Comments on: Irish Blasphemy Law Passes

By: J P Daly

J P Daly — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:02:22 +0000

Mr. Farrel – You must admit the law is dangerous and potentially deadly. I think that voting with the pocketbook is an old yet effective way to send a clear message to the Dail that this was a truly stupid, backward, dangerous law that should be overthrown ASAP. I for onw will NOT be going back to Ireland. And BTW – the Pope and the entire Irish Dail can kiss my American-Irish Hairy Arse.

By: John Farrell

John Farrell — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:14:53 +0000

Having just returned from the west of Ireland, can I offer a little perspective to calm everyone down? Over the two weeks I was there, the major topic of conversation and headlines was not the blasphemy law. It was Michael friggin’ Jackson. It was the tumult in Iran and various local stories about politicians being put on the spot, and the local Hurler team, etc.

The priest at the small service we went to in Mayo spent the entire ten minutes of his sermon congratulating his congregation for shelling out $200,000 euros to help people in Zambia build houses for their families. $6,000 per house is pretty impressive, when you consider, he went on to say, that in the days of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ $6,000 wouldn’t pay for a bloody door handle on some of the houses being built during the boom.

The blasphemy law is stupid. But let’s not go off the rails about Ireland. Or the people there….

By: Craig Milton

Craig Milton — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:42:28 +0000

Good grief…

Well Ireland, welcome to the 14th century.

By: RBH

RBH — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:06:10 +0000

There are times when I’m a little ashamed that my mother’s maiden name was O’Brien. My grandfather, J.E., is spinning in his grave. He was a world-class blasphemer when the mood was upon him.

By: Idlethought

Idlethought — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:40:40 +0000

What, in the legal sense, is going to count as a ‘religion’ for this law?

For example, would the parish priest commenting on the tree stump have been in breach of the law?

By: JLT

JLT — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:34:11 +0000

Oups, mixed up my html tags…
The quote from the Guardian starts at “Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan…

Fixed that for you -jml

By: JLT

JLT — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:29:40 +0000

John M. Lynch

I read somewhere (can’t recall where) that the makers of Father Ted planned to blaspheme in a major manner if the legislation went through. So there may be a test case soon enough.

Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland plans to do the blaspheming. Father Ted's makers just support him.

Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan backed moves by a group of Irish secularists to challenge the bill against blasphemy introduced in the Dáil last week. Atheist Ireland said this weekend that it will publish a statement blaspheming all the major religions in Ireland, including Christianity and Islam. The group said it would be a calculated challenge to the law. [...] Michael Nugent, of Atheist Ireland, who has also written comedy with Mathews, said the bill was silly and dangerous. "It is silly because it revives a medieval religious law in a modern pluralist republic, and it makes Ireland seem like a backward country. People need protection. Ideas do not. Ideas should always be open to criticism and ridicule. If the law is passed, we will be immediately testing it by publishing a blasphemous statement."The Guardian

By: Oldcola

Oldcola — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:18:37 +0000

John,
I was planning to visit Ireland in the next few months. I’ll change my vacation’s destination, even Vatican seem more safe for an often blasphemous guy.

What is the definition of “reasonable person” by Irish laws? Does it exclude theists & deists? Well, I’m too much optimistic, but maybe Kenny could answer this question.

By: DLC

DLC — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:05:27 +0000

so they’ve taken a giant step backwards in time. I had Ireland on my “places to go before I die” list too. (not that I’m planning on dying anytime soon!)
I guess I still will, but I’ll not enjoy it as much.

By: John M. Lynch

John M. Lynch — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:47:25 +0000

I read somewhere (can't recall where) that the makers of Father Ted planned to blaspheme in a major manner if the legislation went through. So there may be a test case soon enough.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:19:37 +0000

Now the best way to show how stupid this law is would be to file a complaint against a Christian organisation that prints Bibles. Or at least a fundie one so that you couldn’t argue that they didn’t intend to offend other religions.

By: thewordofme

thewordofme — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:03:20 +0000

How about a revolution to get rid of useless and disruptive laws and those who keep making them; do they even listen to the man/women in the street anymore??

By: The Ridger

The Ridger — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:31:29 +0000

Let’s just remember that the Shakespeare quote was the preface to establishing a country without the rule of law…

That said, this law is ridiculous.

By: thewordofme

thewordofme — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:20:18 +0000

50 cents or $20 for speaking what you are thinking……the ultimate tax.

I like what Shakespeare said about lawyers.

Did you ever think it’s time for the world to revolt and throw off the yoke of these petty and useless governments??

By: John M. Lynch

John M. Lynch — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:55:54 +0000

You are indeed correct. I did know that the sum was a maximum fine, I just was loose with my language. And thanks for reminding us why the approval rate of lawyers in only 23%