UPDATE AT BOTTOM
The BBC thinks the question of whether there ought to be a law that allows governments to kill gays because they are gay is a legimate topic.
The BBC takes Islam so seriously that it has bought into the idea that Sharia is a legitimate form of law.
From Yahoo News:
One has to wonder if it isn't time to kill the BBC.LONDON – Politicians are criticizing the BBC for inviting debate on whether homosexuals should face execution in Uganda.
The broadcaster launched an on-line debate over a proposed Ugandan law that would punish some homosexual acts by life imprisonment or death.
BBC's "Africa Have Your Say" Web site asked for people's views on whether Uganda has gone too far and whether there should be any laws against gays.
But several British politicians said Wednesday that the BBC should not treat the execution of gays as a legitimate topic for discussion.
Opposition lawmaker Lynne Featherstone has written to BBC executives seeking an apology and end to the Web discussion. "The BBC are only fanning the flames of hatred as many of the comments demonstrate," she says.
I'll stand with the gays on this one. If they decide it's time to kill the BBC, I'm ready and willing to start shooting.
UPDATE: Commenter Tom points out that Uganda is a Christian country. So, I was wrong to call the BBC out for dhimmitude in this case. Sorry.
Here's the story:
US Christian Leaders Oppose Uganda’s “Kill Gays” Bill
Timothy Kincaid
December 8th, 2009
A collection of religious leaders organized by Faith in the Public Life have issued a statement in opposition to Uganda’s “Kill Gays” bill (pdf).
And, unlike the careful language of some that only seems to sympathize with ex-gay ministries and oppose mandated reporting, this statement seems to find Christian sympathy for the targets of this legislation and is not conditional in its opposition.
Our Christian faith recognizes violence, harassment and unjust treatment of any human being as a betrayal of Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. As followers of the teachings of Christ, we must express profound dismay at a bill currently before the Parliament in Uganda. The “Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2009″ would enforce lifetime prison sentences and in some cases the death penalty for homosexual behavior, as well as punish citizens for not reporting their gay and lesbian neighbors to the authorities.
As Americans, some may wonder why we are raising our voices to oppose a measure proposed in a nation so far away from home. We do so to bear witness to our Christian values, and to express our condemnation of an injustice in which groups and leaders within the American Christian community are being implicated. We appeal to all Christian leaders in our own country to speak out against this unjust legislation.
In our efforts to imitate the Good Samaritan, we stand in solidarity with those Ugandans beaten and left abandoned by the side of the road because of hatred, bigotry and fear. Especially during this holy season of Advent, when the global Christian community prepares in hope for the light of Christ to break through the darkness, we pray that they are comforted by God’s love.
Regardless of the diverse theological views of our religious traditions regarding the morality of homosexuality, in our churches, communities and families, we seek to embrace our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters as God’s children worthy of respect and love. Yet we are painfully aware that in our country gays and lesbians still face hostility and violence. We recognize that such treatment degrades the human family, threatens the common good and defies the teachings of our Lord — wherever it occurs.
Click here to see BTB’s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda.
Thomas P. Melady
Former U.S. Ambassador to Uganda and the Vatican
Ronald J. Sider
President
Evangelicals for Social Action
Jim Wallis
President
Sojourners
Dr. Sharon E. Watkins
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada
Tony Campolo, PhD
President
Evangelical Association to the Promotion of Education
Bryan N. Massingale, S.T.D.
President, Catholic Theological Society of America
Associate Professor of Theological Ethics Marquette University
The Rev. Canon Peg Chemberlin
Incoming President
National Council of Churches of Christ USA
Brian McLaren
author. speaker. Activist
Jim Winkler
General Secretary
United Methodist General Board of Church and Society
Geoffrey Black
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
Rev. Paul de Vries, PhD
President, New York Divinity School
Board Member, National Association of Evangelicals
Chris Korzen
Executive Director
Catholic United
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez
President
National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
And many more.
22 comments:
Long live BBC...God bless you and give your people the courage to stand up against scums of the earth...including these pariah bloggers.
"BBC's "Africa Have Your Say" Web site"
I say kill the website and the marxists behind it and leave the TV alone. Why? because it's the only way to get TV free of advertising.
The advertising on ALL the other stations is now as bad here as it is in the US with 20 minutes of advertising in every hour.
It's drives me fucking MAAAAD!!
The only way I can survive it is to record on to my PVR and fast forward the ads at 12>>Times. Any slower and the ads can still make sense.
So you guys, gives us a break or we will end up as crazy as you :)
p.s. Just heard on TV that the item in question has been removed because of complaints to the BBC
I can't fault the BBC for trying to engender discussion, but have noticed that moderators can be very partisan and pro-islamic in what they choose to censor.
maccusgermanis
Hi Ray, how's it going over there? Besides the BBC pondering the righteousness of stoning people to death? Between Obambi's Safe Schools Czar reading XXX hardcore gay porn to the kiddies and the Muzzies building a mosque next to Ground Zero I just keep upping my blood pressure meds and hope for the best.
I know what you mean about the commercials on tv but it's the ones that keep popping up on the computer screen like demented clowns that are driving me nuts.
maccus
I know what you mean. 20 years ago that would have been a Monty Python skit. Now it's what passes for reality.
Other Anonymous
We appear to have picked up a very persistent little Islamobrainwashed troll. He'd be less tedious if he took his nose out of that bound wad of toilet paper called the Koo-ran and brushed up on his English a bit. Here's a hint: you don't need to stick a 'd' onto the end of every verb.
Where did we get this Anonymous troll? Did he Google "Gay Bashing" for fun and then come here and find we're actually against it?
Ray,
Have you ever noticed how many of your comments are on the subject of how you don't want to pay for things?
You are very close to be an outright Socialist.
You don't want advertising on your television. You ought to just get TV for free.
You don't want to pay for your fair share of healthcare. Others ought to chip in.
Etc.
At what point do you just call yourself a Communist?
Pasto:"Have you ever noticed how many of your comments are on the subject of how you don't want to pay for things?"
I think you are deliberately trying to piss me off. As you do not appear to know about the UK I do pay for the BBC, every month, about £13. I also pay for Sky, about £18 a month.
I do not begrudge paying for the BBC because the programming is better AND there are no adverts. Why would I want to watch crappy adverts over and over again?
"You don't want to pay for your fair share of healthcare."
That's just fucking insulting. Again your ignorance is showing. I have paid insurance all my working life. It works for us so up yours.
As for socialists and communists I detest them, hence my comment including marxists.
If you are going to respond to lighthearted comments in this way then I'm gone from here . . . or is that what you want?
Ray said: I think you are deliberately trying to piss me off. As you do not appear to know about the UK I do pay for the BBC, every month, about £13. I also pay for Sky, about £18 a month.
I do not begrudge paying for the BBC because the programming is better AND there are no adverts. Why would I want to watch crappy adverts over and over again?
I say: I didn't know that. Here in the US, public tv is paid for by the government. I don't watch it, even though it doesn't have ads, because I fucking hate government programming.
I won't listen to National Public Radio either.
The government should not be in the media business in my opinion.
"I say: I didn't know that. Here in the US, public tv is paid for by the government. I don't watch it, even though it doesn't have ads, because I fucking hate government programming."
The government has nothing to do with the BBC, not even the programming.
Well, what about the rest of it?
You have gone beyond the pale - unacceptable, beyond normal standards of decency - what with crass comments re socialism, healthcare etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom
In America we call that a tax.
If it is a tax, we call it government run.
That's the way we think.
If the government gets involved in healthcare, we call that Socialism.
I'm not going to apologize for using commonly accepted definitions, just because you have different definitions in the UK.
Socialism
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Socialism
: so·cial·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1837
1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done
Since the authority for killing gays must be the quran, and since the authority for the quran is ... er... well... the perfect anti gay anti jew and apparently mostly anti christian being in the sky ...WHY ISN'T THE BBC DISCUSSING BY WHAT AUTHORITY THE LAW IS ENACTED?
By WHOSE proof is this authority vetted to be law?
Pastorius,
Its nice to hear these Christian groups condemn this abomination. If you think its okay to kill someone just because they are attracted to people of the same sex, I have a serious problem with you.
I agree, Damien.
"I'm not going to apologize for using commonly accepted definitions, just because you have different definitions in the UK."
No, of course not but you could apologise for making a personal off topic attack which was very offensive.
I am sorry to belabor this, but what was off topic?
You said: "Ray,
Have you ever noticed how many of your comments are on the subject of how you don't want to pay for things?
You are very close to be an outright Socialist.
You don't want advertising on your television. You ought to just get TV for free.
You don't want to pay for your fair share of healthcare. Others ought to chip in.
Etc.
At what point do you just call yourself a Communist?"
If you cannot see that your reply to my lighthearted comment was offensive then you are not the fairminded man I thought you were.
BTW I see you have removed me from contributing to IBA - at least it does not come up when I try to login. Would I be able to describe you as no better than Charles Johnson?
I would not delete your comments, or block you as a commenter.
AND, I would love to have you post here.
However, I can not have you as a contributor if you have taken such a dislike for me.
The reason?
Because I have had the experience of many of my European contributors going through the archives and changing their posts.
I'm tired of the Euro contributors trying to rewrite history.
We had one American contributor do that as well. Her name was Pim's Ghost.
I think these people do it out of fear, not anger at me. I think they are afraid of their governments. I'm not sure.
But, if you're angry with me, then I have no idea what kind of mischief you might decide to create.
I will apologize to this extent. My comment was over-the-top. And, you're right. You pay a fee to watch the BBC, and part of that fee is to ensure that there are no commercials. So, in that sense you are getting what you pay for, and my criticism was unwarranted.
Personally, I hate government radio and tv. Maybe the BBC is better than PBS and NPR. What do I know? I've seen BBC News, and I am not impressed.
Over here in the U.S. we also have the National Endowment for the Arts.
I think artists should stop being such pussies and taking money from the government. That disgusts me. I am an artist. I never asked for a handout EVER. I wrote my songs, sang them, got paid meagerly, lived in the ghetto, and did not complain. In fact, I gloried in it, because it was the life I chose. I was free. I did not chain myself to a desk at 22 like most other people. I'm glad I have lived the life I have lived, and I have contempt for people who expect the government to take care of them.
And, that contempt is growing because the national zeitgeist (created by the Obama Administration) is that government handouts are good.
That is not the America I have known. And, as I've said before, when people are taken care of by the government, they become perpetual teenagers, and they don't know how to take care of themselves, and they become risk averse, and incapable of protecting themselves, thus more likely to bow down to the Muslims in their midst.
And ultimately, that is the reason I care.
"However, I can not have you as a contributor if you have taken such a dislike for me."
I have always tried to act as a balance in topics re the UK that I think are wrong headed. You have recognised this in the past. I don't comment on US issues that I do not have knowledge about.
I do not dislike you, I was in fact "hurt" at what I saw as a quite savage attack that was in fact not justified. To suggest that I don't seem to want to pay for anything is certainly offensive in the circumstances. I am in fact a pensioner in my late 60's and I do have to be careful with my money but that is irrelevant in the issues raised.
As for the BBC it is not run by the government. It produces many fine programmes, far better than the commercial stations. True, as in all MSM it will be dominated by lefties but it is laid down in it's charter that it has to be neutral.
If you have a certain point of view then you may detect some bias in news progs. It presents news factually and I hardly ever detect bias. It is far less biased than Fox News for instance.
The BBC and the NHS are part of our culture. A vast majority of the population - of all political persuasions - would go against ANY political party that tried to change either.
They are as important to us as the right to bear arms are to you.
"But, if you're angry with me, then I have no idea what kind of mischief you might decide to create."
Yes, I was incensed, but I do not carry grudges and it never occured to me to change past posts.
Incidentally: to drive a car we need to buy a licence, to fish in the rivers we need a licence, to watch TV we need a licence. These are not considered taxes. The revenue from the licences funds the roads, the river environment, the BBC.
Britain is not a socialist country just because we have a national health service. The means of production is not by the workers, for the workers. We have a free market economy as you well know.
Ok, I am sorry for my comment. I can see why it offended you.
Email me at cuanasblog@yahoo.com
as I have lost your email address.
Then I can send you an invitation to contribute again.
I'm only trying to protect the integrity of this blog.
Personally, I'm very bothered by the deleting of history that many of our contributors have done.
I feel like I put myself on the line with this blog, and so it is personal to me when people cop out as they do.
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