And Now, from One the World's Most Sanctimonious Windbags.... (Is that characterization "thoughtless and cruel"?)

From The Times of London:

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has called for new laws to protect religious sensibilities that would punish “thoughtless and cruel” styles of speaking.

Dr Williams, who has seen his own Anglican Communion riven by fierce invective over homosexuality, said the current blasphemy law was “unworkable” and he had no objection to its repeal.

But whatever replaces it should “send a signal” about what was acceptable.

This should be done by “stigmatising and punishing extreme behaviours” that have the effect of silencing argument.

Of course, putting someone in prison is another way of silencing argument, so if Williams is, as he ought to be, too embarrassed to show himself in public, his critics should be jailed (silenced, for sure) because they embarrassed him.

Posted by Tom Palmer at January 29, 2008 11:20 PM | TrackBack