dvunkannon
Posts: 1377
Joined: June 2008
|
| Quote (Alan Fox @ May 27 2011,13:55) | Following the link obligingly provided by ssjudge I read:
| Quote | What adds insult to injury about the whole Harold Camping and the "end-of-the-world" issue is that his lies are protected by the First Amendment to the Constituion as religious speech. On top of that, contributions to his cause are totally tax deductible without limit!
If Camping were lying about a car that would get 1,000 miles per gallon of gas, then take deposits for the delivery of said car on May 21 (now October 21) and he did not deliver, he could be charged with fraud. But, the laws protect the extreme lies that he uses to collect money and to dupe innocent people. Bottom line, he is a criminal of the same type as Bernie Madoff. They should be cell mates! |
Is that right? Religious claims are protected by law n the US? |
IANAL, but
- in contrast to the car example, there is no contract here. Camping is not claiming he will deliver anything. Madoff was a fraud who promised money he couldn't deliver.
- the law doesn't protect you from being stupid and giving away your money.
- good luck suing the TV weatherman, also. Your reliance on the weatherman or Camping is your own business.
- no, you can't break the law and claim that religion is a defense. Camping didn't incite to riot, murder, suicide, or fornicate in the parks. Incitement to act stupidly is apparently not an indictable offense.
- what gets these guys is income taxes. If they take too much of the money for themselves, the Feds have a lever. Hovind was a similar issue.
--------------
I’m referring to evolution, not changes in allele frequencies. - Cornelius Hunter
I’m not an evolutionist, I’m a change in allele frequentist! - Nakashima
|
