A militant atheist who left leaflets mocking Jesus Christ, the Pope and the Koran in the prayer room of an international airport has gone on trial charged with religious harassment.

One image showed a smiling Christ on the cross next to an advert for a brand of "no nails" glue. In another, Islamic suicide bombers at the gates of paradise are told: " Stop, stop, we've run out of virgins."

A further cartoon showed two Muslims holding a placard demanding equality with the caption: "Not for women or gays, obviously."

Mr Taylor, 59, a self-styled philosophy tutor, denied bearing a grudge against people of faith and said he was only trying to "convert" believers to atheism.

The defendant from Salford, Greater Manchester is charged with three counts of religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress under the Crime and Disorder Act. The alleged offences took place on separate dates in November and December 2008.

If he's found guilty, I assume there will now be a precedent to sue any religious group leaving leaflets and propaganda lying around.

Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7353643/Philosophy-tutor-in-court-for-leaving-anti-religious-cartoons-in-John-Lennon-airport.html

So when christian nutters in town wave placards at me and shout that I will be damned if I don't repent – that's not religiously aggravated harassment, but this is? 😡

Look he is from Salford so guilty!

well his captions made me chuckle

It's hilarious how religious people are so easily offended (or at least profess to be). Do they think their gods are as petty minded as they are?

I'm assuming that harassing atheists isn't covered by this law? Sounds fair enough to me as it's the norm. Not sure why someone would go to some effort, as the chap above did, without intending to be offensive. Not sure if I agree with the law but it exists and seems he did break it. Well, maybe I do agree with the law simply because it seems to be attempting to reduce conflict.

Mudshark probably best to make your mind up before you post LOL

FWIW,I couldn't care less,as a Christian.However,if somebody complained to the police,they have a duty to investigate.Bearing in mind the trouble that that Danish cartoonist got himself into,The Muslims are are a lot more "hands on" about these things than my lot are.

Cartoon insults religion? Good the land of make believe needs the piss taking out of it.

Just needs to hope he's not up before smiler when he gets to court….

there was absolutely no needs for that rich. euugh.

So the celestial being who created heaven and earth, the birds and the beasts, the floods, the garden of Eden, the pope and Father Ted, needs a law to tell people not to do nasty drawings?

Take it to court, expose the fairy story…

Ahhhhh, brain bleach NOW

The Muslims are are a lot more "hands on" about these things than my lot are.

Eh? You might want to read history for dummies. There's two notable examples I can think of off the top of my head.
Have a look at the crusades for a start. People having the audacity to live in the holy land but commit the henious crime of not being a christian got it up the chuff for two hundred years.

Coming forwards a bit more there was the small matter of 6 million Jews meeting their maker because one of their ilk might have dobbed christ in. Seems like a reasonable reason for topping a whole race to me.

I think he was talking about people making cartoons, but don't let that stop you.

I actually teach History Samuri.I think you will find the Crusades were abot putting the Muslims out of the holy land,hence their continued reference to the modern war on terror being a crusade.Pope Urban's speech in modern language.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-5vers.html

And Hitler's killing of the Jews was actually to do with the fact that he blamed them for the loss of WW1,they didn't have "aryan" blood in them,and Germany's economic problems were the fault of Jews in league with anti-German American capitalists.That and his belief in the protocals of the elders of Zion,and his repeated failure to get into art college,natch(religion was way down the list)Despite the deal with the Vatican that allowed him to deport Italy's jews (which was not followed at grass roots level by parish priests)Hitler had such a poor relationship with the Church in his own country that he had to form his own.If you know differently feel free to enlighten me as that is what I teach my advanced higher class.

PS;As noted above, I was talking about the cartoons,which is what the op was about.

he was only trying to "convert" believers to atheism.

Well, he's obviously a complete and utter lunatic then. Grounds of insanity defence?