This BBC report says that a Kabul court is trying a man for converting from Islam to Christianity and the prosecution want him to be executed for it.
Now I’m not a religious person, but I feel people should be free to think freely, and that includes changing their religion without being punished for it, and it would appear that I’m not alone as the United Nations “Declaration of Human Rights” (1948) says:
Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Unfortunately this is a thing that many “right-wing” Americans have been saying for a long time – there is NO religious freedom in the Islamic states. Their evidence is the treatment that yoy get trying to get a Bible into Saudi.
It appears to hold for all the other countries as well. Exactly what the solution is, I do not know, but I suspect it is not invading them and bombing them back to the stone age.
Hi Rich,
My basic position is that all people should have the freedom to believe (or not believe) in whatever they want, whether that be Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism,Christianity, Islam, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Discordianism or Atheism and should be just as free to switch between them if their belief changes.
I would hesitate to make blanket statements about Islamic states simply because I don’t know the true situation in all of them, and the scientist in me screams “insufficient data!”.
I totally agree that force is not the answer, I’m just at a complete loss as to what the answer should be.
all the best,
Chris
Yep, I suppose I shouldn’t have emphasised the “NO”, or even used the word – it’s like using “never” and then some smartarse proves you wrong, in one particular. 😉
Certainly countries that have the majority of citizens of other religions SEEM TO have more religious freedom. I, also, believe that people can believe what they want, whether it’s the flying spaghetti monster or whatever, and have the right to change beliefs as they wish.
I will not have religion forced upon me, either – state religions are an abomination and a pox. 🙂
Agreed! I reckon that any religion that believes it is the “one true way” is inherently buggy and in need of fixing. 😎
It’s not just state religions either, any form of proselytizing is (to me) morally wrong.
“It’s not just state religions either, any form of proselytizing is (to me) morally wrong.” Funny enough, I don’t mind at all – if it’s a bunch who are obviously barking mad (like the JW’s), I simply say “No thank you” – that has always worked up to now.
I quite enjoy arguing with the Mormons though, they are usually quite intelligent and articulte, and well trained (I actually like them). 🙂 (as much as I can like people who arrive at incinvenient times).
And as for your first statement that is a classic -and should be taught to schoolchildren, but, alas, it won’t be.
BTW – if you want to chat about it anymore, I think it’d be better to go to email, since coming back to your blog and paging back into the past is probably going to old fast. I suspect, though that we have come to a consensus, and we’re not going to change anybody else’s mind, not that I really want to, anyway. 😉
I’m really bad with email (just ask my friends & family) but I agree we’ve come to a concensus and it’s time for new things – it’s been fun though!
Glad you liked that comment.. 🙂
all the best!
Chris
Both the BBC and the ABC are reporting he’s been freed for “lack of evidence” and is likely to claim asylum outside of the country.
Hopefully he’ll survive long enough to get out..
He did get out, and and was granted asylum in Italy.