Plan B Forum

As an aside, can the sitting and legal head of state of another country be legally arrested under internaitonal law or under the laws of most countries? I think most western countries recognize the Vatican as an independent country (alhough I don't know why), but would this make the pope legally exe...

Andrew--if the disruption was soely the noise generated by whomever was passing by, then I think your point is well taken; but here i think the disruption is more the message than the noise. I would think many burying their dead would object to a silent group of Westboro people holding the hateful s...

I have to agree (at least based on what I've read); and it's this LCD crowd that has the fits. Personally, I think he's entitled to his opinion, but I just get sick and tired of hearing the same old BS rehashed over and over again. Maybe he has more serious commentary, but I haven't seen it.

Andrew--that just might work. I like the idea of creating a short term leasehold, as it is then the lessee, and not the government, who iseeking to restrict access. Sue--my only problem with that is that military fnerals with all their trappings are awful close to making a political speech supportin...

I think it's more that he tries to use his beliefs to give him some sort of superior status among mankind, much as many religious folks do. He's more of a self-aggrandizing loudmouth than a serious commentator.

Protesting outside (or at the gate of) a military base is not analogous. It does not prevent the military personnel from going about their business inside their base. (And if one is sane, one does not try to impede them in the performance of their duties, inside or outside their base.) People go to...

Point taken Andrew, many clergy do live well using property not owned by them. my only point was that many, if not most, RC priests (in the US at least) do not take vows of poverty. As for other bsuinesses, while I agree that they usully don't try to cover up child abuse, many have enngaged in orche...

Andrew--isn't a military funeral, with all the flag waving and gun salutes and taps, a political statement (perhaps of support for the government and war effort)? Not that I begrudge anyone having one, but I do think it is at least partially political. Lo--not certain what has to be done for harassm...

All of this is long overdue. Of course the pope should be arrested; he runs a criminal enterprise. The Vatican should just be taken. Every single thing "owned" by the Roman Catholic Church actually belongs to (a) the victims of the Roman Catholic Church's crimes and (b) humanity in general. The Rom...

I couldn't access the link, but I think when a court rules a statute is excessively broad, they are concerned it will cover many other things; e.e. nature videos showing animals fighting; movies showing a heroic dog fighting off a bear (or whatever), movies showing hunting or fishing (which could be...

Thanks for posting this.

Didn't a sheriff in Selma do that years ago (no pesticide as I recall). Aomehow, I doubt if the groundskeeper would be condmened by anyway near as many people as the sherif was.

But I doubt it would make this sort of thing a "hate crime" as no crime is actually being committed. Certainly if threats were directly made against one or more gay individuals, it would probably be covered by the law, but just saying that gays are immoral and hated by god is neither a threat nor an...

Andrew--my guess is the only thing we can do is to come out in full force during elections and make sure she and her fellow idiots don't even get a foothold in the corridors of power. But if W didn't spur that sort of reaction, I doubt Palin will. In the end, we get the government we deserve.

Absolutely, the story of Onan is about the consequences of disobeying god (here using coitus interruptus when directed to impregnate his brother's widow). Indeed, I think the RC church uses this story to condemn aritificial birth control (that's another rant); whether Onan (if he even existed) mastu...

Well then, what exactly is prayer? If you say it is supplication or petition for a deity's intercession, or it is praise or glorification of a deity -- which I think it is safe to say are the most commonly understood meanings -- then it is by definition a religious exercise. If you charcterize it a...

I like to think that the ameircn people are too intelligent to elect her into any significant office, but then I recall the tale of W and how he at least tied Gore and Kerry (the second after they saw what harm he could really do despite his "aw shucks" atitude", and I'm not so sure. And the scary t...

Sue--unless it is ruled as non religious because it is common--as using "In GOd We Trust" on our money, or having an invocation a school ceremonies.

She's kind of like the Wavy Gravy of the right.

While I opersonally agree with that opinion, the courts are all over the board about prayer if no particular religion is favored/endorsed. My guess is any review will turn on the reasoning behind the "National day of prayer"; if it really is to encourage people to pray, the court's ruling might well...