Second Day Blasphemy Round Up
Dermot Ahern’s atheist criminalisation act has been generating a gratifying amount of attention in the various tentacles of the media. State broadcaster propaganda organ RTE even deigned to punctuate their evening news reports of record grain harvests and tractor production with a story about it last night.
Here’s a round up:
Maman Poulet is organising a free-expression gym class by putting out a call for all the durty, filthy, god-offending material she can get.
Carol Coulter gives some historical and international perspective on the matter in the Irish Times.
Irish Eagle gives a refreshingly open-minded Catholic view of things.
Writer Michael Nugent sets out clearly the grounds for rejecting the new law.
News of the blasphemy law has even reached as far as fire-breathing American atheist, PZ Myers. Twice!
And the mighty Slugger O’Toole gives a kind shout out to your humble blogger.
Oh and because I’ll use any excuse to show a bit of the Life of Brian – some relevant commentary:
Wouldn’t it be great if some digital genius could put Dermot Ahern’s face on John Cleese in this scene?
Update: Speaking of Minister Ahern – he has defended his proposal in the Irish Times:
A spokesman for Mr Ahern maintained that under the Constitution the Minister must have a crime of blasphemy on the statute books. “The Minister’s hands are tied in this,” said the spokesman.
“The Minister has been told by the Attorney General that he has to have a law in relation to blasphemous libel, so he is amending the existing law to remove the jail term,” he said. “The alternative in not having the law is for the country to hold a referendum removing that article from the Constitution.”
What craven bullshit! The Republic has rolled along just fine without outlawing blasphemy so far. I don’t see what the need is to have one now.
But if Minister Ahern wants to run a referendum to remove the article on blasphemy from the Constitution – bring it on! If that’s supposed to be a threat to encourage people to accept this stupid law, it’s a pretty hollow one. It’d make for an interesting referendum campaign though, bringing all manner of religious crazies crawling out of the woodwork.
But it does seem that they’re dropping the prison term, but keeping in the fine – which is to ensure that the case would be heard in the High Court. It’s sweet that the Minister considers the needs of starving barristers in these straitened times.
Update II: Atheist Ireland weighs in.
Bock the Robber goes through some the screwed up situations this law could lead to.
And the whole thing gives Fustar a brainache.
Ivana Bacik earns her salt in the Senate. However…
John Hanafin (FF) said a debate on the proposal could be useful in highlighting the “tyranny of the liberals, in particular Irish liberals who seem to be some of the most intolerant people in the world”.
Oh woe is me! Those damn liberals and their principles of equality and free speech for all. Jesus, sure it must be a hard to be a religious bigot in Ireland these days.
Rónán Mullen (Ind) said the introduction of the offence would seem to be quite reasonable. It was significant that the proposal drafted by the Minister required that there would be an intention to cause outrage.
Of course its reasonable if you’re a unthinking god-bot. Because a smart god-bot would see that he’d as screwed by this law as any atheist, especially if he decides to speak out about Islam. Those guys are notoriously easy to offend.
Update III: I emailed Dermot Ahern and the TDs on the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights. Pat Rabbitte sent an (automated) reply stating that Labour oppose Ahern’s amendment and are pushing for an amendment to Article 40 of the Constitution to remove the references to blasphemy and sedition and redraft it in line with the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Group.
Deputy Rabbitte also said that his counter-amendment was designed to act as a “belt and braces” tactic to try to ensure that if Minister Ahern proceeds with his amendment that it can be constrained – presumably to the point where it is effectively toothless.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Bang on – what a waste of time – lets give a group that already enjoys unparalleled access to the ‘powers’ of state, a free-ride is what the y can say and do. Who voted these clowns in? Oh yea, that would be us.
Is it me or is your youtube page less than relevant?
April 30th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I think it’s you.
I thought it nicely took the piss out of the whole idea of blasphemy, but your mileage may vary.
April 30th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
This proposed amendment still blows my mind. Really?
Yay man, I quite enjoy all of your blasphemy. Please keep up the yelling on this. Think it would held if blasphemous Yankees joined the opposition (letters, emails, etc?).
May 1st, 2009 at 9:07 am
Nice roundup. Some choice reading to get me through the morning. Thanks.