Discussion 1 to Meditation 1008
Catholic Church opposes free speech - again
by: JT
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Last week, some 100,000 people took to the streets in France protests against a draft law to legalise same-sex marriage. The protests were organized by Catholic groups in France.
It's not surprising that there were counter-protests by those that support changes in the law. One of the groups involved in the counter-protests was the Ukrainian based feminist organization, FEMEN. They specialize in drawing attention to their causes by demonstrating with breasts bared. As the overall protest was organized by the Catholic Church, members of FEMEN chose to appear as topless nuns.
Some offended marchers, mostly male, in the Catholic protest chose to physically attack the women of FEMEN injuring some, and sending them to hospital.
You'd think that would be the end of it - except perhaps for the police filing charges against those that attacked the women.
But no. Civitas, a Catholic organization which was behind the anti-gay protest is suing FEMEN. It accuses them of spreading a message in a violent manner, organised violence with arms, and threatening the freedom to protest of others.
From what I've seen - and there are several videos available on You Tube - the violence originated from one side, and it wasn't the topless nuns.
And as for threatening the freedom to protest of others? I suppose I can imagine there might have been some sheltered priest being struck speechless by the sight of bare female breasts, but those bare breasts did not prevent some 100,000 people from protesting to impose their religious views on others.
Basically, this lawsuit against FEMEN shows the same thinking that the Pope demonstrated in his support for the Russian Patriarch against Pussy Riot. Oppose anything that threatens religion's ability to impose its views on others.