‘Not begging to differ’

EDITOR: The recent ruling by the Lords of law which was supported in the editorial of the Searchlight is nothing short of a blatant violation of a person’s rights and is downright unscriptural. This is how I analyze this dangerous precedent, as law generally is based on precedence.

The reasoning for their ruling may appear logical but there is no guarantee that those with malice in their hearts or those editors who seek revenge will not use this opportunity to their advantage with impunity. The ruling is a shortcut to professional journalism and there are no shortcuts to professionalism. Journalists no longer have to research their information, just publish whatever sounds goods interspersed with a few facts, and when caught in the act, have a law to protect them … by that time the ‘damage’ has already been done.{{more}}

Not because law Lords make a ruling means that it is correct. Most of the laws in every country on this planet include laws from the Bible; “thou shall not kill”, is a law found in the statutes of all countries. And “thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour” , in other words thou shalt not tell lies or slander/libel your neighbour, not even your enemy, is another of the Ten laws given to man by God Himself on Mt. Sinai. Whom should we follow, God or man?

Let me repeat what the Bible says, which is what the law Lords swear with, for Proverbs 22:1 states: “A good name is more desirable than great riches, to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” (NIV), so following on that scripture, the ruling by the British law lords is wrong! Scripture also reveals that whoever digs a pit may actually be digging it for themselves: the ruling by the law lords may come to haunt them during their very lifetime. I close on this issue with scripture taken from Ecc. 8:9: “All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt.” Words of wisdom written by King Solomon. I ain’t begging to differ on this issue, I differing big time!

And finally a quick shot at another issue raised earlier and which is still very topical, I am still waiting to hear government proclaim the good news that renewable energy devices like, solar panels, mini-hydro, and wind generators can be imported sans duty.

Donald A. De Riggs

EDITOR’S NOTE: The House of Lords ruling is within context of the case Reynolds vs Times Newspaper which sets out a 10-point definition of “responsible journalism” which negates the unfounded fears of the author.