Um ... So using the word cult is against the public disorder act ?

[gaspode]

OK ...

I'm relativly pro police however this is stupid

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/20/city_london_scientology_protest_summons/

Basically they are saying calling Scientology a cult is distressing to people in it ???

WTF ???

Comments

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

I'm waiting for the judge in that case from 1984 to be arrested. He called it a DANGEROUS cult.

Honestly, really, it's just that the police like to tell people what to do, and will use whatever law they can think of at the time to justify it. What a bunch of cults.

[steverogerson.livejournal.com]

But it is a cult.

[luckykaa.livejournal.com]

Wish people would stop saying it was for using the word "cult". It's for the equally stupid reason of saying it's not a religion but a dangerous cult. I'm a stickler for accuracy.

It's a stupid charge, and I'm sure the Crown Prosecution service are going to drop it before it gets anywhere. It's clearly reasonable behaviour, and also clearly free speech covered under the Human Rights Act.

[gaspodex.livejournal.com]

Nope. The complaints recieved (as reported) were for use of the word cult (in several forms nt just this one - this is one person who refused to lower the placard) and also the phrase 'scientology kills' (a different set of complaints). There was no use of the word dangerous in the complaint in this context.

Also sadly, we do not have full freedom of speech in the UK (rightly or wrongly - different debate) - the one sane thing about the US constitution is the first amendment.

[luckykaa.livejournal.com]

Well, fair enough, but if he is actually charged, it will not just be because of the use of the word "cult".

We don't have the level of freedom of speech that the American do, but fortunately there is precedent. The Human Rights Act has been successfully applied in cases where the defendant argued that his behaviour was reasonable.

[davidbrider.livejournal.com]

In fairness, "Cult" is rather a loaded term, and often used rather loosely to apply to any slightly eccentric group whose beliefs the writer doesn't agree with. I tend to prefer the term "New Religious Movement" (although as I'm not exactly a big fan of using the word "religious" to describe my own beliefs, that's not exactly problem-free...).

But I'm not sure using the word "cult" should be worthy of a court summons...

[gaspodex.livejournal.com]

Its not THAT loaded. Of course it's used to describe fans of genre tv all the time ;-)

[elenopa.livejournal.com]

And we're very dangerous....

[kiwi-dan.livejournal.com]

WTF ....haven't the police got better things to do?