The issue of silent prayer being criminalised is ridiculous; you would have hoped that the lawyers advising on the drafting of the bill would have spotted that. Groups of people standing around in silence can still intimidate, and that could be dealt with by current legislation. Let the coppers video it, and let the jury decide whether intimidation took place. And if someone wished to avoid being convicted, they would only have to say that they had intended to pray, but at the time of arrest they were having a rest from it and were compiling a shopping list or working up a nice sexual fantasy. You'd have to want to be martyred to be done for this.
The danger is, of course, that it sets the legal precedent. The principle is there, so other laws involving thought crime are easier to get on the books and don't seem so ridiculous when proposed. The frog will take some time to boil, but the heat appears to be on.
Sam - yes, silent prayer being criminalised is ridiculous but they intend to do it anyway. MPs must know it is ridiculous too, but they seem to want this law. You are right, the frog boiling seems to have started.
I get the impression this is a case of easy targeting or 'low hanging fruit' as far as the authorities are concerned. I notice that they look the other way, when vulnerable people on run down estates, complain they are subject to intimidation and worse by hordes of thugs and yobs. But it's so much easier to come down on middle class Christians isn't it?
And I don't think the government Covid measures or the ridiculous Net Zero dictats about gas boilers and cars could be classed as 'intimidation' could it? Oh no!
4 comments:
The issue of silent prayer being criminalised is ridiculous; you would have hoped that the lawyers advising on the drafting of the bill would have spotted that. Groups of people standing around in silence can still intimidate, and that could be dealt with by current legislation. Let the coppers video it, and let the jury decide whether intimidation took place. And if someone wished to avoid being convicted, they would only have to say that they had intended to pray, but at the time of arrest they were having a rest from it and were compiling a shopping list or working up a nice sexual fantasy. You'd have to want to be martyred to be done for this.
The danger is, of course, that it sets the legal precedent. The principle is there, so other laws involving thought crime are easier to get on the books and don't seem so ridiculous when proposed. The frog will take some time to boil, but the heat appears to be on.
Sam - yes, silent prayer being criminalised is ridiculous but they intend to do it anyway. MPs must know it is ridiculous too, but they seem to want this law. You are right, the frog boiling seems to have started.
I get the impression this is a case of easy targeting or 'low hanging fruit' as far as the authorities are concerned. I notice that they look the other way, when vulnerable people on run down estates, complain they are subject to intimidation and worse by hordes of thugs and yobs. But it's so much easier to come down on middle class Christians isn't it?
And I don't think the government Covid measures or the ridiculous Net Zero dictats about gas boilers and cars could be classed as 'intimidation' could it? Oh no!
Tammly - I agree, low hanging fruit. If Welby wasn't so useless he'd come down hard on this, but as far as I know he hasn't.
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