Comments on: Ireland Passes Blasphemy Law

By: Jimmi Kristensen

Jimmi Kristensen — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:52:08 +0000

Yes welcome back to the dark ages, even here in Denmark we laugh of the irish, like we did over the censoring former polish government, that wanted to ban Kafka, Nietzche and Dostoyevski……
To qoute Monthy Pythin: Nobody expects the spanish inquisition ;))))

By: Erik

Erik — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:04:32 +0000

I think it’s a good law for Ireland, considering its recent history of religious violence. It’s a law against intentionally causing religious outrage. That SHOULD be illegal in Ireland, because it’s tantamount to inciting violence.

By: Jabster

Jabster — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:20:07 +0000

… can we say stupid mets stupider and stupider’s even more stupid brother?

The Catholic Church must be jumping for joy with the suppression on speech they can now cause.

By: BrainJunk » For God’s sake, Ireland

BrainJunk » For God’s sake, Ireland — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:15:58 +0000

[...] may be a bit late to the party on this one, but I recently found out about Ireland’s passing of a law creating penalties for blasphemy. For a modern democratic nation, this is pretty embarrasing. It’s also a very stupid idea, as [...]

By: Joe L.

Joe L. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:44:34 +0000

So, if I take Section 36 Part 2 to it’s logical conclusion, would it be fair to say that someone who writes (”publishes”) a review of The God Delusion or a similar book, maybe even on a blog, in which they support the conclusion of said book, they could be found guilty?

And furthermore, should they be found guilty, that will allow the police to forcefully enter a home and seize…. the computers the blog was published on? And, the source material for the review, such as any atheistic books or even any books critical of religion?

ummm….. can we say 1984 meets Fahrenheit 451?

By: JonJon

JonJon — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:28:01 +0000

thanks, love you too…

By: reckonr

reckonr — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:16:18 +0000

@JonJon

Hold both in contempt; they are synonymous.

Ignorance, if not bliss, often saves a good deal of time

By: Mike Haubrich, FCD

Mike Haubrich, FCD — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:11:42 +0000

Thank you. It seems to me that the civil authority are called upon by people with little confidence in their God to mete out punishments. They must do the punishing now, just in case there is no Heavenly Court to settle matters.

By: Jabster

Jabster — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:42:29 +0000

No sure about of parts of the Europe but the UK has laws against incitment of relgious hatred based on the same laws for racial hatred. These are not blasphemy laws but are more intended to protect the right to religious freedom. So far they seem to have worked well in that you are at liberty to offend but not to “stir up trouble” against a relgious group.

By: Jabster

Jabster — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:18:46 +0000

Unlikely, sounds more like they wish to preserve the ’sensibilities’ of the dominate religion in Ireland and not Northern Ireland where this law has no effect. On a more positive note there’s hope that as soon as the first few cases go through they will realise just have difficult it is to prove and the law will basically become worthless.

As part of the EU Ireland already has laws for freedom of religion but this should not have been extended to freedom not to be offended.

By: Jabster

Jabster — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:06:01 +0000

Not sure why you think the UK is involved here?

By: Francesc

Francesc — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:45:06 +0000

Yeah, but don’t forget it: you can’t say “damn god” while doing it, or the fine will be higher

By: Francesc

Francesc — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:42:01 +0000

“It gives the Irish police the power to forcefully enter any property INCLUDING YOUR HOUSE if they think that there might be “blasphemous materials” inside”

I don’t know in Ireland, but I assume in all europe police has it easier to get into your house than in the US. Specially when they think you are doing something “illegal”

By: Francesc

Francesc — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:37:02 +0000

You are wrong about this :-)
Though some muslims in europe don’t give up their religion, most of them addapt -to some extent- to our lifestyle. Most of their sons are normal europeans, with a different religions or none at all. It’s not a religious or ethnic problem, but a social one. They come to europe and have to do the worst jobs, they have less oportunities, and they end in a ghetto.

I’m thinking here in France -les banlieues- some years ago. They were fighting from the same rights -not only in theory, but in a daily basis.

We won’t see a religous war, we’ll see social disturbs

By: Rik

Rik — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:20:08 +0000

Sorry, not over-familiar with the legal jargon here. What EXACTLY constitutes a “significant number”. Oh wait, it’s any number you say say it is, right?

Congratulations Ireland, on passing the daftest and most self-contradictory law of the year (so far).