“You hurt my feelings … you should go to prison!”

“You insulted my religion … and if we can’t silence you, you should be prosecuted!”

“You disrespected my God … you must be punished!”

Can’t image this happening anywhere in the modern world?

You think it’s only in radical theocratic Islamic countries?

This musician in Poland has been charged with Blasphemy and faces prison.

“A heavy metal singer in trouble with Polish authorities over a photo of him stepping on an image of the Virgin Mary has launched a legal defence fund.
Adam Darski, known as Nergal, is appealing against a conviction of offending religious sentiment under Poland’s blasphemy laws.
He is appealing for donations in a crowdfunding campaign for Polish artists accused of blasphemy.
Poland has one of the world’s highest numbers of blasphemy and insult laws.”

In my view, this reveals Religion’s greatest fear and weakness:  disrespected by disbelief.

“You don’t believe what we believe … that hurts us and you must be stopped!”

Stepping on a picture, drawing an image, ripping up a bible, burning a qur’an … or challenging the power and authority of a Religious Establishment, shouldn’t be a crime.  It should never be a crime to “hurt the feelings” or “offend the beliefs” of others.

It may be an adolescent act, silly or stupid.  It may be unwise and certainly not conducive to building relationships across the borders of belief.  But not worthy of punishment or imprisonment.

And … I ask, how does Poland’s strict abortion laws show respect to women’s health and human rights?  Seems to me Christian Theocrats are stepping on Women … and maybe Mary too?

Note about the header photo (from the same BBC article):

“There’s another ongoing high-profile trial of three activists accused of the same offence for allegedly putting up posters and stickers depicting the “Black Madonna”, an icon venerated by Polish Catholics, with a halo of LGBT rainbow colours.”