Pastor in court over online 'satanic Islam' sermon

[JimC]

Lord Cardigan is not amused...

[NineBerry]

Simply stating the belief that Islam is "Satanic" shouldn't be considered illegal. I'd like to know whether the "Pastor" said other stuff that triggered prosecution.

[Hermit]

Simply stating the belief that Islam is "Satanic" shouldn't be considered illegal. I'd like to know whether the "Pastor" said other stuff that triggered prosecution.

He was charged with causing a grossly offensive message to be sent by means of a public electronic communications network. The trigger was a speech he gave, and you can listen to it in its entirety here. Here is the most objectionable bit. The pastor describes Islam as "the new evil" and a religion "spawned in hell".

That is of course grossly offensive to followers of that religion, but the pastor said nothing other than offensive stuff. I think the law under which he was charged sucks.

[NineBerry]

A person is guilty of an offence if he—

(a)sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character; or

(b)causes any such message or matter to be so sent.

Very stupid law indeed.

[NineBerry]

The strange noises this "pastor" makes while speaking sound very Satanic to me.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

A person is guilty of an offence if he—

(a)sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character; or

(b)causes any such message or matter to be so sent.

Very stupid law indeed.

Very. Too fucking vague and weasel-wordy to live!

[mistermack]

Yeh. Grossly offensive is giving power to the offendee.

If I choose to be grossly offended by your views, it's grossly offensive.

They could have put some meat on it, so that INTENTION to offend a REASONABLE person was the only thing covered.
That would exclude all religion by definition.