bible is indecent? --- more 838 hkers say 'yes'.

[zozzen]

It's one of the strangest news in the city now.

Two weeks ago, a Chinese university's student newspaper sparked a big debate when the public found that they had asked readers if they fantasised about incest or bestiality, along with some soft sex stories and an abstract drawing about sex (irrelevant to incest or bestiality).

Although there's no explicit description nor pornographic photos, the paper was classified as "Category II: Indecent" by Obscene Articles Tribunial simply because it asked the question--- "Are you fantasised about incest or bestiality?". It means that the student editors breached the law of distributing it to the public, will have a criminal record, face up to USD$40000 fines, and risk being sentenced to a jail.

After the decision was announced, 838 (up from 200 yesterday) Hong Kong people have immediately filed a complaint to authorities to claim that the Bible as "indecent" due to its sexual and violent content. The accusation was first made by a web site http://www.truthbible.net which said the holy book is full of sexual and violent content, including rape and incest and its "indecency" is far exceeds that of a recent sex column published in the Chinese University's student newspaper. The authority doesn't decide what to do now, but it'll be of big fun to see the double standards laid by Obscene Articles Tribunial.

[skylee]

Indeed.

[Ian_Lee]

IMHO Bible should be rated somewhere between PG-13 and R (with some sections approaching X).

[Luobot]

Better make that rating an XXX. I seem to remember a little story in the bible about Eve originally being a lump of Adam’s rib (must have been the breast bone), and if the subsequent liaison isn’t incest then what is? Even if one were to classify and excuse that as the first genetics experiment in cloning, then what about the first generation offspring of our first couple? This book definitely needs to be banned! I say, let us thank the Lord for Censorship.

[Rachel_S]

Obviously, the outcry against the Bible is merely an empty gesture to drive home the hypocrisy of the whole situation. Now with that out of the way, I have to say, "right on!"

I like when someone attempts to take "the man" down a notch or two by shoving his own self-righteousness back in his face. So what if they mentioned those "indecent" words? While the acts may be considered "offensive," words are just words. These people need to understand that by putting what they deem to be "indecency" on trial, they only give more power to those who write "indecent" things. If you really want to be effective, play it down and let it go. Just advise those who don't want to read it to NOT READ IT. Simple.

Okay. I'm done now. If you made it all the way through that rant, thanks.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

[mikepenn]

Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children. Life is the other way around.

-- David Lodge

[gato]

Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children.

Movies, too, especially X-rated ones.

[skylee]

for those who are interested in the case ->

Statement by TELA on complaints against the Bible

影視處就投訴《聖經》發表聲明

影视处就投诉《圣经》发表声明

[skylee]

Two weeks ago' date=' a Chinese university's student newspaper sparked a big debate when the public found that they had asked readers if they fantasised about incest or bestiality, along with some soft sex stories and an abstract drawing about sex (irrelevant to incest or bestiality).

Although there's no explicit description nor pornographic photos, the paper was classified as "Category II: Indecent" by Obscene Articles Tribunial simply because it asked the question--- "Are you fantasised about incest or bestiality?". It means that the student editors breached the law of distributing it to the public, will have a criminal record, face up to USD$40000 fines, and risk being sentenced to a jail. [/quote']

This is in the alumni news -

副校長與同學會面　了解同學需要

大學自《中大學生報》事件發生以來，一直非常關心同學，明白同學現時面對很多壓力。今天副校長鄭振耀教授、大學輔導長何培斌教授、學生事務處處長梁天明博士、崇基學院輔導長方永平教授，與《中大學生報》上屆及今屆出版委員會成員及中大學生會會長會面，副校長希望親身了解同學現時面對的困難和需要，盡量協助同學。

由大學教務會學生紀律程序成立的委員會，其決定是獨立的。大學在影視處決定將學生報送往淫褻物品審裁處評定之前，已經成立有關委員會。

澄清調查未完成　發信並非處分

由於有很多溝通上的誤會，同學未必全然了解，因此在會面上鄭教授再次澄清，委員會直到目前只就事件作出一個初步結論，調查程序尚未完成，也未有就處分作出任何決定。學校發信給今屆的十一位出版委員，用意是要敦促同學，所出版的刊物不應含有不雅及粗鄙的內容，而不是處分。

因進入司法程序　大學委員會程序暫緩

鄭教授又向同學轉達，有鑑於淫褻物品審裁處對《中大學生報》的評級可能涉及司法程序，委員會決定暫緩進一步的程序，在稍後適當時候才再約見有關同學聽取他們的陳述。

中大尊重言論出版自由

中大校長劉遵義教授一直強調，大學絕對尊重同學的言論自由和《中大學生報》的出版自由，同學有廣闊的空間，探索不同議題。大學從來不會事先審查《中大學生報》，以後亦不會。校長亦明言，不會為學生報訂立指引。同學擁有編輯自主的同時，亦應該注意社會普遍接受的道德標準，更不應違反法律。

校友律師義務為同學提供法律協助

中大明白同學的需要，已安排律師幫助同學了解當前的法律處境，就有關法例、事件的法律程序、同學可能面臨的情況等，提供一個初步法律解釋。律師提供的有關資訊，已給同學參考。此外，有多位現職律師的校友，關心同學的情況，表示願意義務為同學提供法律協助。《中大學生報》有關同學將於今晚與校友律師見面，商討有關法律程序。鄭教授表示相信有校友將會以私人名義籌款，協助同學進行有關法律程序。

二零零七年五月十七日