Richard Dawkins: "I will arrest Pope Benedict XVI"

[CJ]

[Hermit]

Why is everyone ripping of Dawkins? Hitchens is in on it too.

Hitchens is our clown. We expect him to do this sort of thing. Professor Emeritus Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor (most of them honoris causa, but never mind) Richard Dawkins is The Defender Of Reason And Science. Publicity stunts are not conducive to such an august task. Well, that is my reason for pointing and laughing.

[ficklefiend]

Ok, never going to happen, but I'm totally happy that people are making noise about this. The Vatican will happily sit there and wait this out if it is nothing more than bad press.

[charlou]

From the comment Faithfree quoted on the previous page:

To this end it doesn't matter who the accuser is be he atheist or not. In fact, everyone should be screaming for justice at the top of their lungs be they atheist, Christian or any thing else.

Ayep.

[RuleBritannia]

Why is everyone ripping of Dawkins? Hitchens is in on it too.

Hitchens is our clown. We expect him to do this sort of thing. Professor Emeritus Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor (most of them honoris causa, but never mind) Richard Dawkins is The Defender Of Reason And Science. Publicity stunts are not conducive to such an august task. Well, that is my reason for pointing and laughing.

So, not a publicity stunt?

[Trolldor]

Dawk definitely comes across more of a publicity mogul than the Hitch. Hitch just tends to make more noise because he has some controversial views, like his criticisms of Mother Theresa.

[Goldenmane]

Meh, "diplomatic immunity" will be invoked. He's technically head of the Vatican State, so this will fall flat on its face. I thought the Dawk would know better. Or is this just grandstanding?

He isn't, a head of state, though. That's partially what all this rests on.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and- ... -to-court/

[Hermit]

Why is everyone ripping of Dawkins? Hitchens is in on it too.

Hitchens is our clown. We expect him to do this sort of thing. Professor Emeritus Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor (most of them honoris causa, but never mind) Richard Dawkins is The Defender Of Reason And Science. Publicity stunts are not conducive to such an august task. Well, that is my reason for pointing and laughing.

So, not a publicity stunt?

Publicity? Yes.
Stunt? No.

[RuleBritannia]

Why is everyone ripping of Dawkins? Hitchens is in on it too.

Hitchens is our clown. We expect him to do this sort of thing. Professor Emeritus Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor (most of them honoris causa, but never mind) Richard Dawkins is The Defender Of Reason And Science. Publicity stunts are not conducive to such an august task. Well, that is my reason for pointing and laughing.

So, not a publicity stunt?

Publicity? Yes.
Stunt? No.

From Wikipedia:
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause.

While the bus campaign may not be a publicity stunt, posing for this picture is.

[beige]

http://richarddawkins.net/articleCommen ... ge2#478580

I'd say misleading headline more than anything. Just rushing off to seek legal action - he's not going to turn up with a cape and a pair of handcuffs.

[Faithfree]

http://richarddawkins.net/articleCommen ... ge2#478580

I'd say misleading headline more than anything. Just rushing off to seek legal action - he's not going to turn up with a cape and a pair of handcuffs.

Yes, this does shed a bit more light on things.

89. Comment #478580 by Richard Dawkins on April 11, 2010 at 8:48 am
Needless to say, I did NOT say "I will arrest Pope Benedict XVI" or anything so personally grandiloquent. You have to remember that The Sunday Times is a Murdoch newspaper, and that all newspapers follow the odd custom of entrusting headlines to a sub-editor, not the author of the article itself.

What I DID say to Marc Horne when he telephoned me out of the blue, and I repeat it here, is that I am whole-heartedly behind the initiative by Geoffrey Robertson and Mark Stephens to mount a legal challenge to the Pope's proposed visit to Britain. Beyond that, I declined to comment to Marc Horme, other than to refer him to my 'Ratzinger is the Perfect Pope' article here: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/5341

Here is what really happened. Christopher Hitchens first proposed the legal challenge idea to me on March 14th. I responded enthusiastically, and suggested the name of a high profile human rights lawyer whom I know. I had lost her address, however, and set about tracking her down. Meanwhile, Christopher made the brilliant suggestion of Geoffrey Robertson. He approached him, and Mr Robertson's subsequent 'Put the Pope in the Dock' article in The Guardian shows him to be ideal:
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/5366
The case is obviously in good hands, with him and Mark Stephens. I am especially intrigued by the proposed challenge to the legality of the Vatican as a sovereign state whose head can claim diplomatic immunity.

Even if the Pope doesn't end up in the dock, and even if the Vatican doesn't cancel the visit, I am optimistic that we shall raise public consciousness to the point where the British government will find it very awkward indeed to go ahead with the Pope's visit, let alone pay for it.

Richard

[hadespussercats]

I think there's a reasonable case to be made against the Pope here, and, as the article points out, he is the head of a state not recognized by the united nations.
Of COURSE it's for publicity-- Dawkins and Hitchens both have been trying to raise consciousness about the dangers of religions for years. Even if the attempt fails, there will be a lot of bad publicity for Pope Benedict-- bad publicity that is well earned on his part.

I'm rooting for them.

[Deep Sea Isopod]

OKAY, we all know this isn't gonna happen. Which Western country is going to arrest the Pope?
What I would like to know.... Has a warrant actually been issued?

[floppit]

I quite like it! Although the cynic in me thinks the publicity is a free bonus to an author.

I like law much better than anecdote as something to use in argument. I'll confess, I really really like law. Let's hope the homework has been meticulous, because if it winds up a stunt with no teeth it'll reinforce the untouchable nature of the pope.

It did work with Thatcher's chum Pinochet...

[MartinHatter]

I'd be afraid that Richard Dawkins would end up getting the same sort of treatment given to the admirable Peter Tatchell when he tried to arrest Robert Mugabe a few years ago i.e violence at the hands of hired thugs masquerading as bodyguards. Presumably Ratzinger has little faith in his god when it comes to personal safety and doubtless employs a large security retinue.