Skip to main content.
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
A Random Image
Exclusive Brethren:

Cleric says religious hatred law abused


ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 22558 • Posted: Saturday September 27, 2008  

  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Reader
  • Gmail
  • Yahoo Mail
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Blogger Post
  • Evernote
  • Facebook
  • Share/Bookmark
Click here... More articles on this topic: Exclusive Brethren

Cleric says hate law abused

Victoria’s religious hatred law is open to manipulation by groups who want to stifle criticism of their faith, a Uniting Church minister says.

Cult expert the Rev David Millikan said the original intention of the law was being undermined.

“If the purpose of the law is to protect religion from excessive and pernicious comments, then fair enough,” he told the Herald Sun.

“But if it means that journalists and experts have got to be careful when they’re doing nothing more than reporting matters of fact, then the law is allowed to become an ass.”

The Rev Millikan said the Exclusive Brethren, a Christian cult, was threatening him with the state’s religious vilification laws over comments he had made about the group.

The Sydney-based minister often gives interviews and legal evidence about cults.

The Rev Millikan said he was worried that the law was being used in a bid to shut down factually based criticism of religion.
[...]

In a high-profile case, two Victorian Christian pastors were found to have vilified Muslims in 2002 during a seminar and in some publications.

Danny Naliah and Daniel Scot, from Catch the Fire Ministries, eventually had the ruling overturned by the Court of Appeal.
[...]

Commission CEO Helen Szoke said the Rev Millikan appeared to misunderstand the purpose of racial and religious hatred laws.

“If a journalist or an academic or a commentator is discussing a race or religious matter, and they’re doing that in the course of their work and in good faith . . . then that doesn’t constitute vilification,” Dr Szoke said.

“The concept of vilification is about inciting hatred and really promoting and provoking serious contempt and revulsion of other people because of their race or religion.”

- Source: Cleric says hate law abused, John Masanauskas, Herald Sun (Austalia), Sep. 26, 2008 — Summarized by Religion News Blog
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Reader
  • Gmail
  • Yahoo Mail
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Blogger Post
  • Evernote
  • Facebook
  • Share/Bookmark


What You Can Do From Here

Read More Articles On These Topics
more cult news articlemore religion news Categories: Exclusive Brethren
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Follow Religion News Blog on Twitter


Read Another Article
Find Related Information
cult research search enginecountercult information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults
Find Related Books


Most Popular Today


Share This Article

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:





Counter Cult Search

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.


Apologetics Search

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine