Thank You, Switzerland!

[tucsonlib]

I had begun to think that we were the only country infested with ignorant, bigoted, paranoid yahoos!

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/12/200912142216681985.html

:wow:

[AspenRose]

1. Nope!

"Mr Lumengo, 45, told The Times that he felt singled out personally by a controversial poster at the heart of the campaign by the Swiss People’s Party, which showed three white sheep kicking a black sheep off the Swiss flag."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2719688.ece




And there was something posted here recently from Italy too...

http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/143551-northern-leagues-white-christmas

[kid a]

2. Aint that the truth! Sheessh!

[goldcanyonaz]

3. But, they love their pedophiles!

Roman Polanski was just released to house arrest.

[Tim01]

4. Wow. Next they'll probably ban honor killings. nt

[MrModerate]

5. Forgive me if I can't take much pleasure in moronism, wherever it crops up.

On the other hand, as a nonreligious person, the expansion of any religion that encompasses values in conflict with the secular society in which it is growing makes me nervous.

Well, I'll be honest -- the growth of any religion makes me nervous, especially in Europe, which I thought was on the verge of emerging from the dark ages of religionism in which America is still deeply mired. With the exception of Scientology and Mormonism*, I find all religions equally silly, and so I can't view a diaspora to Europe in which assimilation is inhibited by retention of the home country faith with anything but dread.


(*These two faiths are not merely silly, but extremely silly)

[tucsonlib]

7. Expansion?

Muslims make up 4% of the Swiss population. And the number of minarets in the entire country? Four. That's right - four.

Sorry, I'll stand by my original opinion: The people who voted for this law were motivated by ignorance, bigotry and paranoia.

Besides, every religion "encompasses values in conflict with the secular society in which it is growing". Or are you suggesting that secular governments would be wise to outlaw some (or all) religions?

I believe that's been tried in the past.

[MrModerate]

8. I wouldn't suggest you back away from your original opinon.

I agree with you about the likely motivation of those voting for the law. Ignorance, bigotry, and paranoia pretty much sum it up, IMO.

However, it is a fact that, owing to a whole host of factors, immigration of people of the Muslim faith into Europe -- whose population of observant Muslims has been in the fractions of a percentage point until the last 50 years or so (leaving off that whole Moorish thing about 800 years ago) -- has increased markedly. In that sense, diaspora equals expansion.

And no, I don't propose secular governments outlaw some or even all religions. On the contrary, they should welcome all religions equally (without necessarily hamstringing reasonable legal responses to fast-buck cults like Scientology). That way, the secularization of culture -- which has been the trend in Europe for decades -- can resume.

Repression only breeds more religion.

[muntrv]

6. Ok I get it! Muslims bad. Roman Polanski, good.

:eyes:

[paulsby]

9. that;s because DU loves american exceptionalism

and it's practically all you'll see here.

[grantcart]

10. Switzerland is a very strange place

People are wound up so tight they are about to burst. Smiles are rare occurences, very high suicide rate.


Everything has rules and regulations.


Local Cantons are run like petty dictatorships in that the town elders know all the personal business of everyone.


Oddly the country that benefits from tremendous amounts of UN headquarter infrastructure being spent there refuses to join the UN.

[mdmc]

11. --