Posted on 04/05/2012 2:57:08 AM PDT by Gillibrand
The completion of the investigation of Holocaust denier Bishop Richard Williamson takes longer than initially planned. In about three weeks, a penalty will be sought for race hatred of of 6500€, said the spokesman for the prosecutors in Regensburg, Wolfhard Meindl,on Tuesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at cathcon.blogspot.co.uk ...
I’ve said it before and will say it again: I’m Jewish and totally against any criminalization of thoughts and opinions (thought crime) including holocaust denial.
Advocating violence is one thing; believing and stating publicly that something did or did not happen or a person/race/religion/nationality is good/bad/evil/wonderful is something completely different.
Bishop Williamson knew that he was doing something that was illegal in Germany (he stated as much), whether the law is actually a good one or not. He was trying to be clever or rebellious or something. If he does go to jail, he has no one to blame but himself.
>>If he does go to jail, he has no one to blame but himself.
You are certainly entitled to the opinion that people that break a bad law have nobody but themselves to blame for the consequences, but I disagree.
Not to put the bishop in that category, but many have been, in fact, heroes.
That, in itself, does not negate the value of expat1000’s argument. I’m sure that Williamson knew he was doing something illegal. The question is whether we should be punished for our stated beliefs, however much they offend someone.
I put this German law in the same category as the hate crimes of the U.S. - just as offensive as the denial itself.
Believe it or not, Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe (aka Auschwitz Prisoner #16670) knowingly broke the law when he sheltered Jews from the Nazis. You may believe it, or not. The choice is yours. There shouldn’t be a law requiring you to believe it.
Everone has a right to be offended.
You are 100% correct.
I was told once that the difference between the French and the Germans was this.
The French may act how they want but they must all THINK alike.
The Germans may think how they like but they must all ACT alike.
From Wikipedia: In June 1988 Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre announced his intention to consecrate Williamson and three other priests as bishops. Lefebvre did not have a pontifical mandate for these consecrations (i.e. permission from the pope), normally required by Canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law. On June 17, 1988 Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops sent Williamson a formal canonical warning that he would automatically incur the penalty of excommunication if he were ordained by Lefebvre without papal permission.
Now both men are reaping what they sowed. God help them both. I'm sure they originally started out with the best of intentions.
Satan got to them. God help them.
Catholic clergy are ALWAYS and ALWAYS held to MUCH HIGHER standards than anyone else on the planet.
I never said people who break a bad law have nobody to blame but themselves, I was specifically referring to this one individual. He was doing this to protest a bad law, he was doing it in some juvenile act of rebellion. I don’t even know if he actually believes it, but apparently he thought it was clever to embarrass his group, and Catholics in general.
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