Originally posted by lukster
Looks like the Swedish Supreme Court bowed to the European court.
"Åke Green (born 3 June, 1941) is a Pentecostal Christian pastor who was sentenced to one month in prison under Sweden's law against hate speech. On February 11, 2005 an appeals court, Göta hovrätt, overturned the decision and acquitted Åke Green. On March 9, the Prosecutor-General appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, which on November 29 also acquitted him. In their opinion, while Åke Green had violated Swedish law as it currently stands, a conviction would most likely be overturned by the European Court of Human Rights, based on their previous rulings regarding Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.[1]"
http://www.answers.com/topic/ke-green
So, Sweden was listed at #12 and the US was far below. Yet a preacher cannot denounce homosexuality in Sweden but protesters can heckle those attending a soldier's funeral in the US because they fight for homosexuals.
I'm just about certain that the press would not be "free" to publish an article on the spread of aids being blamed on homsexuals. Freedom of the press my ass.
A Swede answered your question on a blog:
“I can easily imagine that to Solon claim that "gays are cancer in the body of society" is "thoughtful. It is actually precisely the same metaphor that nazis used. And what is the cure of cancer? Removal by knife. Germans in 1930's understood it and so will those who seek reasoning for violence towards gays.
Once again there is need to get some facts straightened out even though I know that evangelicals are not friend of truth in no way or form. Ake Green was never indicted for preaching because NOBODY HEARD HIS SERMON. His congregation cosists of 50 Pentecostals out of which 10 were present when the sermon was given. Åke Green had invited media (radio, TV, newspapers) to attend and when nobody came he spread the sermon in writing to several newspapers, internet sites etc.
So the bogey man of Swedish Police arresting Green after sermon in church is a lie.
Sweden does not one constitution. It has four set of laws that are considered to be "constitutional law" which means that they can be altered only if two consecutive parliaments (there has to be general election in between) approve them by 3/4ths of a majority. Law that regulates freedom of speech and expression are those and so is the hate crimes law because it is a law that to some extent curtails it.
The hate speech law is first and foremost aimed against people who advocate for violence against any group of people (regardless of reasoning, Bible, Mein Kampf, Quran, personal hatred). Basically the prosecutor did what he had to do because there wasn't a case before this that would have set boundaries for religious hate speech. Because Green only advovcated for violence by using metaphors and using Bible quotes in typical evengelicallly selective fashion, he was freed.
The case actually helped gays in Sweden and it most certaily did not help anti-gay cause. It showed what kind of fringe groups opposed gay rights and Åke Green was usually presented together with neonazi leaders who used same kind of language.”
So you see: You can say what you want about homosexuals as long as you don’t incite violence against them. Pastor Åke Green incited violence against gays, but got away with it just like the neo-Nazis do.
Of course this has nothing to do with freedom of the press. It’s just a straw man argument because you can’t substantiate your claim that the freedom of the press ranking list is “ludicrous at best”.
