01/01/2010 Blasphmey Law in Effect.

studiorat · 01-01-2010 5:19pm #1

Well today is the first day of the new Blasphemy Law and I'd like to propose a Blasphemy stickey for the forum.

To get the ball rolling I've cut and pasted some classic blasphemy from Mr. Mark Twain:

“Also it has another name - The Word of God. For the Christian thinks every word of it was dictated by God. It is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies… But you notice that when the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, adored Father of Man, goes to war, there is no limit. He is totally without mercy - he, who is called the Fountain of Mercy. He slays, slays, slays! All the men, all the beasts, all the boys, all the babies; also all the women and all the girls, except those that have not been deflowered. He makes no distinction between innocent and guilty… What the insane Father required was blood and misery; he was indifferent as to who furnished it.”

And some of my own: The Holy Spirit exists only in the imagination of the ignorant and beguiled.

Turtwig · 01-01-2010 5:25pm

So what exactly are the ramifications if I accuse someone's God of being dimwitted dipsh1t in public?

krudler · 01-01-2010 5:52pm

I doubt anyone would ever get done for blasphemy, it'd make this country a laughing stock, oh wait...

To add, God was invented by those who wished to keep the simple minded in place, for fear of riling up some vengeful deity,its working pretty well, not having this fear of an invisible boogeyman hanging over you is infintely more freeing than anything trying to please an imaginary being could be

Galvasean · 01-01-2010 6:00pm

Antbert · 01-01-2010 6:00pm

If I started a topic about the Blasphemy Law I'd give more detail about it... Just in case there were people reading who didn't know any more than 'a blasphemy law was passed' and couldn't be bothered to look it up. Ahem.

Basically I echo Malty_T's question. And add, what exactly is blasphemous?

Galvasean · 01-01-2010 6:08pm

I've actually read the law and TBH it's going to be VERY hard for anyone to get punished for it, such is the way that it is worded.

Pushtrak · 01-01-2010 6:14pm

Atheism Ireland has posted 25 blasphemy quotes which can be read here. Just about to read them myself.

Permabear · 01-01-2010 6:23pm

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GLaDOS · 01-01-2010 6:48pm

Pushtrak wrote: »

Atheism Ireland has posted 25 blasphemy quotes which can be read here. Just about to read them myself.

Link's not working :eek:

Here's an article on the subject anyways http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/01/irish-atheists-challenge-blasphemy-law

Galvasean · 01-01-2010 8:23pm

donegalfella wrote: »

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It could also be argued that blasphemy in all of it's forms offer a political value of sorts.

studiorat · 01-01-2010 8:36pm

The Mark Twain post was culled from the Atheist Ireland (splitters!) site.

My own was intended to Blaspheme (sp?) the Holy Spirit 'cause we all know that's a "mortaler". The only sin that is unforgivable apparently...

The Mad Hatter · 01-01-2010 8:46pm

studiorat wrote: »

The Mark Twain post was culled from the Atheist Ireland (splitters!) site.

My own was intended to Blaspheme (sp?) the Holy Spirit 'cause we all know that's a "mortaler". The only sin that is unforgivable apparently...

Hunh. I was told the same was true of not going to mass on easter.

Pushtrak · 01-01-2010 8:54pm

donegalfella wrote: »

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Yes, that is probably the case. That isn't the point though. Where I'd be hoping to see religion and legality less intertwined, we are regressing to what seems more Dark Age times.

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Link's not working :eek:

Yeah, took me a while to get it working too. I just kept refreshing the page till it worked.

MrPudding · 01-01-2010 8:58pm

Personally, I prefer to go with a simple "I deny the holy spirit." If that does not work I might consider following it up with a "I don't believe god exists, but if he did he is a cnut."

MrP

Permabear · 01-01-2010 9:38pm

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01-01-2010 10:10pm

Monty Pyton Blasphemy skit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erthun0Pauc&feature=player_embedded

Daftendirekt · 01-01-2010 10:34pm

I can't remember the exact wording of the law, but I'd imagine it'd be literally impossible to get yourself charged under it (as a form of protest or whatever). Any deliberate attempt to break it would be a form of civil disobedience, which would obviously have merit as a political statement.

In fact, the wording of it seems quite circular. If you intentionally set out to outrage a large number of people, surely that would have to be seen as having some political intent behind it?

Stercus Accidit · 01-01-2010 10:36pm

If this law is ever even threatened to be invoked against someone, free speech will be damaged, and I love that this law comes in on day one of a new decade in the 21st century.

I'm curious, is this law not in contravention of equality legislation, at an EU level?

PDN · 01-01-2010 10:49pm

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

If this law is ever even threatened to be invoked against someone, free speech will be damaged, and I love that this law comes in on day one of a new decade in the 21st century.

Totally pedantic and off topic, but the new decade doesn't actually start for another year

Galvasean · 01-01-2010 10:54pm

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

If this law is ever even threatened to be invoked against someone, free speech will be damaged, and I love that this law comes in on day one of a new decade in the 21st century.

I'm curious, is this law not in contravention of equality legislation, at an EU level?

Don't you get it? The law is written especially so it will be impossible to be convicted of blasphemy. It's actually a good thing for atheists, despite what Atheism Ireland seem to think.

krudler · 01-01-2010 10:56pm

PDN wrote: »

Totally pedantic and off topic, but the new decade doesn't actually start for another year

So by that logic 1990 was a part of the 80s? The decade goes 00-09, not 01-10, unless we're living in some sort of magic non counted year at the mo

Back on topic, itd only happen in Ireland where in the 21t century there would be a law approved and passed thats next to impossible to break, wonder how much taxpayers money was wasted on this shyte

PDN · 01-01-2010 11:07pm

krudler wrote: »

So by that logic 1990 was a part of the 80s? The decade goes 00-09, not 01-10, unless we're living in some sort of magic non counted year at the mo

No, but you need to be able to think logically to follow this.

There was no year zero - so the first decade started in the year 1. A decade lasts 10 years - so the last year of the first decade was the year 10.

So the new millenium started 1st January 2001 - and the second decade of this millenium will begin 1st January 2011.

It seems counter intuitive, but is actually perfectly rational.

ShooterSF · 01-01-2010 11:20pm

PDN wrote: »

Totally pedantic and off topic, but the new decade doesn't actually start for another year

Thank you so much for that. Memories of arguments over the "new millennium" flooding back

T-Square · 01-01-2010 11:28pm

What little waster is spending tax payers money coming up with sh1te like this law?

Surely we have bigger fish to fry?

blasphemy law my orse

krudler · 01-01-2010 11:57pm

PDN wrote: »

No, but you need to be able to think logically to follow this.

There was no year zero - so the first decade started in the year 1. A decade lasts 10 years - so the last year of the first decade was the year 10.

So the new millenium started 1st January 2001 - and the second decade of this millenium will begin 1st January 2011.

It seems counter intuitive, but is actually perfectly rational.

Course there was no year zero, the number zero didnt even exist until much later. Once again i ask, was 1990 a part of the 80s? or 2000 part of the 90s? no, its not the way we measure decades, be pedantic all you want, you'll still be wrong;)

PDN · 02-01-2010 12:07am

krudler wrote: »

Course there was no year zero, the number zero didnt even exist until much later.

Exactly, no year zero, so the first decade CE was from 1 to 10.

ShooterSF · 02-01-2010 12:29am

krudler wrote: »

Course there was no year zero, the number zero didnt even exist until much later. Once again i ask, was 1990 a part of the 80s? or 2000 part of the 90s? no, its not the way we measure decades, be pedantic all you want, you'll still be wrong;)

Of course 1990 wasn't part of the 80's. "The 80's" is a reference to the years beginning with "nineteen eighty". However if you said the 9th decade of the 10th century of the 2nd millennium then it would include 1981-1990. (If my maths is right :pac:)

axer · 02-01-2010 12:54am

donegalfella wrote: »

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The point is not about something that is indefensibly blasphemous under the new law but the fact that someone could be charged and brought to court only to have to defend their actions there. It is a stupid unnecessary law that only moves with the christian rubbish in the constitution instead of trying to making efforts to have the christian sectarian crap removed.

Stercus Accidit · 02-01-2010 1:22am

Galvasean wrote: »

Don't you get it? The law is written especially so it will be impossible to be convicted of blasphemy. It's actually a good thing for atheists, despite what Atheism Ireland seem to think.

Don't you get it?

There is a widely publicised "blasphemy law", it can be used for threats of legal action.

Most people will comply when threatened with legal action, as most people haven't learned the ins and outs of every piece of legislation written.

That that threat can be made at all is my problem.

Permabear · 02-01-2010 1:29am

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pH · 02-01-2010 1:30am

donegalfella wrote: »

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Could any of these be found blasphemous?

p*ss Christ

The Love That Dares To Speak Its Name

Virgin in a Condom

An exhibit in a Catholic Museum in Vienna recently sparked a controversy after one of the artworks showed a homosexual orgy transpiring at the Last Supper. The art was being exhibited in a retrospective titled “Religion, Flesh, and Power,” a tribute to the eighty year-old Alfred Hrdlicka, one of Austria’s leading artists. Other artwork displayed include “works such as a depiction of the Crucifixion in which a soldier simultaneously beats Jesus and holds his genitals, [and] an image of Jesus on the cross without a face or a loincloth.”
http://curatorandcollector.com/?p=153

Ecce Homo *NSFW*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_with_erection

Mohamed cartoons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons_controversy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Mary_%28South_Park%29

01/01/2010 Blasphmey Law in Effect.

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