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Indonesian Man Faces Five Years For Atheist Facebook Post

Posted by samzenpus on from the unlike-this dept.

An anonymous reader writes "31-year-old Alexander Aan faces a maximum prison sentence of five years for posting 'God does not exist' on Facebook. The civil servant was attacked and beaten by an angry mob of dozens who entered his government office at the Dharmasraya Development Planning Board on Wednesday. The Indonesian man was taken into protective police custody Friday since he was afraid of further physical assault."

14 of 907 comments (clear)

  1. This is terrible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's one thing persecuting people for their religion but persecuting atheists is going too far.

    1. Re:This is terrible by Egg+Sniper · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's one thing persecuting people for their religion but persecuting atheists is going too far.

      A small minority of 'different' people in your community often makes people uncomfortable when part of the culture is professing just how right and good it is to agree and identify with the majority. When that minority attempts to become vocal they are by definition wrong and therefore it is justifiable to punish them. If all you have to prove that you're living your life correctly is the assertion by yourself and those around you that it is so any argument against what you believe is dangerous. Certainly authority figures (from politicians to parents) won't allow dissenting opinions to spread, like some horrible disease.

      People aren't persecuted for their religion. They are persecuted because their religion (or ethnicity or social status or etc.) is different from the majority of those around them. Group-think and ignorance will attack what it doesn't understand or can't control in whatever form it takes.

      One could argue that, historically, atheism is the most persecuted belief system still in practice. It would explain the relatively small proportion of the population that atheism makes up, as well as why that small proportion is spread throughout the world with no great central region to call home.

  2. Re:He deserves it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is what you get with religious rule.

  3. Re:The future is already here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "If God existed, he would teach you compassion." Seriously, play to win.

  4. Re:He deserves it by FreeCoder · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is true for most of USA too. While you probably won't get jailed for saying such, there are just as ridiculous laws and customs based on Christianity, especially compared to other more saner countries. Especially about gay marriage and abortion.

  5. Re:Yet another 3rd world reaction by RyanFenton · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yet another 3rd world reaction to the eternal pornographic issue - my deity is larger than yours.

    Reminds me of one of my favorite Carl Sagan quotes:

    How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, 'This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant'? Instead they say, 'No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.' A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths.

    Even the religions with science in the name ("Christian Science" and "Scientology") are profoundly against freedom of inquiry, except where it is used to glorify their mythology. This story kind of backs up the whole "our god is a little god, we must coddle it" approach.

    Ryan Fenton

  6. Re:The real problem here by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The problem is that Islamic civilization was not always as you describe, nor is it even now. At one time, many Islamic societies were far more advanced and open than their Western European counterparts. What you're saying makes about as much sense as condemning Christianity based on what you find wrong in Catholicism.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  7. If God existed, he could fight his own battles. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I will never comprehend the "if you don't believe, I'll beat the shit out of you" mentality.

  8. Re:He deserves it by MrHanky · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sure, with the minor difference that your imaginary atheist lynch mob does not in fact exist.

  9. The difference between us and them by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The difference between that young lady's story and what happened in Indonesia is this: people were just talking, online, about how much they hate her. When she is being beaten up, or people are shooting at her, or Molotov cocktails are being thrown, then maybe the comparison will make sense.

    In America, you can voice your dissent, you can call people garbage, and you can do so for any reason -- even if you are calling them garbage for putting an end to a blatant constitutional infraction. The constitution protects the rights of atheists and religious people of all varieties equally, and that includes the right to be rude, insulting, and to hate the very constitution that provides you with those protections.

    --
    Palm trees and 8
  10. Re:Atheism isn't a belief system by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How does a belief that there is no God not count as a belief system?

    Well, first of all, atheism is not "a belief that there is no God," it is a lack of belief in any gods at all (for some reason, Christians insist that there is only one deity anyone could believe in). Someone who had never heard of any deities in their entire life would be an atheist: people must be taught to follow religions or believe in gods.

    That being said, atheism is not a system at all. I am an atheist, but I still practice my religion -- I simply do not believe that deities exist, because there is no evidence to support that notion. Yet I still keep traditions, moral beliefs, and philosophies that emerged from my religion -- that is the "system." I am not alone in this -- it is more common in my religion than people would like to admit, and I suspect that it happens in other religions as well.

    --
    Palm trees and 8
  11. Re:Atheism isn't a belief system by Kittenman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How does a belief that there is no God not count as a belief system?

    Well, first of all, atheism is not "a belief that there is no God," it is a lack of belief in any gods at all (for some reason, Christians insist that there is only one deity anyone could believe in).

    Quote: Atheism is a religion the same way not collecting stamps is a hobby. Unquote.

    --
    "The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes" - Winston Churchill
  12. Re:He deserves it by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes, and some values are better than others. Notably, those values which result in the murder of people who are guilty only of speaking their mind, are the kind of values that should be treated with deserved contempt.

  13. Re:He deserves it by Arterion · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Atheism is not a religion, not even when you use "quotes". Atheism is relying empirical evidence rather than superstition. Atheism asks "why?" and doesn't accept "because god says" as an answer. It's hard to accept "we don't fully know yet", but it's a much better answer than "god". Once you write down "god" as an answer for something, you stop looking at the problem, or worse, it becomes taboo to look at the problem. That's a very bad place to be, because, god or not, I don't see anyone solving any human problems except for other humans.

    --
    "That which does not kill us makes us stranger." -Trevor Goodchild