Should a person go to jail for wearing a t-shirt with those words?
Yes
No
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Those words will get you thrown in the slammer in Australia. Fair or not?
[quote]A GOLD Coast teenager who wore a T-shirt by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth that reads ‘Jesus is a c**t’ has been charged with offensive behaviour.
Above the offensive slogan a nun is depicted masturbating.
A 16-year-old was arrested on Monday for wearing the shirt and was charged with offensive behaviour under the Summary Offences Act 2005 for public nuisance.
Senior Sergeant Arron Ottaway said the teen was walking along Hollywell Road, in Biggera Waters, when a officer saw him. . .
Gold Coast lawyer Bill Potts said the arrest highlighted Australia’s need for a Bill of Rights.
“One of the great problems with our country is that we talk about rights such as privacy and freedom of speech and the like but they are not enshrined or protected in any way as they are in America,” he said. . .
Mr Potts said charging the teen was ‘ludicrous’ and brought the law into disrepute.
“A shirt might offend some and might be amusing to others,” he said.
"If a person was wearing the shirt in a church or a religious rally where it was specifically intended to offend or cause disruption, then perhaps the prosecution might stand a chance.
“However, to criminalise juvenile or boorish messages is to bring the law into disrepute. The police are acting like the thought police and censors.” [/quote] news.com.au/story/0,23599,23 … public_rss
I don’t think this should be a matter of law. On the other hand, if there are severe social repercussions it would be alright. If I were a business owner I’d refuse to serve a person wearing a shirt like that.
If it said “Buddha” “Allah” or “Your mother” I’d have the same reaction. It’s definitely offensive, but I think it comes up short of obscene.
[quote=“R. Daneel Olivaw”]I don’t think this should be a matter of law. On the other hand, if there are severe social repercussions it would be alright. If I were a business owner I’d refuse to serve a person wearing a shirt like that.
If it said “Buddha” “Allah” or “Your mother” I’d have the same reaction. It’s definitely offensive, but I think it comes up short of obscene.[/quote]
I remember when I was a teen and my dad was embarrased to go out in public with me a couple of times when I was wearing a Stones t-shirt with a big tongue. He’s not a christian, but he would’ve loved the jesus shirt.
If he’d have said, “Jesus is a lady part” he probably would have gotten away with it.[/quote]
Yea, but where do you draw the line?
Maybe “Jesus is a fish taco” might be acceptable but “Jesus is a bearded clam” might be forbidden. “Jesus is a fur burger” might be ok but “Jesus is a gaping hatchet wound” might be off limits.
How are we to know? I would propose that Aussie law should be modified to clarify specifically which phrases are legal and which are not.
My wife and I were eating breakfast in a bakery the other day and a short-haired, tuff-looking Taiwanese girl walked past with a shirt stating in big letters “Mother Fucker”. I laughed. No one else in the place, including my wife, even noticed it.
[quote=“R. Daneel Olivaw”]I don’t think this should be a matter of law. On the other hand, if there are severe social repercussions it would be alright. If I were a business owner I’d refuse to serve a person wearing a shirt like that.
If it said “Buddha” “Allah” or “Your mother” I’d have the same reaction. It’s definitely offensive, but I think it comes up short of obscene.[/quote]
About the Jesus bit, I agree with RDO. It’s an offensive opinion, but not an issue for the courts, IMO. A graphic depiction of masturbation however is pornography, and there are obscenity laws that deal with that. The fact that it’s a nun doing the nasty doesn’t change the degree of obscenity, just the degree of offensiveness.
Yeah, that’s about the right distinction, I think.
I wonder what parents think about the offensive stuff right out in public, though, where it’s impossible to protect your kids from it. How do you deal with that?
[quote=“Dragonbones”]Yeah, that’s about the right distinction, I think.
I wonder what parents think about the offensive stuff right out in public, though, where it’s impossible to protect your kids from it. How do you deal with that?[/quote]
I tell my kids, “You’re going to see shit like that every mother fucking place you go.”
[quote=“Maoman”][quote=“R. Daneel Olivaw”]I don’t think this should be a matter of law. On the other hand, if there are severe social repercussions it would be alright. If I were a business owner I’d refuse to serve a person wearing a shirt like that.
If it said “Buddha” “Allah” or “Your mother” I’d have the same reaction. It’s definitely offensive, but I think it comes up short of obscene.[/quote]
About the Jesus bit, I agree with RDO. It’s an offensive opinion, but not an issue for the courts, IMO.[/quote]
Agreed. However, if it did say Allah you can bet the Thought Police would have you in front of a Human Rights Commission ASAP. So, if Allah is off limits, why not Jesus?
no ones asking the big question…why is jesus a cunt? its a bold statement, you gotta back it up with some evidence. like did he steal your bird or mess with ya motor? otherwise just lay off the dude.
