Head Of Mormon Church Summoned To Appear Before British Magistrates.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10619538/Head-of-Mormon-church-Thomas-Monson-summoned-by-British-magistrates-court-over-Adam-and-Eve-teaching.html

Wow!!! will we now see more of this kind of thing, surely it is reminiscent of the days of religious persecution?

Who will be next?

[FredPuli43]

It's a private prosecution. The public prosecuting authority can always issue a nolle prosequi, putting an end to proceedings. It may well do that.

[Zeuhl]

Well if any religion was judged by normal, rational standards of truthfulness and evidence they would all be in trouble.

"I put it to you that your so-called 'blood and flesh of Christ' is nothing more than a bit of biscuit and some cheap plonk"

[jno]

a rather odd claim - that by convincing people of your vision of the world and persuading them to join up and put money in the colllction plate you're defrauding them.

Next time I dislike a film I shall sue the cinema for fraud for claiming in its posters that it was a good movie.

[pixie373]

Lol @ zeuhl. Hopefully this will spread to schools so that they don't teach religion as "fact".

[Zeuhl]

jno

if you paid to see a film, went in and there was nothing there

I think you could sue

[pixie373]

I don't think they can claim that, jno, but they can quote that someone has said it.

[ummmm]

A bit of biscuit that gets stuck on the roof of your mouth which you try to discretely remove because you're suppose to be on your knees praying...

[Gromit]

// reminiscent of the days of religious persecution? //

No it isn't. Just someone with an axe to grind, using the rule of the law.

The magistrate does not want this anymore than Mr Mormon does.

He will not attend, but maybe send a denial which will probably be accepted. And that will be that.

These strange cults are always spintering, and this is what has happened here. No persecution, no anti christianity.

Just a couple of nutters argueing about a 2000 year old fable.

[FredPuli43]

Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'

I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast'.

And so it is with religions and the young. Can't see how a prosecution has an above average chance of succeeding or how prosecuting a religious leader on the claims presented falls to be within the public interest, so, if it goes anywhere at all, the DPP would issue a nolle prosequi. It fails the basic CPS tests. That's not to say that a religion cannot have fraudulent practices; the French successfully prosecuted some Scientology members for duping people into parting with large sums; but you'd need more than we have here

[Quizmonster]

J, your point above reminds me of a Simpsons episode in which the shyster lawyer, Lionel Hutz, sued the makers of the film, "The Neverending Story".

[Zeuhl]

It wasn't unusual for book editors to have fun with the quotes on the jackets.

I remember one colleague very pleased that he got

"It's amazing"

onto one of his titles when the actual review (from a US provincial paper) was "It's amazing junk like this actually gets published"

[ToraToraTora]

Hang on if they start summoning religious people for spouting BS, then they are going to have a lot of work to do! As we know all religion is complete pony, all that varies is the particular brand of fairy tales. Looks like the beaks have suddenly made themselves very busy indeed!

[ToraToraTora]

Anyway, I'm suing that cheesus bloke, I followed his method and no matter how hard I try I cannot turn water into wine. I can however turn wine into water! Then there's that walking in water trick, the guys a fraud I tell ya!

[Old_Jim]

This all arose because Tom Phillips, a disaffected Mormon, is trying to embarrass his former religion by using the Court equivalent of a citizen's arrest. If Thomas Monson were to appear before Westminster magistrates and they found that there was no case to answer, Phillips would have to pay the Court fee and costs (including Monson's airfare and hotel bills) and that would probably bankrupt him. However, the Church of Latter Day Saints in England will probably apply to have the order struck out and to have Philips arrested for abuse of procedure.

Now where's me wig and gown - there's big money to be made here.

[FredPuli43]

Agree with the big money bit, Jim. Lawyers for the Mormons will know how to charge the lay client, that's certain !

[jno]

very good, Quizmonster, I haven't seen that one.

[jim360]

It's a throwaway line in an episode where Marge goes to work for Mr. Burns and turns to Hutz to pursue a claim of sexual harassment, I think.

An odd case, no chance of succeeding before the law -- don't blow it too far out of perspective. As much as religions are wrong I don't see that it's easy to show that they are legally fraudulent. Doesn't that have to have proven intent?

[ludwig]

// a rather odd claim - that by convincing people of your vision of the world and persuading them to join up and put money in the colllection plate you're defrauding them. //

It's not that odd. Persuading people that something false is true in order to get money off them sounds exactly like fraud to me.

[naomi24]

The Scopes Monkey Trial revisited.

[jim360]

Surely the Scopes Trial was religion trying to persecute Science -- and this is rationality (or perhaps more accurately an aggrieved ex-member) trying to persecute religion? Not sure the two are comparable.