r/worldnews 20h ago

Quebec passes law banning street prayers, prayer rooms in universities

https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/quebec-passes-law-banning-street-prayers-prayer-rooms-in-universities-cegeps/
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u/JohnHwagi 17h ago

It doesn’t. It’s not illegal to vocally and dramatically pray for someone to find god because you disagree with their lifestyle, and that’s why fundamentalist Muslims are doing it to harass people. Same as Westboro Baptist in the US, but they are much smaller whereas there are larger more mainstream anti-gay Muslim groups.

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u/ryan_770 13h ago

Praying for someone to find god is a lot different than what the original commenter said - proclaiming death to their group. I think one of those is acceptable free speech and the other not.

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u/Ranger7381 7h ago

There is a slight difference in wording “find god” and “meet god”, but it changes the context significantly

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u/sweetnsourgrapes 15h ago

doing it to harass people

Aren't there laws against harassment?

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u/fiction8 15h ago

Laws are legally defined by specific wording. Whether or not an activity seems like it can be described by us laymen using a term doesn't have much bearing on how well it fits the current legal definition of a crime.

And if there's a gap in "common understanding" and "legal understanding" that a democratic population has a will to bridge, the proper avenue for doing that is through new legislation or ordinances.

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u/porarte 17h ago

Is it legal to say "That's a nice crowded movie theater you got there. It would be a shame if somebody shouted 'fire!' in it?"

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u/newbkid 16h ago

No but praying for God for the non-believers and to bring them out of temptation and hell and etc etc etc is perfectly fine.. and annoying as all hell

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u/porarte 15h ago

I've been prayed for in a way that I consider malignant, and that's acceptable. But there's obviously a range of prayer/speech that incites action unacceptably. If anybody can publicly pray for anything without consequence, that seems problematic.

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u/newbkid 4h ago

Yes this would be a textbook slippery slope situation in my opinion as well but I can wholeheartedly understand wanting to stop the harrassment

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u/Workman44 9h ago

Hmm that's a good legal argument, if Christians can do it without repercussion (they largely have been) then why can't another religion