StormyPeak
June 3rd, 2005, 07:17 AM
It's a slippery slope when religion tries to take control of laws. Before one knows it, there's an inquisition type atmosphere...with informants snitching on the 'non-believers' and 'rule breakers' or Taliban types running the show and making even more laws...and not just at a village level either, as evident by Preacher Bush...I mean President Bush in the USA.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8070556/?GT1=6657
Excerpts from the above article:
Village cracks down on foul-mouthed Dutch
Ban imposed on swearing,
June 2, 2005 AMSTERDAM
The name of the Lord may no longer be taken in vain in the Dutch village of Staphorst.
Staphorst, in the so-called Dutch “bible belt” of eastern towns where religion holds sway, approved a ban on swearing by 13-4 council votes.
At least 4 people on the council recognize the rights of humans to say what they want without a religious group telling them they can't. According to the article these 'bans' do go against higher Dutch laws, but my point is, that laws can be changed and one has to be careful about letting them even getting a toe hold. The Dutch courts should have some kind of laws that prevent such bans being imposed in the first place.
To back up their 'ban' they quote from their religious source, the Bible
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain,” it quotes Exodus 20:7.
Again, this is their religion....and while it is a basic foundation for some of our current laws in the western culture, many of the codes in the Bible don't belong in today's society...just because of the religious diversity that is out there now.
Now, having stated my objection to the ban, I must say that I don't think it's proper for anyone to swear in front of other's in public...as it's just plain flat out good manner's not to do so. I believe that depending upon the group of people you are with, it should dictate one's language. If you are at a party with your friends and they cuss...fine...but one shouldn't do it standing in a grocery check out line where other's could be offended by foul language.
I very very rarely use the Lord's name in vain, such as starting out a sentence with "God!" or "Jesus Christ" like I've heard some people, (even some Christians do) - this is mostly because I'm an athiest and to me it's hypicritical to do so. But mostly I don't do it because I have a friend who is deeply religious and out of respect for her I don't swear like that...she once told me she would rather hear someone say the 'F word' rather than hear them use Jesus Christ as an expletive.
But upon occassion, it will slip out...too many years of me hearing it used on t.v. and by others...some habits are hard to break : P
I'm not against religion, btw, but I am against religion as a power that can control law-making.
Too many times in history it just turned into oppessive non-productive times when religion controled the people. There can be no such thing as free thinking in such societies.
It's free thinking that has led to so many discoveries that helped our civilization eventually do great things like go to the moon, or practice open heart surgery, and the invention of computers.
Even stuff like the simple fact of proving our earth is round, and not the center of our solar system - stating that in the Dark Ages would have had you burned at the stake, or in the least, tortured into recanting and then having to declare the earth, not the sun was the center of our solar system and that the earth was flat. Again, when religions try to start to control free speech it leads to other things...worse -- bans and controls that limit free thinking - it tries to prevent people from exploring the 'boundries' imposed by the religion in charge.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8070556/?GT1=6657
Excerpts from the above article:
Village cracks down on foul-mouthed Dutch
Ban imposed on swearing,
June 2, 2005 AMSTERDAM
The name of the Lord may no longer be taken in vain in the Dutch village of Staphorst.
Staphorst, in the so-called Dutch “bible belt” of eastern towns where religion holds sway, approved a ban on swearing by 13-4 council votes.
At least 4 people on the council recognize the rights of humans to say what they want without a religious group telling them they can't. According to the article these 'bans' do go against higher Dutch laws, but my point is, that laws can be changed and one has to be careful about letting them even getting a toe hold. The Dutch courts should have some kind of laws that prevent such bans being imposed in the first place.
To back up their 'ban' they quote from their religious source, the Bible
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain,” it quotes Exodus 20:7.
Again, this is their religion....and while it is a basic foundation for some of our current laws in the western culture, many of the codes in the Bible don't belong in today's society...just because of the religious diversity that is out there now.
Now, having stated my objection to the ban, I must say that I don't think it's proper for anyone to swear in front of other's in public...as it's just plain flat out good manner's not to do so. I believe that depending upon the group of people you are with, it should dictate one's language. If you are at a party with your friends and they cuss...fine...but one shouldn't do it standing in a grocery check out line where other's could be offended by foul language.
I very very rarely use the Lord's name in vain, such as starting out a sentence with "God!" or "Jesus Christ" like I've heard some people, (even some Christians do) - this is mostly because I'm an athiest and to me it's hypicritical to do so. But mostly I don't do it because I have a friend who is deeply religious and out of respect for her I don't swear like that...she once told me she would rather hear someone say the 'F word' rather than hear them use Jesus Christ as an expletive.
But upon occassion, it will slip out...too many years of me hearing it used on t.v. and by others...some habits are hard to break : P
I'm not against religion, btw, but I am against religion as a power that can control law-making.
Too many times in history it just turned into oppessive non-productive times when religion controled the people. There can be no such thing as free thinking in such societies.
It's free thinking that has led to so many discoveries that helped our civilization eventually do great things like go to the moon, or practice open heart surgery, and the invention of computers.
Even stuff like the simple fact of proving our earth is round, and not the center of our solar system - stating that in the Dark Ages would have had you burned at the stake, or in the least, tortured into recanting and then having to declare the earth, not the sun was the center of our solar system and that the earth was flat. Again, when religions try to start to control free speech it leads to other things...worse -- bans and controls that limit free thinking - it tries to prevent people from exploring the 'boundries' imposed by the religion in charge.