Reclassify the Bible as indecent because of the sex and violence in it

Reclassify the Bible as indecent becuase of the sex and violence in it

news.yahoo.com

HONG KONG (Reuters) - More than 800 Hong Kong residents have called on authorities to reclassify the Bible as "indecent" due to its sexual and violent content, following an uproar over a sex column in a university student journal.

A spokesperson for Hong Kong's Television and Entertainment Licensing authority (TELA) said it had received 838 complaints about the Bible by noon on Wednesday.

(visit the link for the full news article)

`````````````````````
Title edit - spelling



[edit on 17/5/07 by masqua]

[edit on 17-5-2007 by UM_Gazz]

sweet sweet irony almost too hilarouse to be true talk about punching below the belt

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I agree, it contains sex and violence, it brainwashes people into complete morons and children should not read it.

It sounds to me like this is just being used to spark a debate. I don't think the bible or the article in question should be banned. As far as the debate goes by all means debate it, question it. The more you do the more all involved will read what is in question and reach there own conclusions.
After all that is what ATS is all about.

Topics that argue censorship on a forum such as this are almost redundant. If you post here, you are endorsing free speech. If you argue that speech should be censored at certain levels, which it should within the context of the group for whom communications are meant, then perhaps you need to take a closer look at where you are speaking.

The bible, taken out of context, is indecent and over-sexed and violent. It's supposed to be the word of God, after all. Don't expect the omnipotent being responsible for creating everything we see and do here to not fess up to some of the not-so-nice things along side of the miracle things.

What's a few lude passages between god and followers when He gives you the parting of the Red Sea, the changing of water to wine (nifty trick!) and the Ascension into Heaven, something David Copperfield is still working out the bugs to?

Actually this topic does not argue censorship this thread is about a group hitting back at fundies who try to censor every thing and any thing that does not fit their agenda you using their favorite line "OMG wont some one think of the children"

Using their line "OMG what about he children"??

Actually, you just admitted censorship an element of this thread. Besides, you want to attack "fundies", then do it. Just learn how to spell fundamentalist first that is unless your little txting fingers can't endure the strain of a few extra characters.

There is a legitimate point to setting bondaries for content. Are you telling me that no matter what the age, children should have access to sex, violence and indecency?

What the fundies argue is a matter of degree. When you take away the controls entirely, you are offering the same dangers that complete control offers.

If you think you are entitled to unfiltered data anytime, in anyway and you are a minor, then you are obviously in favor of giving crack to a baby and in favor of letting 8-year olds drive the family car to 1st grade class and in favor of allowing impressionable 11-year old little girls who think Hillary Duff and other brain-trust candidates vote for president. Heck, they may in choose them as a write-in candidate complete with a little smiley next to their ballot.

Originally posted by detonator
I agree, it contains sex and violence, it brainwashes people into complete morons and children should not read it.

Are you speaking from personal experience or is this just conjecture?

To call those who read the bible 'morons' is a bit inhospitable I think.

I am not an avid church goer these days, but I do believe everybody should have the opportunity to experience some type of religion and take what ever they want from it. Whether it be good or bad, the experience should be left to the individual.


I didn't see any smiley's in you comment so I assume you are serious with your statement?

Originally posted by detonator
I agree, it contains sex and violence, it brainwashes people into complete morons

The same thing could be said of almost every prime-time television show in the United States. While I'm sure this discussion brings glee to those already strongly opposed to the Bible, I doubt it has any realy world implications. There's not a single passage in the Bible that would violate any FCC rules or restrictions.

The site you linked to is more or less a collection of body humor. I expect that children in elementary or middle school would laugh or gasp at the passages, but the rest of us would yawn at their reading. While some of the passages are not dinner-time conversation, they hardly cross into obsecene.

Remember, a culture may reclassify any work of art, piece of literature or achievement in musical virtuosity it wants. The thing it has going against it is history and more specifically, oral history.

As a person who once barely made a living as an actor and story teller, I can tell you of the power of folk tales and the living oral history encapsulated within them. Don't bet for a second that the Bible would not endure beyond what ever reclassification could be levied against it.

It's roots are too strong and it's story is the basis of far too many other stories and books that are among our current catalog. Please don't confuse the pervasiveness of the bible with brain washing. It is merely ingrained in our culture either directly or indirectly whether you'd like to believe it or not.

And that is just part of its strength as a document.

As for the bible. I have read much of it, not all of it, to try to understand what it is. I can agree with much of what the person in red letters is saying, but because those are ideal ways of living in peace. My problem with the bible, that we all know and love, is that it has run the risk of being manipulated, by religious and political agendas, of the times. It is supposed to be the books that give us the answers but, if human kind has distorted it's message to fit personal views, I think it is safe to say that it can be brainwashing in a sense. I believe the only way to really understand the true message behind these books, is to learn the original language they have been written on and make your own interpretation then. Why let someone else tell you what it says?

Indecent, nah... C'mon, the Bible= words to live by!

Here, some of my favorites:

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)

"When you go out to war against your enemies and the LORD, your God, delivers them into your hand, so that you take captives, if you see a comely woman among the captives and become so enamored of her that you wish to have her as wife, you may take her home to your house. But before she may live there, she must shave her head and pare her nails and lay aside her captive's garb. After she has mourned her father and mother for a full month, you may have relations with her, and you shall be her husband and she shall be your wife. However, if later on you lose your liking for her, you shall give her her freedom, if she wishes it; but you shall not sell her or enslave her, since she was married to you under compulsion."
(Deuteronomy 21:10-14 NAB)

"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives."
(Leviticus 20:13 NAB)

But if this charge is true (that she wasn't a virgin on her wedding night), and evidence of the girls virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her fathers house and there her townsman shall stone her to death, because she committed a crime against Israel by her unchasteness in her father's house. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. (Deuteronomy 22:20-21 NAB)

Anyone who is captured will be run through with a sword. Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes. Their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes. For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off. The attacking armies will shoot down the young people with arrows. They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for the children. (Isaiah 13:15-18 NLT)

Good stuff!
More of my favorites @ EVIL BIBLE QUOTES

[edit on 5/18/2007 by DiabolusFireDragon]

Great, another bible bashing thread

You don't like the bible, fine. Don't like Christians? Fine. But as my mother used to say, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

I'm a Christian, but I hate how (all) religions are used to further some sort of agenda. That being said, how about banning Chinese child labor? Think that would help a bit more then banning the bible.

Peace,
FK

Originally posted by Frontkjemper
Great, another bible bashing thread

You don't like the bible, fine. Don't like Christians? Fine. But as my mother used to say, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

I'm a Christian, but I hate how (all) religions are used to further some sort of agenda. That being said, how about banning Chinese child labor? Think that would help a bit more then banning the bible.

Peace,
FK

I don't think this was ever meant to be a bible bashing thread.

I think it was meant to bash those places who choose to reclassify the bible.

reply to post by DiabolusFireDragon

EvilBible.com is Dead

Large portions of evilbible.com have been considered, dissected and declared fallacious on very many levels.
Two examples of this fact are as follows:

Whilst besmirching the Bible for allegedly commanding rape evilbible.com, for some odd reason, neglects to mention the most relevant biblical text related to the biblical view of and law about rape. Why this omission? Who knows, but it would certainly have gotten in the way of a good session of emotive expression of prejudice—it would have discredited evilbible.com to reference this most important text. Indeed, those annoying little facts have an annoying way of getting in the way of good fallacious assertions.

Whilst besmirching the Bible for allegedly commanding human sacrifice evilbible.com, for some odd reason, neglects to mention that the Bible does not command but condemns human sacrifice. Evilbible.com, for some odd reason, neglects to mention that when the Bible reports that human sacrifices did take place they were carried out by Gentile Pagans who were not worshiping the God of the Bible but various false gods. When “Jews” were performing human sacrifices it was only when they turned away from the God of the Bible and joined Gentile Pagans in worshiping various false gods. Yet, in typical militant activist atheist fashion, evilbible.com does not condemn Gentile Pagans but only condemns the Jews.
Further evidence of this is found at this URL:

atheismisdead.blogspot.com...

Can't remember the last time I read an article targeting the Koran???

Seems people have something against Christians??? Dont know why???

Do Christians constantly pick on Athiest... if so where are the articles/threads?

I read the bible time to time...i do belive in god and jesus(im protestant) but have lost 2 parents to cancer, and my faovrite cat few days ago..so times like this,i look on the bible more htan ever! Now, for the sex stuff being in thebible..where is it? I do know of JOB? I think it is..his 2 daughters got him drunk, layed with him,a nd got pregnant. OUtside fo that, wheres the rest of the sex??? as for violence, thiers some stuff thier, that i will admitt too. Example..the destruction of Sodom and gamora, the angel he sent into those citys, where the people were worshiping different gods, having sex with almost everyone, people were of murderous scandal. Its not that descriptive in violence! For me the most violent part of the bible, is revaltaions. I remember my mom telling me abuot revalations when i was jsut akid, because i read it int he bible, and being at sundaty school. God, did it make me cry and literally strike fear into me!

I thought China already had strict controls on organized religion. Everything was all "official" only if done under the China Christian Commission or something like that?

And they still persecute people for having "unregistered" religious gatherings.

So are the people calling for a book to be labeled "indecent" just freaking out about a minority of folks walking a thin legal line reading it in their basement? Or is it feigned outrage hyped by their government who doesnt want them there in the first place to promote more persecution without public backlash?

It's just a book. Get over it.

Originally posted by halfmanhalfamazing
Can't remember the last time I read an article targeting the Koran???

Seems people have something against Christians??? Dont know why???

Maybe because after spending 1000 or more years persecuting and discriminating against anyone who didn't believe in the bible its time for the shoe to be put on the other foot.

Its about time.



[edit on 30-7-2009 by FreeSpeaker]

Originally posted by FreeSpeaker

Originally posted by halfmanhalfamazing
Can't remember the last time I read an article targeting the Koran???

Seems people have something against Christians??? Dont know why???

Maybe because after spending 1000 or more years persecuting and discriminating against anyone who didn't believe in the bible its time for the shoe to be put on the other foot.

Its about time.

About your answer to the 2nd question: Talk about holding a grudge? 1000 years?

I mean sure some things like this happened:

4thefirsttime.blogspot.com...

In 1600, a man named Giordano Bruno was convicted of being a heretic for believing that the earth moved around the Sun, and that there were many planets throughout the universe where life existed. Bruno was burnt to death.

They were about to torture Galileo when he was 68 years old and sick for also claiming the earth revolved around the sun. But, 350 years after Galileo died in 1642, the church apologized to him in 1992 (even though they figured out the earth DOES revolve around the sun before 1992), so can't we let bygones be bygones? Or are you still miffed they didn't apologize to Bruno for burning him to death?

Regarding halfmanhalfamazing's first question: It's because if you criticize the Koran, you get either death threats (even if you're the Pope) or actually killed by the peace loving Muslims:

www.messianicisrael.com...

The message from Islam: How dare anyone call us violent! We'll show you violence! How dare you insult the religion of Peace! For this you must die!

In one way it would be comical if it was not true. Think about what is really happening, Islam contends it is being accused of being evil and inhuman. They are upset over what they claim is a false accusation, so they react by committing evil and inhuman acts. So far they have fire bombed two West Bank churches, burn an effigy of the Pontiff, and held degrading and threatening demonstrations throughout the world.

As for the sex and violence in the Bible, I remember from a very young age understanding the violence in the Bible, that there was a whole lot of smiting going on. But the sex part I didn't quite grasp because of some of the code words used like when a man knows a woman, I didn't know it meant he had sex with her, so i don't know how much the sex stories are a threat to children if they don't understand them.

As for violence, it seems that Americans would rather have their kids see movies with violence and blood and guts in them, than to see a brief glimpse of a naked woman. In Europe, seems like seeing a naked woman isn't as big a deal and there is more reluctance to exposing children to violence? And considering the popularity of the overdone violence in the passion of the Christ movie, it seems violence and the Bible are a good match for American priorities and therefore the Bible won't be reclassified in America.

Whether it will be reclassified in Hong Kong remains to be seen, but it's certainly an interesting response by the group promoting this.