I get envious of people in other countries quite often. The other day on the CBC’s The National I saw an item about a politician suggesting that certain criminals should be given a rope, so that they could decide to hang themselves if they liked. There was outrage from all parties. Here in the US the outrage is all for people who want to get rid of the death penalty.
And in the UK – the Advertising Standards Authority has told a Christian group it can’t tell people God will heal them.
The ASA said the leaflet read: “Need Healing? God can heal today! Do you suffer from Back Pain, Arthritis, MS, Addiction … Ulcers, Depression, Allergies, Fibromyalgia, Asthma, Paralysis, Crippling Disease, Phobias, Sleeping disorders or any other sickness?
“We’d love to pray for your healing right now!
“We’re Christian from churches in Bath and we pray in the name of Jesus. We believe that God loves you and can heal you from any sickness.”
The ASA said it had been alerted to the adverts by a complainant, and concluded that they could encourage false hope and were irresponsible.
That would never happen here.
[gazes longingly out the window toward distant lands]
Actually that’s not what the ASA ruling said. They can express this belief on their web site. What they cannot do is offer healing as a service without any evidence that it works. Incidentally I love that name “HOTS Bath”.
Bernard,
Strictly speaking, there’s nothing to prevent HOTS Bath offering healing as a service on their website as long as they don’t make any claims in relation to specific illnesses or conditions.
That’s where the ran afoul of the ASA’s rules, by including statements and testimonials which implied that they could heal specific conditions, including MS, fibromyalgia and cancer.
God I wish we had something with teeth like the ASA here in the US. The FTC only takes on national fraudsters, and then only when dragged kicking and screaming to do so. Enzyte would have been bounced of tv the minute the commercials came out as an obvious fraud–but in the US it grew into a multi-million dollar scam that included fraudulent money back offers (they promised money back but then came up with steps embarrassing, expensive and/or impossible accomplish)to and unauthorized credit card charges.
I’m embarrassed and ashamed for the US justice system as I watch ads for magic balance enhancing bracelets, detoxifying foot pads and cancer-preventing enemas on national tv. :-p
I believe the very existence of mendacious advertising points to a gross failure of educational systems, all over the world.
Science is taught as a series of rules and formulae, not as a reliable method for establishing facts. If schoolchildren were more exposed to experimentation, this kind of nonsense would soon vanish in a puff of shame.
“…If schoolchildren were more exposed to experimentation…”
OMG! The atheists want to experiment on our children!!!Eleventyone!!!
Re: “an item about a politician suggesting that certain criminals should be given a rope, so that they could decide to hang themselves if they liked.”
Please see Heather Mallick’s article, “Be kind to agonized Conservative senator offering suicide tools to prisoners”
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1126225–mallick-be-kind-to-agonized-conservative-senator-offering-suicide-tools-to-prisoners
For the inside story on the HOTS Bath ASA complaint, read what the complainant, British skeptic Hayley Stevens, has to say about it:
http://hayleyisaghost.co.uk/but-atheist-hayley-stevens/
Unfortunately, a large number of Canadians do support a return to the death penalty. In a poll conducted by EKOS in March 2010 found 40% support while in Jan of the same year, Angus Reid reports 62% support.
I fear the issue may yet resurface here.
The other day on the CBC’s The National I saw an item about a politician suggesting that certain criminals should be given a rope, so that they could decide to hang themselves if they liked. There was outrage from all parties. Here in the US the outrage is all for people who want to get rid of the death penalty.
What’s strange about this incident is that many of those complaining the most about the politican’s pro-pos ( his young daughter was raped and murdered by a psycho) about suicide are also big backers of euthanasia.
And euthanasia is but a vulgar means of controlling health-care costs.
John – bollocks – you mean assisted suicide, not euthanasia. They are not the same thing!
Did a little observational fieldwork at Bath Abbey today. Have posted today on my encounter with these strange people.
A large percentage of of the things you mention is astonishingly legitimate and that makes me wonder the reason why I hadn’t looked at this with this light previously. This piece really did turn the light on for me personally as far as this specific issue goes.