Illegal fee?
May 14, 2010 at 6:01 pm
(This post was last modified: May 14, 2010 at 6:04 pm by mrjack.)
In Finland we have a national broadcasting company called Yleisradio OY or YLE. The government owns about 99,98% of it and it is funded mostly through a television fee which is mandatory for people who have a receiver that allows them to watch TV channels. Yleisradio broadcasts several TV and radio channels. The positive aspect is the fact that the YLE TV channels for example have no ads because of the fee.
I have been wondering if the fee is illegal based on the facts that we have freedom of religion and conscience yet the national TV and radio channels broadcast Christian church services. So if you own equipment that allows you to watch TV channels, you're forced to fund the proselytizing of a religion you don't belong to. I'd say that this is a pretty clear breach of the civil rights of people who are not Christians, but then again I'm not a lawyer.
I've been thinking about sending an email about this to various freethinker and atheist organizations in Finland, but I'd like to be sure there is a case to start with. What's your opinion?
I have been wondering if the fee is illegal based on the facts that we have freedom of religion and conscience yet the national TV and radio channels broadcast Christian church services. So if you own equipment that allows you to watch TV channels, you're forced to fund the proselytizing of a religion you don't belong to. I'd say that this is a pretty clear breach of the civil rights of people who are not Christians, but then again I'm not a lawyer.
I've been thinking about sending an email about this to various freethinker and atheist organizations in Finland, but I'd like to be sure there is a case to start with. What's your opinion?
"Heresy is only another word for freedom of thought." - Graham Greene
"So forget Jesus, the stars died so that you could be here today." - Lawrence Krauss
"So forget Jesus, the stars died so that you could be here today." - Lawrence Krauss
