5 ms·

This is a trial I'd like to watch.

by bmh_ca 9y ago

TheOtherHobbes 9y ago
Indeed. Apparently the most powerful entity in the entire universe needs government protection from the opinion of Stephen Fry. Doesn't seem like a fair fight to me.
- johnnydoe9 9y ago
  Fry should make a statement similar to what Colbert made recently for his remarks against Trump "I've got the jokes, he's got the launch codes so it's a fair fight"
  - jeff_petersen 9y ago
    Homophobia isn't excusable no matter what position the target holds.
    - johnnydoe9 9y ago
      Don't think Colbert's statement was homophobic though, don't want to fight genuinely want to know what made you think it was?
- dogma1138 9y ago
  I thought Stephen Fry was the most powerful entity in the universe.
  - tluyben2 9y ago
    ... together with Laurie, Atkinson, Smith, Jones and a handful+1 others. Many gods.
    - vidarh 9y ago
      One of my favourite sketches on religion is from Atkinson's live show when the devil, Toby, welcomes people to hell [1]. It satirises Pascal's Wager [2] and the general issue of most peoples lack of reasoned choice of religion so casually and effectively after various easy digs at the usual victims. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91DSNL1BEeY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91DSNL1BEeY [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager
      - tluyben2 9y ago
        I love all sketches, of that performance, especially the best man. But yes, that is a very good one and Atkinson is a genious although most people know him as Mr Bean where he is a less obvious genious.
II2II 9y ago
Some of us would rather that such investigations never came to be, never mind for such charges to reach trial. Think of it this way: how many people have expressed similar views? Do we really want to put those people on trial for providing rational responses to hypothetical questions?
- vidarh 9y ago
  Of course, but given that the laws are on the books, this is one of the best cases that could come up because it will almost certainly either lead to no case, or make them look silly, and by extension make thes laws look pointless. Norway used to have these laws as well, and a major factor in the decline of their use was exactly that it started making the government look stupid rather than serve a purpose the government was still attached to. The last successfull prosecution happened in 1912, I think, and the last prosecution in 1933 made the prosecutor look sufficiently silly (the case was only brought because it was pushed hard by a professor of theology and prominent preacher) that no further cases were brought. The person persecuted the last time they were used were a writer named Arnulf Øverland who held a speech to a student organization in Oslo titled "Christianity - The tenth plague", ending by comparing the influence of Christianity on Europe to the biblical plagues and concluding the spread of Christianity was the worst of them all. I think he'd have rather liked Stephen Fry's answer... While nobody should be prosecuted for this, when they go after people like him, or like Stephen Fry, in settings where said people feel safe to make these statements in the first place, it tends to be the beginning of the end for such laws rather evidence the suppression is still working. (We should be more worried about the places where people don't dare utter such things in the first place)
- soneil 9y ago
  Many of us have been trying to get this to trial. It’s the most direct way to defeat a law.

This is a trial I'd like to watch.

by bmh_ca 9y ago

This is a trial I'd like to watch.

Indeed. Apparently the most powerful entity in the entire universe needs government protection from the opinion of Stephen Fry. Doesn't seem like a fair fight to me.

johnnydoe9 9y ago
Fry should make a statement similar to what Colbert made recently for his remarks against Trump "I've got the jokes, he's got the launch codes so it's a fair fight"
- jeff_petersen 9y ago
  Homophobia isn't excusable no matter what position the target holds.
  - johnnydoe9 9y ago
    Don't think Colbert's statement was homophobic though, don't want to fight genuinely want to know what made you think it was?
dogma1138 9y ago
I thought Stephen Fry was the most powerful entity in the universe.
- tluyben2 9y ago
  ... together with Laurie, Atkinson, Smith, Jones and a handful+1 others. Many gods.
  - vidarh 9y ago
    One of my favourite sketches on religion is from Atkinson's live show when the devil, Toby, welcomes people to hell [1]. It satirises Pascal's Wager [2] and the general issue of most peoples lack of reasoned choice of religion so casually and effectively after various easy digs at the usual victims. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91DSNL1BEeY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91DSNL1BEeY [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager
    - tluyben2 9y ago
      I love all sketches, of that performance, especially the best man. But yes, that is a very good one and Atkinson is a genious although most people know him as Mr Bean where he is a less obvious genious.

II2II 9y ago

Some of us would rather that such investigations never came to be, never mind for such charges to reach trial. Think of it this way: how many people have expressed similar views? Do we really want to put those people on trial for providing rational responses to hypothetical questions?

vidarh 9y ago
Of course, but given that the laws are on the books, this is one of the best cases that could come up because it will almost certainly either lead to no case, or make them look silly, and by extension make thes laws look pointless. Norway used to have these laws as well, and a major factor in the decline of their use was exactly that it started making the government look stupid rather than serve a purpose the government was still attached to. The last successfull prosecution happened in 1912, I think, and the last prosecution in 1933 made the prosecutor look sufficiently silly (the case was only brought because it was pushed hard by a professor of theology and prominent preacher) that no further cases were brought. The person persecuted the last time they were used were a writer named Arnulf Øverland who held a speech to a student organization in Oslo titled "Christianity - The tenth plague", ending by comparing the influence of Christianity on Europe to the biblical plagues and concluding the spread of Christianity was the worst of them all. I think he'd have rather liked Stephen Fry's answer... While nobody should be prosecuted for this, when they go after people like him, or like Stephen Fry, in settings where said people feel safe to make these statements in the first place, it tends to be the beginning of the end for such laws rather evidence the suppression is still working. (We should be more worried about the places where people don't dare utter such things in the first place)
soneil 9y ago
Many of us have been trying to get this to trial. It’s the most direct way to defeat a law.