Ierland is zo vreselijk Katholiek dus van andere religies, zeker het Mohammedanisme, zullen ze weinig moeten hebben.
Maar aan de andere kant is er nog altijd de sturende hand van de Kerk.
En stuurt de Kerk in een onverstandige richting, dan krijg je vreemde retrogade initiatieven. We zien het hier met onze Fijne Christenen: graag nog meer blasfemie wetten.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news ... 13479.html
Voor zover ik het lees, staat er geen gevangenisstraf of lijfstraf in deze wet.Libel and blasphemy bill passed by the Dail July 09 2009
The Defamation Bill, which also introduces a new crime of blasphemous libel, will come into operation after it is passed by the Seanad later this week and signed into law by President Mary McAleese.
The legislation, which the media industry broadly supports, also aims to ensure that the recently established Press Council operates as efficiently as possible.
It also enables newspapers to offer an apology without risking an admission of liability, and to defend libel actions by arguing that a story was in the public interest.
The new laws are expected to be in full operation by October.
In recent months, the stalled legislation was the subject of major debate when Justice Minister Dermot Ahern announced the introduction of a new crime of blasphemous libel. He argued that a new definition was required by the Constitution.
Under the changes, the maximum fine for blasphemy will be cut from €100,000 to €25,000.
Maar er zit een giftige addertje onder het gras: mag men na een veroordeling nog wel volksvertegenwoordiger worden?
Helemaal ongemerkt is deze beperking van de vrijheid vanwege een onzichtbaar vriendje niet geweest. Er is al een groep die een proefproces gaat beginnen.Sinn Fein's Aengus O Snodaigh earlier argued that the legislation should be changed so that TDs who took a legal case or who were sued could remain in public office if they ended up bankrupt.
Under current rules, if a TD becomes bankrupt, they are debarred from elected office.
http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2009/0 ... ward-step/
Ireland: blasphemy law a backward step 07 Jul 2009
If this law is passed, Atheist Ireland will respond by publishing a blasphemous statement in order to test the law and highlight its absurdity. We believe that people need protection from harm, but ideas and beliefs should always be open to challenge [...]
the Supreme Court found that the 1961 law was unenforceable because it did not define blasphemy. So, in effect, Ireland has never had an enforceable blasphemy law under the 1937 Constitution.[...]
Here are three reasons why this law is both silly and dangerous:
Reason One: The proposed law does not protect religious belief; it incentivises outrage and it criminalises free speech. Under this proposed law, if a person expresses one belief about gods, and other people think that this insults a different belief about gods, then these people can become outraged, and this outrage can make it illegal for the first person to express his or her beliefs.
The problematic behaviour here is the outrage, not the expression of different beliefs. Instead of incentivising outrage, we should be educating people to respond in a healthier manner when somebody expresses a belief that they find insulting. More worryingly, this law would encourage, reinforce and protect the type of orchestrated outrage that Islamic fundamentalists have directed against cartoonists and novelists.
Reason Two: The proposed law treats religious beliefs as more valuable than secular beliefs and scientific thinking. Personally, I find it abusive and insulting that the Christian Bible suggests that a woman should be stoned to death for not being a virgin on her wedding night, or that it is okay to kill your slave if he dies slowly, or that effeminate people are unrighteous, or that women must not teach and must learn in silence
If enough atheists are outraged by these passages, should the Christian Bible be banned? I do not believe that the Bible should be banned, and neither should discussion of the Bible in terms that cause Christians to be outraged.
Reason Three: We should be removing 1930s religious references from the Irish constitution, not legislating to enforce them. Today, under the Irish constitution, you cannot become president or be appointed as a judge unless you take a religious oath asking God to direct and sustain you in your work.