New campaign website at blasphemy.ie
Do you want to stop the Irish government from reviving the medieval crime of blasphemy? Do you want to promote a rational, ethical and secular society in Ireland?
Atheist Ireland has put a campaign website online at http://blasphemy.ie/ as part of our campaign against this proposed new law.
It includes analysis and news items about blasphemy and free speech, and examples of material that could be illegal in Ireland if the new blasphemy law is passed.
Please let people know about http://blasphemy.ie/, and we can intensify this important campaign over the coming weeks.
Category Blasphemy,
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The UK has just got rid of the blasphemy law, WIHIH in Ireland by trying to to go back to the dark ages.
There once was a time when all people believed in god and the church ruled. This time was called the Dark Ages – Richard Lederer.
H.L. Mencken wrote “For centuries, theologians have been explaining the unknowable in terms of the-not-worth-knowing.”
Best wishes for the success of your campaign.
Malcolm
Just put up my Irish Blasphemy Challenge video.
If Ireland pass this blasphemy law, then they have become a theocratic state! Blasphemy is a horrendously stupid rule, how can one be fined for telling the truth!!!
They’re not reviving it actually… It’s already on the Statute books under section 13 of the Defamation Act, 1961…
Under Irish Case Law, the State is Constitutionally obliged to maintain the offence of blasphemy. What should be done is the removal of any references to blasphemy from the Irish Constitution, thus negating the State’s obligation to have such an offence in the statute books.
No matter which party is in power this would still have to be an offence under the constitution.
It is not a medieval crime, it is a current crime. The only reason it has reared its head again is because if the State wants to ammend or repeal the 1961 Act, it must once again include blasphemy.
You are therefore misleading people with the above headline.
I’m an atheist myself, but, you know… Us atheists like to stick to the facts.
As a devout cathode follower I will be outraged at any slight to revalved truth. The holy glow from ancient radio valves must be revered. Death to the transistor. You have been warned!
We must not let this blasphemy law be passed. It is nothing but an attempt to stifle our freedom of speech.
Is Dermot Ahern (the Minister who is pushing this Bill) some sort of psychotic control freak, or is he just another one of those “corporate whores” who is in the pay of Big Business? Same thing, I suppose.
I simply cannot believe that a Blasphemy Law is being revived in my homeland! What has happened to a country of highly educated people? Where has your common sense gone? Ask yourself why one cannot criticise religion – why should it be any different to criticising political views for example? We have ditched this stupid law in the UK to wide acclaim – I can only hope you reject it too – I’ll be watching what happens…..!!
As Justsayin says, the new law is not a new law, and is required as being included in the national constitution (and I quote) under section 6 of article 40 which states :
‘the State shall endeavour to ensure that organs of public opinion…while preserving their rightful liberty of expression, including criticism of Government policy, shall not be used to undermine public order or morality or the authority of the State.
The publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law.’
I think that the main problem is that the ‘Church’ is taken as being representative of the nations morality (or was at the time that the constitution was drafted), that is what needs to change or this issue of blasphemy will never be removed from the constitution and Irish Law.
“When in trouble at home……start a war abroad.”
This stupid law is simply a diversionary tactic to take our minds off the blizzard of bad economic news.
(A bit “rich” not being allowed BY LAW to heartily offend the Catholic Church after all the offending THEY did.)
I better stop swearing or my daughter might report me to the Garda. It is hard to believe (excuse the pun!) sometimes how we got ourselves into this situation. The greatest con in the world is without doubt(sorry again) the most ridiculous of all religions, the warped catholic ethos!
How many university departments can you think of which might have to wonder whether “publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter” might possibly be construed by some to overlap with their daily work? Philosophy, biology, psychology, sociology, history, … even a modern theology department for crying out loud! Certain economics courses could be considered seditious by some and I know I’ve read some behavior economics studies that many would consider indecent. Everyone associated with higher education should speak out against this law.
Atheist Ireland should nominaate a sobriquet – as daft a one as possible – every month for the god concept. It could be promulgated on the site, on kindred sites and via media release. It could become something of a national joke but, more to the point, wouldn’t the State appear as great an ass as it is prosecuting an atheist for blaspheming, say, ‘Demon Jay’?
Additionally, a test case should be organised by non-Catholics challenging the Revenue authorities in the Republic on the issue of using ‘the punlic purse’ to pay compensation to the victims of catholic religious depravity.
I never thiought that having lived 84 years in Belfast I would ever find a single virtue in the Orange State.
Richard Montague
after years of doubt and fear ,Dawkins river out of eden showed logic and common sense . a great sense of joy ensued . glad to be free
all the problems and distructions came from your evil Atheist irland,so just do what u want islam is like te sun and air and water u cant live without them.
Ireland is a backward economic quagmire, and what better way to shake off the problems of economic disaster than to oppress everyone with religion? The politicos having given all our tax money to the banks, ignored cries for the church to be removed from state have done a turnabout and insisted that their position is that people are not allowed say anything bad about how corrupt Ireland is.
Using the Church as a launching platform, the Irish government under Fianna Fail (the fada omitted by choice), will bring in a level of political and social oppression unknown since the Czars. I am all for the separation of church and state and am an advocate of freedom of thought, expression and speech.
Obviously free thinking people are a threat to the state, but just as the men of ireland in the past drove off the oppression of the british, we must drive off the oppression of the present government, demand their resignation and the removal of references to god from all legal texts. Fairness, equality and justice for all. And no to lisbon.
I can’t believe that people are really busy with laws like this. A total act of arrogance from the religous side. We can criticise you but be very carefull about what you say about us!! Freedom of speech only if you are religous
This beautiful pagan land is occupied by christian spoofers and chancers.
Why dont we take Dermo Ahern to court and make him prove his god is for real? Freedom of speech, expression and the right to disbelieve any mans god.