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Living in a surveillance society as they do, is this kind of suppression, especially backed by who was being protested, a surprise? As Pink Floyd said, one more brick in the wall.
Teenager faces prosecution for calling Scientology ‘cult’
A teenager is facing prosecution for using the word “cult” to describe the Church of Scientology.
The unnamed youth was served the summons by City of London police when he took part in a peaceful demonstration opposite the London headquarters of the controversial religion.
Officers confiscated a placard with the word “cult” on it from the youth, who is under 18, and a case file has been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.
A date has not yet been set for him to appear in court.
The decision to issue the summons has angered human rights activists and support groups for the victims of cults.
The incident happened during a protest against the Church of Scientology on May 10. Demonstrators from the anti-Scientology group, Anonymous, who were outside the church’s £23m headquarters near St Paul’s cathedral, were banned by police from describing Scientology as a cult by police because it was “abusive and insulting”.
[…]
Liberty director, Shami Chakrabarti, said: “This barmy prosecution makes a mockery of Britain’s free speech traditions.“After criminalising the use of the word ‘cult’, perhaps the next step is to ban the words ‘war’ and ‘tax’ from peaceful demonstrations?”
HAH! The law actually exists, according to google: 5 Harassment, alarm or distress
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he—
(a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or
(b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,
within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.
I’m no barrister, but seems to me the protest could have been held as was if it was NOT in front of the Scientology Cult place of business? Like Hyde Park?
Peaceful Sign-In==would be legal in any freedom of speech loving country.
noun
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object : the cult of St. Olaf.
Or in this case, St. Hubbard.
A cult is a minor culture. By a measure of degree Catholicism is a Big Cult and Judaism is an Old Cult. All of the post-atomic religions are cults.
How dare that kid use proper English. Where does he think he is?
Its proper English, but also insulting and within the earshot of those reasonably known to take offense. The truth is often insulting===thats the whole point.
Since when do the Police decide what is “abusive and insulting” ? I though they still had free speech in England, although I could be wrong !!!
By the way, what was the cost of that Other Cult Building, St Pauls ??? Just in the interest of being “Fair and Balanced” !!!
I belong to no Cult and can only wish “A Pox on All Their Houses” !!!
The Thetans inside him made him do it. Not his fault.
cult:
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
Sure we know what he meant (and I agree – kooky Thetans), but can’t he just use the definition of the word as a defense?
I had a browser malfunction and could only see the image label rack.jpg.
My first thought was there was going to be a busty protester, as is the image tradition for this website. =)
All religions are cult by the very definition of the word.
I though they still had free speech in England, although I could be wrong.
Actually, they never have had free speech. That is why “Speakers Corner” in Hyde Park was created. It was a place where you could say things without getting prosecuted.
The UK has no constitution. There is no guarantee of rights. Nor is there a guarantee of free speech. On the contrary, UK law allows for blasphemy lawsuits which are much more common and far easier to prove because the speaker doesn’t have the right to speak their mind.
That is why a law like the above gets passed and prosecuted.
We in the US have a constitution. What we aren’t doing with is for another thread.
Redefine language, doubleplusgood.
From my teen years I have a song or 2 by The Cult lying around, better get rid of those.
You gotta love tne Science of Cultology, a perfect fit for Com Truise. Funny guys, they made Hsaac Iayes quit Pouth Sark for being mean to religion – never mind they’ve been chopping each and every religion and it didn’t occur to him until they slammed the Cult of Thetan. I guess you must swear the Hippocritical Oath before you can join.
All names above are fictional and if anyone thinks I’m picking on them, dude, you’re paranoid, get rid of your Tody Bhetans.
It’ll happen here too. It’s already happening in Canada. The most likely vehicle is through banning speech against gays or Muslims.
Tom Cruise 1
English folk 0
http://www.enturbulation.org
It is the purpose of this site to collect and distribute sourced information and facilitate the organization and planning of worldwide protest actions conceing the Scientology Organization.
The purpose of these actions is to expose and document the offenses of the Organization of Scientology, not attack or question their religious beliefs.
Definition of “cult”: a religion you’re not in.
Hey, remember when Britain was considered to be part of the “free world”?
Since payments to learn their “secrets” is NOT voluntary, perhaps “Pyramid Scheme” would have been a more acceptable and accurate labeling. I’m not aware of any of the other major religions forcing payments or minimum wage labor, from its lesser, non-famous, membership. The cult term only applies to when they also control the outside lives of their members. Which reportedly, this outfit does. For a so-called religion that helps people improve. They certain do seem highly insecure about most of them having a life they can’t control. That lame Oprah show, had her camera man stumbling over Church’s camera man, at Cruise’s Colorado home. Bet there were a dozen of them watching everything that happened during that shoot. Not the impression Oprah would want you to have of her visit.
Here in the UK people think they are FREE! (WRONG).
We are now just like the Americans.
We have NO freedom of speech. We are even having our E-mails and phone calls saved for monitoring purposes.
We are THE MOST WATCHED nation in the World by CCTV……WHY???
Our Lord’s & Masters are addicted to ‘CONTROL’.
We now have almost ALL of our B roads reduced to 30mph speed limits, with the occasional ‘sprint’ up to 50mph for a few hundred yards, just far enough to lull us int ‘SPEEDING’ into the next 30mph zone where our friendly police constable is parked up in a van, ready to issue a speeding ticket to raise MORE FUNDS for our Lord’s & Masters.
Need I go on & on & on??
Pete.