Ireland Criminalizes Blasphemy.

[denem]

Ireland’s bizarre war on blasphemy
The new criminalisation of blasphemy is not a return to the pious past, but rather is underpinned by a very modern suspicion of offensiveness.

(20 July 2009) It does seem bizarre that, in 2009, a modern European nation would seek to shield religious belief from criticism – yet that is what is happening in Ireland right now. In repealing the 1961 Defamation Act, the Irish government sought to expunge the worst excesses of Ireland’s draconian laws restricting free speech, but in the process it has ended up making offending religious belief a criminal offence.

Aside from a €25,000 fine (reduced from the €100,000 originally sought by the government), the new Defamation Act gives the authorities the power to stage raids on publishers: the courts may now issue a warrant authorising the police to enter, using ‘reasonable force’, premises where they have grounds for believing there are copies of ‘blasphemous statements’.

Many are asking why on earth blasphemy should be criminalised, particularly at a time when the Catholic Church in Ireland is being investigated for widespread child abuse and its public image has hit rock bottom.

The government has responded to its critics by saying there is a constitutional requirement for a specific blasphemy law in Ireland. Indeed so: freedom of speech is guaranteed by Article 40.6.1 of the Irish constitution. However, it goes on to prohibit the publication of ‘blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter’ . One might call the Irish constitution a clear case of the left hand giving and the right hand taking away.

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/7171/

The Defamation Act makes 'offending religious belief a criminal offence'. A key point here is that blasphemy is being linked to defamation: i.e. (false) statements, including speech, injuring the good name of a religion. "They create a crime where one of the basic elements of the crime is subjective outrage of particular people."

[lunatica]

1. Well I'll be goddammed!

Fuck!

[piratefish08]

2. the scary thing is how many people there are in THIS country would support bullshit like this n/t

[hobbit709]

3. Which religion has a "good" name?

The one with the pedophile priests, the ones with the fundy nutjobs, or what?

[peekaloo]

4. Jesus Fooking Christ!

[Captain Hilts]

19. Ah, the union of profanity with vulgarity for those very special occasions...nt

[get the red out]

5. Stop talking about us abusing kids!!!! (says the Church)

They don't want any more discussion of how horribly they have treated children in their care through the years, so they pass a law to shut up their critics. I would imagine the "indecent" matter would be details of the long history of child molestation by priests. Yes, it's indecent alright.

I bet other criminals throughout the world are wishing they had such clout.

[hatrack]

6. Good thing they solved all those other probems, huh?!?

:eyes:

[Mrs. Overall]

7. Interesting...and how many great Irish writers (past and present) have written very negatively

and harshly of the Catholic Church?

Hope this doesn't have an effect on their literary arts.

[slampoet]

8. Oh fer Chrisssakes.

[Odin2005]

9. I'm gonna criticize BS ancient fairly tales and if the Religionists donlt like that too F-ing bad!

[Deep13]

10. What doesn't offend someone's religious belief?

Holding hands in public is considered immodest by some and therefore an offense to god.

Basically, this law will lock people up for telling the truth.

[Captain Hilts]

20. You can still use shit, fuck, etc. nt

[Deep13]

22. If someone proselytizes to me...

...I'd have to nod in agreement or else be guilty of blaspheme.

[Echo In Light]

11. Huh?!

:wtf:

[H2O Man]

12. Good.

It's my island.

[saltpoint]

13. In part, blasphemy is what makes Ireland interesting.

Language includes both the capacity to quietly affirm and the impulse to explosively offend.

I say speak freely and the devil take the hindmost.

[trof]

14. Next up: Witch burning.

[TexasObserver]

15. Well, to hell with them and the God they rode in on!

[Hepburn]

16. Gads ~~ I think we have found the PERFECT place for Pat Buchanan! eom

[Maru Kitteh]

28. You're.... RIGHT! He won't have to change his name or anything.

On the one hand, the Irish seem like good fun people, so I'd hate to dump old Pat on them. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure they'd kick his ass, and have a good time doing it, so that would be a real bonus.

[notesdev]

17. I'm going to go out on a limb here

and guess that Christianity is not the religion in question.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. I'll go out on another, more likely limb

and guess there's an alliance involved, between the religion you think is guilty and the religion you think is innocent.

Wouldn't be the first time either.

[Deep13]

23. probably.

The true believers are circling the wagons by trying to cut off debate.

[B3Nut]

25. Good grief what a scary article

Braindead troglodytes on parade...arrrgh!

[notesdev]

26. Read the whole thing - it's hilarious

the religion in question is "political correctness" - apparently no actual religion wanted this.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

29. Read it. If there weren't religious groups among the proponents of this law, I'm the Pope. -nt

[Captain Hilts]

18. This means Susan Boyle can continue to say 'fuck' all she wants. nt

[graywarrior]

24. Jaysus Mary & Jo-seph!

[redqueen]

27. Not sure why this is coming back up now...

it was passed over a week ago, on July 10th. I guess some people missed those threads.