Can a convention trump the Constitution?

A new convention is making the rounds at the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Put forward by Pakistan

It proposes “legal prohibition of publication of material that negatively stereotypes, insults or uses offensive language” on matters regarded by religious followers as “sacred or inherent to their dignity as human beings.”

Whoa. Hold the phone. Who is going to define this? Even more important, who can this be used against? Is Richard Dawkins going to be jailed for saying people who believe in a god are deluded? Are creationists going to be locked up for declaring their god built the world in 6 days? Where would this proposal draw the line?

“Some claim that the best way to protect the freedom of religion is to implement so-called antidefamation policies that would restrict freedom of expression and the freedom of religion. I strongly disagree,” said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton this week.

Now that’s a statement I can get behind. I may not agree with your religion, I may even try to convert you to my way of thinking, but I definitely don’t want to put you in jail or otherwise punish you. As long as you feel the same way, I have no problem with you and your beliefs.

Here’s hoping the UN agrees with me.

Read the article at the Christian Science Monitor.

Prosperity for whom?

Newsoftheweird.com brought this one to my attention.

As Easter approached, the ad ran repeatedly on the Inspiration Network: David Cerullo, clutching a Bible, told viewers they, too, could receive prosperity, physical healing and other blessings God gave the ancient Israelites.

All they had to do, the televangelist said, was send $200 or more.

This is called “prosperity theology“. It boils down to “give a preacher money and Jesus Christ will give you even more money than you gave originally”. I didn’t realize Jesus could act as an investment banker or money manager. Doesn’t this “theology” run counter to the Bible? What was that about rich men and camels and the eyes of needles?

It gets worse, though.

Much of the money sent by people … is now funding the City of Light, a 93-acre campus in northern Lancaster County, S.C., where the network’s plans include a sophisticated training and broadcast center.

Taxpayers also are helping to pay for it. Eager to bring jobs to a county with 19 percent unemployment, South Carolina offered the network incentives worth up to $26 million to land the campus – a deal that has been questioned by economic development experts.

Whoa, horsey! Tax dollars are paying for a religious institution? Isn’t there something in the Constitution about this?

Does this mean that the Pastafarians or followers of the Invisible Pink Unicorn can get cash to build research centers and television networks? That would only be fair.

Read the story at the Charlotte Observer.