| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"johac" |
| Date: |
31 Mar 2005 07:23:24 AM |
| Object: |
'Pothead Jesus' gets author in trouble. |
I wonder if they'll come out with an English edition? Probably not in
the US.
---
The Mellow Messiah
By Paul DeRienzo, Cannabis Culture
Posted on March 29, 2005, Printed on March 30, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21630/
Austrian artist Gerhard Haderer, the illustrator behind a comic that
depicts Jesus as a laid-back, binge-drinking surfer who hangs out with
Jimi Hendrix, has been convicted of blasphemy in Greece and given a six
month sentence in abstentia. Greek police have raided bookshops to seize
copies of the comic book, The Life of Jesus. While Greek Church
spokesman Monsignor Epiphanios said, "It is not permissible to mock holy
and sacred things," adding, "Humor is out of place when it comes to such
subjects."
The slim, 40-page volume on Jesus' life begins with the baby Jesus
becoming addicted to the three wise men's frankincense. After the first
of many sniffs, a light forms around the baby's head, which accompanies
him for all his life. Throughout the book Jesus' miracles happen by
sheer luck rather than divine intervention. The illustrations show Jesus
surfing, instead of walking on water, and have him appearing at the last
supper with a bong.
A group of artists gathered in Vienna in March to draw attention to the
ban of Haderer's book. It's the first book Greece has banned in more
than 20 years. Haderer said he didn't even know his book had been
published in Greece until he received the court summons. He'll be
appearing in a Greek court in April to appeal.
When first published in his native Austria in spring 2002, Haderer's
book drew some controversy and protests from religious figures but
wasn't banned. Austria's highest-ranking Roman Catholic bishop dubbed
the comic, "a threat to democracy." Catholic schools in Austria have
announced a boycott against the book's publishing house and even the
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schassel has publicly blasted the cartoons
as "irreverent caricatures."
The German newspaper Die Welts says that "the question whether the New
Testament can actually have a comic edition only stirs very orthodox
Catholics, who'd like to issue a sort of Christian Fatwah on the artist."
Commenting on the decision by the Greek authorities, Haderer said, "Now
we have really gone back to the Middle Ages. It didn't even get that far
in Catholic Austria." Haderer stressed, "My book is not an attack on
religion or on believers. It is meant for believers to take a more
light-hearted look at their faith and through humor become closer to
God."
The Life of Jesus has also been published in several countries including
France, South Korea, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Germany, where
Haderer is well-known for his weekly illustrations in the news magazine
Stern. The book has sold more than 100,000 copies across Europe.
"It is unbelievable that a person can write a book in his home country
and be condemned and threatened with imprisonment by another," said
Nikki Conrad, a human rights expert. "But he is not going to just sit
back and accept this injustice"
Haderer is prepared to take the issue to the European court of human
rights. Meanwhile, the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN,
the International Publishers' Association and the International
Booksellers Federation have sent an open letter to Greek Prime Minister
Kostas Karamanlis expressing their dismay at Haderer's sentence and at
the banning of The Life of Jesus.
---
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/21630/
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
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| User: "fool" |
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| Title: Re: 'Pothead Jesus' gets author in trouble. |
31 Mar 2005 07:56:36 AM |
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I guess they haven't seen The Life of Brian yet ...
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| User: "The Arch Atheist" |
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| Title: Re: 'Pothead Jesus' gets author in trouble. |
31 Mar 2005 07:30:38 PM |
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On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 23:23:24 -0800, johac <jhachm@ixpres.com> wrote:
I wonder if they'll come out with an English edition? Probably not in
the US.
This is one of those times when politicians pass laws without fully
considering the consequences. It will be overturned or ammended soon
enough.
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: 'Pothead Jesus' gets author in trouble. |
01 Apr 2005 06:34:19 AM |
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In article <1ujo4199hic7se41i1ucugoa42ufei64pe@4ax.com>,
The Arch Atheist <popeundercover@holysee.va> wrote:
On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 23:23:24 -0800, johac <jhachm@ixpres.com> wrote:
I wonder if they'll come out with an English edition? Probably not in
the US.
This is one of those times when politicians pass laws without fully
considering the consequences. It will be overturned or ammended soon
enough.
For fun, I checked Amazon today and it is available in French or German
editions. I'm not sure how the EU in general feels about such things,
but most will probably ignore Greece. In the US the major publishers
might be unwilling to handle it due to the possibility of fundy violence.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
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| User: "James" |
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| Title: Re: 'Pothead Jesus' gets author in trouble. |
31 Mar 2005 07:26:21 PM |
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johac wrote:
<snip>
Austria's highest-ranking Roman Catholic bishop dubbed
the comic, "a threat to democracy."
Oh man, that's a friggin' classic.
--
James B, former monkey #4,567,000,000
aa #944
"Hence the greatest crimes have been found, in many instances,
compatible with a superstitious piety and devotion: Hence, it
is justly regarded as unsafe to draw any certain inference in
favour of a man's morals from the fervour or strictness of his
religious exercises, even though he himself believe them sincere."
-David Hume, "The Natural History of Religion"
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| User: "Jez" |
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| Title: Re: 'Pothead Jesus' gets author in trouble. |
31 Mar 2005 07:59:27 PM |
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johac wrote:
I wonder if they'll come out with an English edition? Probably not in
the US.
---
The Mellow Messiah
By Paul DeRienzo, Cannabis Culture
Posted on March 29, 2005, Printed on March 30, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21630/
Austrian artist Gerhard Haderer, the illustrator behind a comic that
depicts Jesus as a laid-back, binge-drinking surfer who hangs out with
Jimi Hendrix, has been convicted of blasphemy in Greece and given a six
month sentence in abstentia. Greek police have raided bookshops to seize
copies of the comic book, The Life of Jesus. While Greek Church
spokesman Monsignor Epiphanios said, "It is not permissible to mock holy
and sacred things," adding, "Humor is out of place when it comes to such
subjects."
The slim, 40-page volume on Jesus' life begins with the baby Jesus
becoming addicted to the three wise men's frankincense. After the first
of many sniffs, a light forms around the baby's head, which accompanies
him for all his life. Throughout the book Jesus' miracles happen by
sheer luck rather than divine intervention. The illustrations show Jesus
surfing, instead of walking on water, and have him appearing at the last
supper with a bong.
But Jesus was a pothead.......
http://www.cannabisculture.com/backissues/cc11/christ.html
--
Jez
'Realism is seductive because once you have accepted the reasonable
notion that you should base your actions on reality, you are too often
led to accept, without much questioning, someone else's version of what
that reality is. It is a crucial act of independent thinking to be
skeptical of someone else's description of reality.'-
Howard Zinn
NFS Underground2, Americas Army And MOH-PA
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: 'Pothead Jesus' gets author in trouble. |
01 Apr 2005 06:29:18 AM |
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In article <3vCdnU4W6uMAy9HfRVnyvQ@pipex.net>,
Jez <iced_spear@NODAMNSPAMpipex.com> wrote:
johac wrote:
I wonder if they'll come out with an English edition? Probably not in
the US.
---
The Mellow Messiah
By Paul DeRienzo, Cannabis Culture
Posted on March 29, 2005, Printed on March 30, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21630/
Austrian artist Gerhard Haderer, the illustrator behind a comic that
depicts Jesus as a laid-back, binge-drinking surfer who hangs out with
Jimi Hendrix, has been convicted of blasphemy in Greece and given a six
month sentence in abstentia. Greek police have raided bookshops to seize
copies of the comic book, The Life of Jesus. While Greek Church
spokesman Monsignor Epiphanios said, "It is not permissible to mock holy
and sacred things," adding, "Humor is out of place when it comes to such
subjects."
The slim, 40-page volume on Jesus' life begins with the baby Jesus
becoming addicted to the three wise men's frankincense. After the first
of many sniffs, a light forms around the baby's head, which accompanies
him for all his life. Throughout the book Jesus' miracles happen by
sheer luck rather than divine intervention. The illustrations show Jesus
surfing, instead of walking on water, and have him appearing at the last
supper with a bong.
But Jesus was a pothead.......
http://www.cannabisculture.com/backissues/cc11/christ.html
Cool! I love those illustrations.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
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