Thou Shalt Not Annoy
Australia has made it illegal to annoy Catholics. The Pope will arrive in Sydney on Sunday to headline as the “rock star” of the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day. Many thousands of nuns and priests are arriving from all over the world in the belief that attendance alone will grant them a “remission of sin”, an offer made by Pope Ratzinger himself at a previous festival.
Extraordinary new powers will allow Australian police to arrest and fine people for “causing annoyance” to World Youth Day participants.
The laws, which operate until the end of July, have the potential to make a crime of wearing a T-shirt with a message on it, undertaking a Chaser-style stunt, handing out condoms at protests, riding a skateboard or even playing music, critics say.
Police and volunteers from the State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service will be able to direct people to cease engaging in conduct that “causes annoyance or inconvenience to participants in a World Youth Day event”.
People who fail to comply will be subject to a A$5500 fine.
What else might cause the Pope annoyance?
Protests by the victims of clerical child molestation who accuse the Vatican of being directly involved in the cover up operation, are very likely to.
Condoms really make Pope Ratzinger go apeshit.
As does this kind of “unnatural act“.
Has this alliance between Religion and State been made with the express intention to curtail freedom of expression and civil liberties?
The absolute answer to that question is yes. The relative answer would depend on who you ask, which religion you’re talking about and which state. Though no prizes for guessing the kind of tabloid shitstorm that would have been kicked up had the cleric in question belonged to a certain other religion.
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Filed in: Civil liberties
Though no prizes for guessing the kind of tabloid shitstorm that would have been kicked up had the cleric in question belonged to a certain other religion.
Heh.
Hmmm… I met an Australian a few weeks ago, and told him about 42 days, Boris etc. and he looked at me kind of sorrowfully and went ‘You’re turning into Sydney.’
I hope the Chasers find a way to do something against the Pope. Religious bigwigs do annoy me so.
I cannot believe this has happened.
Would trying to come on to the Pope (if you were a man) mean that you were subject to a fine?
My mum said something about how ‘Christians are going to try to protect their religion because they feel under threat from Islam.’I think that is bollox, but things like this don’t help to prove her wrong!
surely if anyone did do anything annoying the Pope would immediately grant them a “remission of sin” …