Richard Dawkins calls for Pope to be put on trial.

[Msterbeau]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/11/critics-trial-pope-benedict-xvi

"Prominent atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are paying lawyers to investigate the possibility of prosecuting the pope for crimes against humanity, their solicitor confirmed today.

The pair argue that Pope Benedict XVI should be arrested when he visits Britain in September and put on trial for his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic church. Last week a letter emerged from 1985 in which the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger urged that a paedophilic priest in America not be defrocked for the "good of the universal church".

The Vatican has already suggested the pope is immune from prosecution because he is a head of state. But Dawkins and Hitchens believe that because he is not the head of a state with full United Nations membership, he does not hold immunity and could be arrested when he steps on to British soil."

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

How much authority would the UN have against a non-member?

[Slogo]

How much authority would the UN have against a non-member?

It's not the UN which would sanction it. It sounds like the Chris' would prefer the government do it.

[candyman]

Oh so this is going to be another UN grab that will most likely turn sour at which point they get as much help as they can from America before they put the blame on us? At least our troops won't get butchered in a foreign market trying to capture people for the UN again...unless they come up with a plan to invade the Vatican...which with their IQ is probably option #1 right now.

Should this guy get prosecuted? Probably...but unless you are a complete idiot it is best to stay out of this...I can see alot of people connected to this going on "vacation" for an undisclosed period of time just to avoid what I am going to call "the imminent clusterfuck".

[Msterbeau]

How much authority would the UN have against a non-member?

Considering his actions affected people in multiple nations within the UN, I would imagine a member nation would be well within it's rights to bring charges and detain him if he was on their soil.

[DJ Nihil]

Well I seriously doubt they'll get anywhere but I stand up and applaud them for trying.

[phee]

Richard Dawkins... I like him

[Simon Bar Sinister]

Oh so this is going to be another UN grab that will most likely turn sour at which point they get as much help as they can from America before they put the blame on us? At least our troops won't get butchered in a foreign market trying to capture people for the UN again...unless they come up with a plan to invade the Vatican...which with their IQ is probably option #1 right now.

Should this guy get prosecuted? Probably...but unless you are a complete idiot it is best to stay out of this...I can see alot of people connected to this going on "vacation" for an undisclosed period of time just to avoid what I am going to call "the imminent clusterfuck".

It has nothing to do with any UN jurisdiction at all. International law allows for the arrest by any government of someone wanted for "crimes against humanity." The British arrested former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet several years ago when he was in the UK for medical treatment. There is also an outstanding warrant for Henry Kissinger in France (and, I think, a couple of other countries as well) on the same grounds. Maybe doing this for aiding and abetting child molestation isn't possible, maybe it is. Personally, I think the Brits should test it.

[candyman]

It has nothing to do with any UN jurisdiction at all. International law allows for the arrest by any government of someone wanted for "crimes against humanity." The British arrested former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet several years ago when he was in the UK for medical treatment. There is also an outstanding warrant for Henry Kissinger in France (and, I think, a couple of other countries as well) on the same grounds. Maybe doing this for aiding and abetting child molestation isn't possible, maybe it is. Personally, I think the Brits should test it.

Well I think that with the parties involved that they need to act very carefully. I wasn't really trying to say that they can't or that they shouldn't...more like they should plan the route they take more carefully because in all honestly I can really see the UN getting dragged in which means that in the end our country will get the massive black eye. Situations like these make a very loud sucking sound and tend to pull more trouble than we expect...

[Msterbeau]

Well I think that with the parties involved that they need to act very carefully. I wasn't really trying to say that they can't or that they shouldn't...more like they should plan the route they take more carefully because in all honestly I can really see the UN getting dragged in which means that in the end our country will get the massive black eye. Situations like these make a very loud sucking sound and tend to pull more trouble than we expect...

So we should just let go that he assisted in the cover up of crimes against American children?

[candyman]

So we should just let go that he assisted in the cover up of crimes against American children?

Where exactly did I say that? What I said was that although I DO think he should be stood up to it seems like with all the public outcries the action will be hasty and will be pushed ahead with an end in sight with no well thought out plan to back it up. Saying that he is a large public figure does not say that we should not attack him or that he can't be attack but it does mean that more care has to be taken then if this were some dictator from a poor country.

To sum it up this could be a major clusterfuck considering the whole scope of the thing, the numerous people involved, the numerous countries involved, etc...and for people to think that a thing like this could happen without the UN getting involved are kidding themselves...the UN may be useless, inept, and all the words that hint at it being a collection of people that waste time and money while they can't even wipe their own asses but their main goal in like if to get caught in the middle of stuff like this and then make it worse.

So don't tell me what I said when there is nothing in my posts saying that I support the Pope or that I don't think he is should be prosecuted...I really have never liked the guy anyways and think that the Vatican is a waste to say the least. Although I would really love to see you cut and paste my words to support what you said...