Hiding in the Backwaters Just one more blog on the net.

What comes around goes around.

A judge in Italy has ordered a priest to appear in court and prove the existence of Jesus Christ. This is apparently the result of a law suit filed by a man with a stick up his butt.¹

I suppose after centuries under the heavy hand of Rome, there is bound to be some push back now that the Vatican doesn't wield quite the secular authority it once did, but this is beyond stupid.

Since when has anyone been required to defend their religious beliefs in a court of law? The man with the rectal obstruction is apparently upset that the priest in question denounced his views in a parish newsletter. It is true. Parish newsletters do wield an incredible amount of influence over the masses.

The charge is "abuse of popular credulity," which is apparently a criminal offense in Italy and was probably intended to catch scam artists. I'm pretty sure in never entered the minds of the original framers of the law that anyone would ever turn it against the Catholic Church.

Why don't we just carry this to its logical conclusion and start eviction proceedings against the Vatican? Wait. It's its own country. I guess Italians will just have to go to war.

I suppose turn about is fair play. After centuries of Christians using the rule of law to enforce their world view, I guess it's fitting that the tables are finally turned, but I have concerns about where this will lead. The pendulum will simply swing the other way and we'll live in a world oppressed by intelligentsia. Do we really want to live in a place where faith and belief are criminal acts? Do we want to live in a place where all speech and thought is run through a PC filter and only appropriate and approved utterances are free of civil penalty? Is Italy turning into Oceania? Are we next? Is this really some people's idea of freedom?

You know what they say: Be careful what you ask for. You may get it.