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Atheist Loses Case Against Priest, Jesus

An Italian atheist has lost his bid to force a village priest to stand trial for asserting that Jesus Christ existed. The atheist contends that the priest violated two Italian laws in making the assertion. A judge dismissed the man`s petition. Now Cascioli could also face charges of his own. The judge says prosecutors should investigate him for slander.

Luigi Cascioli sued Father Enrico Righi in 2002 after the priest attacked him in print for casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Christian gospels. Cascioli contends that Christianity relies on purely anecdotal evidence. Cascioli said after the decision that he`s not surprised with the outcome, since Italy is an overwhelmingly loyal and passionate Roman Catholic country.

He was once a trainee priest, and classmate of Father Righi, but drifted away from the Church and has spent much of his life as a committed atheist and anti-religion campaigner. He says his fight is not necessarily over, and that he could take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.