[andyt]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

Well I'm not a fan of freedom of religion anyway, so discriminating against one religion is fine by me.

I guess right there is why we need freedom of religion, since apparently freedom of thought, expression and assembly would allow the above sort of bullshit.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

andyt andyt:

Well decide which it is, Bart. If Austria has every right to discriminate against expansionist Islam based on 400 y 0 history, then Islam has the right to discriminate against the imperialist and expansionist West of 60 years ago. Or the attacks of the last decade. Seems like a mugs game to me.

What Austria should do is join the 21st century. Abolish the concept of official state religion altogether, and make this foreign funding law apply to all religions. And while they're at it, abolish the tax free status of religions too.

I wonder, when are you going to start crying about all the Mid-East countries that operate and enforce laws based on their state religion?

[andyt]

I weep every day. Doesn't seem to have much effect tho.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

andyt andyt:

I weep every day. Doesn't seem to have much effect tho.

OK, let me rephrase that. I wonder when you're going to start pissing and moaning in HERE on a daily basis about state/official religions in Mid-East countries.

[andyt]

if it comes up as a topic I will. Just as I didn't post anything about Austria, just pissed and moaned about it when it came up. I've repeatedly made clear that I am for states being strictly secular. If you think that means I have to make a list of all states each time I say this, up to you. I piss and moan about the Western states more on this subject, because they all claim to be secular in one form or another. And because pissing and moaning in the West actually has a chance of achieving change. One thing you can say about the Mid-East countries, at least they aren't hypocrites about it, claim to be secular but aren't. Plus I live here.

[BartSimpson]

andyt andyt:

if it comes up as a topic I will. Just as I didn't post anything about Austria, just pissed and moaned about it when it came up. I've repeatedly made clear that I am for states being strictly secular. If you think that means I have to make a list of all states each time I say this, up to you. I piss and moan about the Western states more on this subject, because they all claim to be secular in one form or another. And because pissing and moaning in the West actually has a chance of achieving change. One thing you can say about the Mid-East countries, at least they aren't hypocrites about it, claim to be secular but aren't. Plus I live here.

Austria is a majority Catholic people with a secular government.

They legally recognize civilized religions and they discourage cults and sects that openly preach against the freedoms of other people.

That would include the Wahhabist flavor of Islam that Saudi Arabia currently exports.

[Jabberwalker]

The Austrians had the Saracens hammering away at the gates of Vienna and they obviously remember. Their occupation of the Balkans for a few hundred years probably gave them all sorts of direct experience with Islam and I'll bet that they have libraries full if material on the subject.

[andyt]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Austria is a majority Catholic people with a secular government.

They legally recognize civilized religions

Like Islam, since the Op is about Austria giving greater recognition to it as a state sanctioned religion?

[martin14]

andyt andyt:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Austria is a majority Catholic people with a secular government.

They legally recognize civilized religions

Like Islam, since the Op is about Austria giving greater recognition to it as a state sanctioned religion?

Very funny. Stupid, but funny.

That law was passed in 1912, when Austria-Hungary controlled what is now Bosnia.

It was another attempt to keep together an empire with dozens of different nationalities and languages.

It cannot be repealed today, because das raycis. So the only other option is to exercise some control over how Islam is funded.

[Public_Domain]

[Public_Domain]

[andyt]

martin14 martin14:

andyt andyt:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Austria is a majority Catholic people with a secular government.

They legally recognize civilized religions

Like Islam, since the Op is about Austria giving greater recognition to it as a state sanctioned religion?

Very funny. Stupid, but funny.

That law was passed in 1912, when Austria-Hungary controlled what is now Bosnia.

It was another attempt to keep together an empire with dozens of different nationalities and languages.

It cannot be repealed today, because das raycis. So the only other option is to exercise some control over how Islam is funded.

$1:

The new measures, first proposed three years ago, include the protection of religious holidays and training for imams.

[Zipperfish]

andyt andyt:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

Well I'm not a fan of freedom of religion anyway, so discriminating against one religion is fine by me.

I guess right there is why we need freedom of religion, since apparently freedom of thought, expression and assembly would allow the above sort of bullshit.

I don't even know what freedom of thought means. What control over thought does the state have anyways? I can think whatever I pelase adn teh state has no way of knowing what I'm thinking.

But the various other freedoms cover our right to believe what we choose to believe, within limits. Freedom or relgion is a special right accorded certain large multinational religions. It's not concxerned with belief at all, but with the earthly manifestations of what that belief entails, which is why so many freedom of religion cases invovle the right to wear a funny hat. That's all it boils down to really; the right to wear a funny hat, or niqab, or yarmulke, or turban or whatevs. Collanders are out though, apparently.

[martin14]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

I don't even know what freedom of thought means.

In Bangladesh, it means death by machete.

Coming soon to a Brampton near you.

[Zipperfish]

martin14 martin14:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

I don't even know what freedom of thought means.

In Bangladesh, it means death by machete.

Coming soon to a Brampton near you.

If that writer had merely thought those words instead of writing them, he'd still be around. What limits could you possibly put on thought anyways? The guy that wrote that one in is an idiot.