Thursday, July 26, 2012

German Philosopher Wants Blasphemy Law

Robert Spaemann calls out the blasphemy law:  "The denial of the murder of six million Jews should be as small a crime as the denial of the crucifixion of Jesus in the Koran."

(kreuz.net)  The German courts are mute abou the religious people that can be publicly mocked with impunity.  The German philosopher, Robert Spaemann criticized the German daily newspaper 'Frankfurter Allgemeine'.

It's rare to find a judge who will punish one who insults religions.

That's even more valid than defamation, which disturbs "public peace", said Spaemann critically.

"That means in German: Only the Muslim religion enjoys the protection of the law, not Christian."

After all, the Muslims defend their religion, unlike the Christians, by force.

Botched Argumentation

Spaemann desires a blaphemy paragraph which doesn't defend the honor of God, but rather the feelings of the faithful.

In secular law things only deal with the person.  God -- who protects all -- doesn't apparently need any defense.

But: "People must be protected, whom God approaches, people who believe in God."

They would be commonly insulted with their religion -- "more deeply and seriously than through the insult to their own person".  Because: "God is holy to them".


Protect the holy, not those who honor it

Blasphemy, Spaemann observes is apparently not an official transgression, where it doesn't matter whether anyone is really offended.  It requires a plaintiff.  But having his feelings offended, should not be the only criterion, because it would reward an absurd sensitivity.

As a solution Spaemann naively trusts in "a measured room for play".  That is valid for every insult.


The Holocaust as the most holy of the secular muzzle Republic

The Philosopher explained that the secular German State, despite its religious neutrality in the German "genocide of the Jews" recognizes a quasi sacrality "like the crucifixion of Jesus".

The "denial of the murder of six million Jews" should be as punishable, says Spaemann --  even as little "as the denial of the crucifixion of Jesus for example in the Koran".

Holocaust denial is "simply a false statement of facts":  "Yet for questions of truth, however, the state is not the decisive entity."

The ridicule of the victim is something Spaemann "holds as an objective defamation, which may not be punished under the law".

Actually, distinguishing the death of Jesus from the murder of the Jews, there is apparently "in no way ascribed a salvific character", believes the philosopher.

Link to kreuz.net....

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