ against particular groups. It would not require any proof of intent.
A campaign group – Free to Disagree – has been formed to oppose the legislation. It is backed by Christian organisations and also the National Secular Society.
Journalists, judges, and the police have all voiced concerns about the planned legislation. Even BBC Scotland has raised objections.
BBC Scotland said it ‘strongly shares’ concerns expressed by the Scottish Newspaper Society about the bill’s ‘impact on freedom of expression’.
There has been an ‘unprecedented’ response to the Justice Committee’s consultation on the legislation, attracting almost 2,000 submissions.
Spokesman for the Free to Disagree campaign, Jamie Gillies, commented, ‘These submissions to the Justice Committee add more fuel to the fire currently raging beneath the Scottish Government’s hate crime proposals.’
‘Even the BBC’, he added, ‘has recognised the danger that these plans present to fundamental freedoms.’
So how long before the book is banned in America and why so much push now?
Catholic bishops have said that proposed hate crime legislation in Scotland could criminalize the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
In a statement issued July 29, the bishops argued that the Scottish Government’s new Hate Crime and Public Order Bill could lead to censorship of Catholic teaching.
“We are also concerned that section 5 of the Bill creates an offense of possessing inflammatory material which, if taken with the low threshold contained therein, could render material such as the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other texts such as Bishops’ Conference of Scotland submissions to government consultations, as being inflammatory under the new provision,” they said.
The bishops made the comments in a submission to the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee, which is scrutinizing the bill. The bill was introduced by the Scottish Government April 23.
The proposed legislation creates a new crime of stirring up hatred against any of the protected groups covered by the bill, which include race, religion, xesual orientation, and transgender identity.
The bishops cited their recent submission to the government on the proposed revision of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, in which they set out the Church’s teaching “that xes and gender are not fluid and changeable, and that male and female are complementary and ordered towards the creation of new life.”
They said: “Such pronouncements, which are widely held, might be perceived by others as an abuse of their own, personal worldview and likely to stir up hatred.”
The bishops also noted that recently public figures have been accused of “transphobia” for arguing that men cannot become women and vice versa. They include the “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who lives in Scotland.
“Many have also been accused of hate for using pronouns corresponding with an individual’s biological or birth xes. The freedom to express these arguments and beliefs must be protected,” they wrote.
Commenting on the bishops’ submission, Anthony Horan, director of Scotland’s Catholic Parliamentary Office, said: “Whilst acknowledging that stirring up of hatred is morally wrong and supporting moves to discourage and condemn such behavior, the bishops have expressed concerns about the lack of clarity around definitions and a potentially low threshold for committing an offense, which they fear, could lead to a ‘deluge of vexatious claims.’”
He continued: “A new offense of possessing inflammatory material could even render material such as the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church inflammatory. The Catholic Church’s understanding of the human person, including the belief that xes and gender are not fluid and changeable, could fall foul of the new law. Allowing for respectful debate, means avoiding censorship and accepting the divergent views and multitude of arguments inhabiting society.”
The Scottish Government proposed the bill in response to an independent review of hate crime laws led by the retired judge Lord Bracadale. The government argues the bill modernizes, consolidates and extends existing hate crime legislation. It also abolishes the offence of blasphemy.
In their submission, the bishops said they had no objection to the proposal to abolish the common law of blasphemy, which has not been prosecuted in Scotland for more than 175 years.
But the bishops said they were concerned the bill could feed “cancel culture.”
“The growth of what some describe as the ‘cancel culture’ -- hunting down those who disagree with prominent orthodoxies with the intention to expunge the non-compliant from public discourse and with callous disregard for their livelihoods -- is deeply concerning,” they wrote.
“No single section of society has dominion over acceptable and unacceptable speech or expression. Whilst the legislature and judiciary must create and interpret laws to maintain public order it must do so carefully, weighing in fundamental freedoms and allowing for reasonably held views, the expression of which is not intended to cause harm.”
Just posted in November another article with the possibility of the book being banned.
Bibles and newspapers ‘would be banned under new hate crime law’ | Scotland | The Times
Since I do not wish to subscribe to that site, I'm trying to find other sites that were able to get the article before they put up a paywall.
Even an atheist said this was one of the goals back in October, so much for it being a white man book. Right when people are finding out who the real people of the bible are.......hmmmmm..
I will ban the Bible using Hate Crimes Bill, says atheist
I will ban the Bible using Hate Crimes Bill, says atheist
An atheist has written to a newspaper saying he welcomes Scotland’s proposed Hate Crimes Bill because he will be able to monitor all holy books and sermons and report any ‘hatred’ to the police.
The letter, by Ian Stewart, Convener of Atheist Scotland, stated, ‘Atheists see some merit in Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf’s Hate Crime Bill, as it will enable the prosecution of all Scotland’s religions and their Holy Books for spreading hatred.’
He added, ‘We fully intend to monitor all Holy Books, sermons in places of worship and the social media accounts of the various religions and report any hatred to Police Scotland for criminal investigation.’
Revd David Robertson, a former Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, said that Stewart’s letter ‘illustrates perfectly’ why the legislation should not be made law.
Robertson said that Stewart incorrectly ‘regards any disagreements with any of his fundamental beliefs as self-evident “hate”’.
He added: ‘He is, in effect, saying that we should all be closed down unless we accept his authoritarian morality.’
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill is highly controversial. It would criminalise words deemed ‘likely’ to ‘stir up hatred’ against particular groups. It would not require any proof of intent.
A campaign group – Free to Disagree – has been formed to oppose the legislation. It is backed by Christian organisations and also the National Secular Society.
Journalists, judges, and the police have all voiced concerns about the planned legislation. Even BBC Scotland has raised objections.
BBC Scotland said it ‘strongly shares’ concerns expressed by the Scottish Newspaper Society about the bill’s ‘impact on freedom of expression’.
There has been an ‘unprecedented’ response to the Justice Committee’s consultation on the legislation, attracting almost 2,000 submissions.
Spokesman for the Free to Disagree campaign, Jamie Gillies, commented, ‘These submissions to the Justice Committee add more fuel to the fire currently raging beneath the Scottish Government’s hate crime proposals.’
‘Even the BBC’, he added, ‘has recognised the danger that these plans present to fundamental freedoms.’
So how long before the book is banned in America and why so much push now?