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Author Sam Harris joins plot to have Pope arrested

By MARC HOME
Posted: May 16, 2010.

Print: The Sunday Times

Sam Harris, the atheist writer, has launched an appeal to fund a legal bid to have the Pope arrested when he visits Britain.

The American neuroscientist is seeking financial backing for the campaign that is being led by British writers Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. The pair have asked human-rights lawyers to produce a case for charging Benedict XVI over his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church.

Harris, the author of The End of Faith, launched his appeal online, stating: “I would like to announce that Project Reason, the foundation that my wife and I started to spread scientific thinking and secular values, has joined Hitchens and Dawkins in an effort to end the ‘diplomatic immunity’ which the Vatican claims protects the Pope from any responsibility.

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Comments (13)

HAHAHAHAHAHA! GO THREE HORSEMEN!!!!!!!

posted on May 16, 2010
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2. John Wilkinson

I think the term sexual abuse is misleadingly neutral and denuded. It sounds like it denotes waxing your carrot a little too enthusiastically. The torture, enslavement, and anal rape of children would get at the salient dispute more simply and directly.

posted on May 16, 2010
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Thank you!!!

posted on May 16, 2010
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<a>http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arrest-The-Pope/112549038762456</a>

Arrest The Pope Facebook page.

posted on May 16, 2010
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Gawd, that would be so thrilling!

posted on May 16, 2010
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6. Daniel Schealler

Is it still a ‘plot’ if it’s publicly posted on the internet?

posted on May 16, 2010
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It’s certainly a “plot” according to today’s media. Can you imagine a major media outlet giving it legitimacy by calling it an “organized effort” or “plea” or something that effect? I certainly wish I could, but it’s far beyond what I believe can be expected in today’s culture.

On the other hand, It’s good see they didn’t actually demonize the effort!!!

posted on May 17, 2010
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8. MajorityOfOne

Fairly good article, but the very first line, Sam Harris ATHEIST AUTHOR, bugged me. This author was obviously biased and wanted his readers to be so from the get-go. He knew by labeling Sam in this way a lot of people wouldn’t even bother to read any more.

My opinion: Go Sam!!

posted on May 17, 2010
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9. bigjohn756

Hitchens is not an English author. He’s an American author.

posted on May 22, 2010
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10. Michael Kingsford Gray

Congratulations Sam for showing the spine that the British Police force is lacking!
The Pope is quite clearly the don of a tax-dodging international criminal organization, one of who’s crimes is outright genocide, as well as their various crimes against humanity.

posted on May 22, 2010
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11. billgeorge

Instead of “Harris joins plot” - authors unite to seek justice!

posted on May 25, 2010
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12. Christa Brown

I wish some human rights lawyers in the U.S. would produce a case against the Southern Baptist Convention for failing to even keep records on credibly-accused preacher-predators. Most of what we know about child molestation by Catholic priests is information that ultimately derives from the Catholic church’s own records. Catholic canon law requires record-keeping. Meanwhile, the largest Protestant denomination in the land doesn’t even bother with record-keeping on abuse allegations against their clergy. And their “reason”? They say it would be against their religion.

posted on June 17, 2010
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Thanks Sam.  You’re number 1 with me!!

posted on June 27, 2010
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