Gość: Jerzy
IP: *.bielsko.cvx.ppp.tpnet.pl
17.01.03, 09:24
Sweden's shame
Wolność słowa i religii w Szwecji -
Polecam ciekawy artykuł na temat wolności słowa i religii w Szwecji.
Szwecja jest krajem rzekomo bardzo tolerancyjnym, nie toleruje jednak tych,
którzy pielęgnują tradycyjne spojrzenie na homoseksualizm jako zboczenie i
grzech.
Według poprawek wprowadzonych do konstytucji, a które mają zacząć obowiązywać
od stycznia 2003, mówienie o homoseksualizmie jako o grzechu może spotkać się
z karą do czterech lat więzienia. Fragmenty Katechizmu Katolickiego, które
traktują homoseksualizm jako grzech, staną się sprzeczne z prawem. Pastorzy,
którzy będą mówić o tym zboczeniu jako o grzechu, mogą spotkać się
Szwecja daje wielką wolność dzieciom – jakiekolwiek karanie ich przez
rodziców jest niedozwolone. Nawet zwykły klaps na pupę może spowodować, że
rodzice zostaną pozbawieni prawa do wychowywania dziecka pod zarzutem
niewłaściwego traktowania. Polecam ten artykuł,
Jerzy
Sweden's shame
www.worldmag.com/world/issue/08-10-02/opening_4.asp
Liberal Sweden, supposedly a land of tolerance, is about to make criticism of
homosexuality a crime
By Gene Edward Veith
Sweden is the liberal utopia. Confiscatory taxes fund a cradle-to-grave
welfare state, with "free" health care, job security, and government
regulation for all. Sexual freedom is taken for granted, to the point that
the majority of Swedish couples live together without being married, and the
majority of children are born out of wedlock.
Sweden has become so tolerant that it is taking the next step: prosecuting
those whom it considers intolerant, even if this means throwing out freedom
of speech and freedom of religion. The Swedish parliament has passed a
constitutional amendment that would make it a crime to teach that homosexual
behavior is immoral.
The Swedish constitution affirms freedom of expression but makes
exceptions. "Freedom of expression and freedom of information may be
restricted," says the constitution, under certain circumstances, including
speech that would "imply the unfavorable treatment of a citizen because he
belongs to a minority group by reason of race, color, or ethnic origin"
(Chapter 2, Articles 13 & 15). The amendment, which must be approved by one
more vote after the new parliament convenes in September, adds "sexual
orientation" to that list of groups that must not be subject to "unfavorable"
speech.
Sweden's Criminal Code already has laws against "insulting" or "agitating
against" minorities. The constitutional amendment, if approved, would go into
effect in January, effectively outlawing the teaching that homosexuality is
morally wrong. A pastor, for example, who teaches what the Bible says about
homosexual sin could go to prison for up to four years.
Despite, or perhaps because of, the Swedish culture's hostility to
Christianity, that country has a vibrant Christian community. Remnants of the
hopelessly liberal state church, abolished in 2000, remain, but as many as
one-third of the pastors in the Lutheran Church of Sweden are conservative.
There are also many independent churches, Lutheran, Pietist, Baptist,
Pentecostal, as well as Roman Catholics and Orthodox. Swedish evangelicals
are known throughout Europe for their evangelistic zeal, particularly in
sending missionaries to the former Communist states.
The new law would presumably outlaw the use of the Roman Catholic catechism,
which teaches that homosexuality is a sin, as well as the teachings of Islam.
(Sweden's ultra-tolerant immigration policies have brought in some 300,000
Muslims.) As Swedish Christians understand the law, they would be allowed to
quote the Scriptures, but they would not be allowed to say that what the
Scriptures teach on the matter is applicable today. If they do, they could go
to prison.
The new law is only one front in the Swedish establishment's war against
Christianity and other conservative religions. Conservative pastors and
Christian schools report constant harassment by government officials.
Indeed, parental rights-like other "family values"-have gone the way of the
Viking ships. Spanking one's child is a criminal offense. The government
tells children to turn in their parents if they attempt to punish them. The
government has taken away children from Christian parents on trumped-up child-
abuse charges, because of even mild exercises of physical discipline.
Organizations ranging from Amnesty International to the United Nations oppose
human-rights abuses, and the United States regularly slaps sanctions on
nations that violate human rights.
Persecution of Christians around the world has gained new attention. China,
Sudan, Iran, Indonesia, and other Muslim and African nations have been the
most noted offenders, and have received widespread condemnation for their
anti-Christian oppression. But will white, European, progressive Sweden face
the same kind of sanctions and international condemnation if they start
imprisoning people for disapproving of homosexuality? Sweden is a member of
the European Union, whose founding documents commit member nations to human
rights and to policies of religious tolerance. Will the EU discipline Sweden
if it amends its constitution to allow religious persecution?
Will the United States lodge a statement of concern or of protest, through
the State Department or the American Consulate or a resolution from Congress,
to discourage the new parliament from ratifying the new law? We do that sort
of thing to Israel, when it mistreats Palestinians, and to Serbia, when it
mistreats its religious minorities. When the offenses are particularly
flagrant, we cut off trade against the oppressive nation. Should we not give
Sweden the same treatment?
More importantly, is Sweden just slightly ahead of where the United States
will be in a few years? Will anti-discrimination laws, which punish external
actions, develop into laws that punish inner convictions and beliefs? Will
the desire to be tolerant mutate into an oppressive intolerance against
intolerance?
