The National Secular Society said today that the blasphemy laws had been reintroduced by the back door after a Manchester man was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday of causing “religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress”. [National Secular Society] Read more
Does this insult, deeply offend and alarm? If so, His Grace is on his way to prison. And if not he, then what about Oliver Kamm of The Times.
And if not he, then the original artist Peter Brookes must certainly have drawn this cartoon with the intention to insult, deeply offend and alarm. Indeed, he disclosed later: “That got me into a bit of hot water, which I was quite glad about. (The Pope) said condoms were not the answer to the continent’s problems. [Archbishop Cranmer] Read more
Philosophy tutor and atheist Harry Taylor in court for leaving anti-religious cartoons in John Lennon airport .... To be frank with you it is astounding that some Christians can muster the courage to leave their homes. Would you not have simply chucked the crap in the bin? OK, so the police did become involved, but is it not astonishing that they charged Harry Taylor with three counts of religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress under the Crime and Disorder Act? Am I missing something perhaps? [eChurch Christian Blog] Read more
Atheist accused of leaving insulting religious images in Liverpool’s John Lennon airport prayer room .... But he told Liverpool crown court he was just practising his own religion of "reason and rationality" in the hope of converting people to atheism.
Taylor added: "The airport is named after one of my heroes and his view on religion was pretty much the same as mine. I thought it was an insult to his memory to have a prayer room in his airport."
Taylor, who also claimed the controversial images were "satire" and would not offend anyone, even recited the lyrics from Lennon’s track Imagine. [Liverpool Daily Post] Read more [The Liverpool Post article gives a description of the cartoons]
Guilty of offending sensibilities The recent guilty verdict for the so-called ‘militant atheist’ Harry Taylor is deeply troubling. Mr Taylor was convicted of the offence of ‘Religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress’, which carries up to a seven year jail term. His crime was to leave cartoons mocking religions and religious people in the airport’s multifaith room. The cartoons included: [Pickled Politics] Read more
