Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
2 January 2010
23:0436218Logged off a short while ago, and spotted this in the headlines. In Ireland, you now face a fine of up to £22,000 for making a blasphemous remark. This to me does nothing for religion at all, but I`ll leave it to you all to get your teeth into.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
3 January 2010
10:3836227Maybe it's a fund-raising exercise Colin.
Roger
3 January 2010
10:5036229Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
3 January 2010
11:0036230Bern, where`s the rest of it? I was looking forward to reading a half page essay from you this morning.
. No seriously, this sort of law is the same as taking away the right of free speech and thought. I`d be interested to know the individual`s behind it. They belong with the warmonger`s.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
3 January 2010
11:1536232Be careful what you wish for Colin................once I've had my triple espresso I'll be rocking the keyboard!!!! Be right back....
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
3 January 2010
12:0736233Like Bern, I'm not a supporter of this law, but I have to say that I do think the thought processes that may have gone into creating the law are worth considering.
Doesn't it come into the bracket of respect? Sure, you might hold beliefs that may be entirely secular, but that doesn't mean others do...........I know of people, some of whom are friends, to whom even the mildest 'Oh Jeez....' is offensive. I ought to add here that I'm no evangelist myself, but my religious views are my own opinion and I try to keep them close to lest others might take offence for fear that I might be preaching. I thus believe that it works both ways, and that I have to be mindful that what I say might be considered blasphemous by others who hold stronger religious views than I. If this new blasphemy law makes people consider what they're about to say before they open their traps, then it's no bad thing.
One thing that strikes me as impossible, though, is policing this; unless the letter of the law is applied equally, it will inevitably fail - and just how the Garda are supposed to apply this law equally to all Irish citizens is difficult to see.
True friends stab you in the front.
Guest 686- Registered: 5 May 2009
- Posts: 556
3 January 2010
13:1036236I could not support this law either, but it's all of a piece with the current trend of Government to control our lives down to the finest detail and remove any element of free will. There will come a time when the people will revolt - and it won't be pretty.
Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!!
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
3 January 2010
17:2936255Some people are revolting Phil and they are definitely not pretty !!
Roger
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
3 January 2010
18:1036259That`s my chances of being Roger`s freind gone.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,698
3 January 2010
20:5536268The law of blasphemy in the UK needs to be repealed for the following reasons:
1) it provides a favourable status to one religion over others
2) religions should be robust enough to not be bothered by people challenging them or using their particular god's name "in vain"
3) the followers of religions should have enough faith not to be bothered by what others think or say
The biggest issue in ensuring all religions are treated the same is the special status all western countries afford Judaism & Jews, fuelled by the ongoing institutionalised guilt over what was allowed to happen both in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during the 1930's and 40's. My personal view is that there are perfectly adequate laws in the UK relating to harassment, assault, criminal damage etc. to cover the range of attacks Jews and others have suffered in the past and in the present and possibly the future; affording special protection or status does not diminish these attacks but rather makes them more likely due to that special status.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
3 January 2010
22:0636273Thinking like that in the recent past would have prevented us from having anti- race-hate and gay-hate legislation. In order to legislate some protection into the statute books we need to recognise the specific hate-crimes.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,698
3 January 2010
23:0736278Bern I do understand where you are coming from, however the difference here is that the things you mention are are inherent to someone's being and cannot be changed, particularly gender and ethnicity. Religious observance is a choice and a belief structure and people can choose not to practice or to believe.
Should Satanists, or Jedi Knights, or Environmentalists for example be given similar protection?
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
4 January 2010
00:0936280Blasphemy law. Holy ****. Whatever next. It just feels like those of us with a secular nature are being constantly told to shut up, and now it is being reinforced in law. Well, let's see. I find any anti-atheist ideas and the idea of a god highly offensive and the concept of worship is extremely ridiculous and upsetting to me. Would this law look after people like me when religious callers come banging on my door preaching their offensive claptrap? Nah, thought not.
4 January 2010
07:3436283Get a grip. Like the telly button, you can just say no. I tolerate your atheist rants and denials despite finding them amusing, because you have the right to hold and express those views. We all, at the moment, have the right to share our views, on religion, climate change, crochet, lemon throwing, toenail cutting or racism, and long may it last. If you, however, go out of your way to offend me, or to offend Lemon Throwers United, then you are the Bad Man and should be made aware. Provocation and deliberate offence is no acceptable. Should we, for example, tolerate the "extremist" muslims who plan to march through Wooton Basset with empty coffins in direct provocation to the people there who salute our war dead?
Ross, religion is so intrinsic in our psyche and in our cultures I am not as sure as you are that it cannot be grouped with things "out of our control" like sexuality and ethnicity. There are still some who claim that sexuality is a lifestyle choice...............
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
4 January 2010
12:5636298rick
some perspective please, the law is in another country not the UK, i doubt also whether it will be applied that rigorously either,
how can religious callers offend you, they visit me, i politely tell them that i am not interested, they just smile say goodbye and go away.
this is all about living in a democracy, all sorts of politicos knock at our doors at election time, they have that right, we have the right to refuse to vote for them.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
4 January 2010
14:1036302Ross
Jedi Knights don't need protection, unless it's from Darth Vader. They're Jedi Knights.
True friends stab you in the front.
Guest 686- Registered: 5 May 2009
- Posts: 556
4 January 2010
16:2636306Rick has a right to his beliefs, or lack of them, as anyone else and his rights should be protected too. The argument, as I see it, is whether any legal framework should be so specific as to alienate people with different views irrespective of their context. Blasphemy seems to be a bit of a medieval concept to me.
Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!!
4 January 2010
18:0936308So does Parliament.................
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
4 January 2010
19:0036310blasphemy seems to be interpreted as taking a pop at believers by some, as evidenced by the salman rushdie issue years ago.
to me it is insulting the supreme being of any religion.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,698
4 January 2010
21:5036319Bern, as one who was brought up as a Roman Catholic but chose not to believe or practice what stuck me as a lot of nonsense I will disagree with you about religion being fundamental to our psyche.
Howard surely the supreme being(s) of any religion (if they exist at all) are indifferent to what mere men may or may not say. The problem is with the followers of those supreme beings.
I tend to side with Karl Marx in that "Religion is the opiate of the masses"
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
