Published by Atheist Ireland on 1 January 2010
1. Jesus Christ, when asked if he was the son of God, in Matthew 26:64: “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” According to the Christian Bible, the Jewish chief priests and elders and council deemed this statement by Jesus to be blasphemous, and they sentenced Jesus to death for saying it.
2. Jesus Christ, talking to Jews about their God, in John 8:44: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.” This is one of several chapters in the Christian Bible that can give a scriptural foundation to Christian anti-Semitism. The first part of John 8, the story of “whoever is without sin cast the first stone”, was not in the original version, but was added centuries later. The original John 8 is a debate between Jesus and some Jews. In brief, Jesus calls the Jews who disbelieve him sons of the Devil, the Jews try to stone him, and Jesus runs away and hides.
3. Muhammad, quoted in Hadith of Bukhari, Vol 1 Book 8 Hadith 427: “May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they built the places of worship at the graves of their prophets.” This quote is attributed to Muhammad on his death-bed as a warning to Muslims not to copy this practice of the Jews and Christians. It is one of several passages in the Koran and in Hadith that can give a scriptural foundation to Islamic anti-Semitism, including the assertion in Sura 5:60 that Allah cursed Jews and turned some of them into apes and swine.
4. Mark Twain, describing the Christian Bible in Letters from the Earth, 1909: “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.” Twain’s book was published posthumously in 1939. His daughter, Clara Clemens, at first objected to it being published, but later changed her mind in 1960 when she believed that public opinion had grown more tolerant of the expression of such ideas. That was half a century before Fianna Fail and the Green Party imposed a new blasphemy law on the people of Ireland.
5. Tom Lehrer, The Vatican Rag, 1963: “Get in line in that processional, step into that small confessional. There, the guy who’s got religion’ll tell you if your sin’s original. If it is, try playing it safer, drink the wine and chew the wafer. Two, four, six, eight, time to transubstantiate!”
6. Randy Newman, God’s Song, 1972: “And the Lord said: I burn down your cities – how blind you must be. I take from you your children, and you say how blessed are we. You all must be crazy to put your faith in me. That’s why I love mankind.”
7. James Kirkup, The Love That Dares to Speak its Name, 1976: “While they prepared the tomb I kept guard over him. His mother and the Magdalen had gone to fetch clean linen to shroud his nakedness. I was alone with him… I laid my lips around the tip of that great cock, the instrument of our salvation, our eternal joy. The shaft, still throbbed, anointed with death’s final ejaculation.” This extract is from a poem that led to the last successful blasphemy prosecution in Britain, when Denis Lemon was given a suspended prison sentence after he published it in the now-defunct magazine Gay News. In 2002, a public reading of the poem, on the steps of St. Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square, failed to lead to any prosecution. In 2008, the British Parliament abolished the common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel.
8. Matthias, son of Deuteronomy of Gath, in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, 1979: “Look, I had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was that piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.”
9. Rev Ian Paisley MEP to the Pope in the European Parliament, 1988: “I denounce you as the Antichrist.” Paisley’s website describes the Antichrist as being “a liar, the true son of the father of lies, the original liar from the beginning… he will imitate Christ, a diabolical imitation, Satan transformed into an angel of light, which will deceive the world.”
10. Conor Cruise O’Brien, 1989: “In the last century the Arab thinker Jamal al-Afghani wrote: ‘Every Muslim is sick and his only remedy is in the Koran.’ Unfortunately the sickness gets worse the more the remedy is taken.”
11. Frank Zappa, 1989: “If you want to get together in any exclusive situation and have people love you, fine – but to hang all this desperate sociology on the idea of The Cloud-Guy who has The Big Book, who knows if you’ve been bad or good – and cares about any of it – to hang it all on that, folks, is the chimpanzee part of the brain working.”
12. Salman Rushdie, 1990: “The idea of the sacred is quite simply one of the most conservative notions in any culture, because it seeks to turn other ideas – uncertainty, progress, change – into crimes.” In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie because of blasphemous passages in Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses.
13. Bjork, 1995: “I do not believe in religion, but if I had to choose one it would be Buddhism. It seems more livable, closer to men… I’ve been reading about reincarnation, and the Buddhists say we come back as animals and they refer to them as lesser beings. Well, animals aren’t lesser beings, they’re just like us. So I say fuck the Buddhists.”
14. Amanda Donohoe on her role in the Ken Russell movie Lair of the White Worm, 1995: “Spitting on Christ was a great deal of fun. I can’t embrace a male god who has persecuted female sexuality throughout the ages, and that persecution still goes on today all over the world.”
15. George Carlin, 1999: “Religion easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told. Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there’s an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever ’til the end of time! But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He’s all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can’t handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more. Now, talk about a good bullshit story. Holy Shit!”
16. Paul Woodfull as Ding Dong Denny O’Reilly, The Ballad of Jaysus Christ, 2000: “He said me ma’s a virgin and sure no one disagreed, Cause they knew a lad who walks on water’s handy with his feet… Jaysus oh Jaysus, as cool as bleedin’ ice, With all the scrubbers in Israel he could not be enticed, Jaysus oh Jaysus, it’s funny you never rode, Cause it’s you I do be shoutin’ for each time I shoot me load.”
17. Jesus Christ, in Jerry Springer The Opera, 2003: “Actually, I’m a bit gay.” In 2005, the Christian Institute tried to bring a prosecution against the BBC for screening Jerry Springer the Opera, but the UK courts refused to issue a summons.
18. Tim Minchin, Ten-foot Cock and a Few Hundred Virgins, 2005: “So you’re gonna live in paradise, With a ten-foot cock and a few hundred virgins, So you’re gonna sacrifice your life, For a shot at the greener grass, And when the Lord comes down with his shiny rod of judgment, He’s gonna kick my heathen ass.”
19. Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion, 2006: “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” In 2007 Turkish publisher Erol Karaaslan was charged with the crime of insulting believers for publishing a Turkish translation of The God Delusion. He was acquitted in 2008, but another charge was brought in 2009. Karaaslan told the court that “it is a right to criticise religions and beliefs as part of the freedom of thought and expression.”
20. Pope Benedict XVI quoting a 14th century Byzantine emperor, 2006: “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” This statement has already led to both outrage and condemnation of the outrage. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the world’s largest Muslim body, said it was a “character assassination of the prophet Muhammad”. The Malaysian Prime Minister said that “the Pope must not take lightly the spread of outrage that has been created.” Pakistan’s foreign Ministry spokesperson said that “anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence”. The European Commission said that “reactions which are disproportionate and which are tantamount to rejecting freedom of speech are unacceptable.”
21. Christopher Hitchens in God is not Great, 2007: “There is some question as to whether Islam is a separate religion at all… Islam when examined is not much more than a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of plagiarisms, helping itself from earlier books and traditions as occasion appeared to require… It makes immense claims for itself, invokes prostrate submission or ‘surrender’ as a maxim to its adherents, and demands deference and respect from nonbelievers into the bargain. There is nothing—absolutely nothing—in its teachings that can even begin to justify such arrogance and presumption.”
22. PZ Myers, on his desecration of a Roman Catholic communion host, 2008: “You would not believe how many people are writing to me, insisting that these horrible little crackers (they look like flattened bits of styrofoam) are literally pieces of their god, and that this omnipotent being who created the universe can actually be seriously harmed by some third-rate liberal intellectual at a third-rate university… However, inspired by an old woodcut of Jews stabbing the host, I thought of a simple, quick thing to do: I pierced it with a rusty nail (I hope Jesus’s tetanus shots are up to date). And then I simply threw it in the trash, followed by the classic, decorative items of trash cans everywhere, old coffeegrounds and a banana peel.”
23. Ian O’Doherty, 2009: “(If defamation of religion was illegal) it would be a crime for me to say that the notion of transubstantiation is so ridiculous that even a small child should be able to see the insanity and utter physical impossibility of a piece of bread and some wine somehow taking on corporeal form. It would be a crime for me to say that Islam is a backward desert superstition that has no place in modern, enlightened Europe and it would be a crime to point out that Jewish settlers in Israel who believe they have a God given right to take the land are, frankly, mad. All the above assertions will, no doubt, offend someone or other.”
24. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, 2009: “Whether a person is atheist or any other, there is in fact in my view something not totally human if they leave out the transcendent… we call it God… I think that if you leave that out you are not fully human.” Because atheism is not a religion, the Irish blasphemy law does not protect atheists from abusive and insulting statements about their fundamental beliefs. While atheists are not seeking such protection, we include the statement here to point out that it is discriminatory that this law does not hold all citizens equal.
25. Dermot Ahern, Irish Minister for Justice, introducing his blasphemy law at an Oireachtas Justice Committee meeting, 2009, and referring to comments made about him personally: “They are blasphemous.” Deputy Pat Rabbitte replied: “Given the Minister’s self-image, it could very well be that we are blaspheming,” and Minister Ahern replied: “Deputy Rabbitte says that I am close to the baby Jesus, I am so pure.” So here we have an Irish Justice Minister joking about himself being blasphemed, at a parliamentary Justice Committee discussing his own blasphemy law, that could make his own jokes illegal.
Finally, as a bonus, Micheal Martin, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, opposing attempts by Islamic States to make defamation of religion a crime at UN level, 2009: “We believe that the concept of defamation of religion is not consistent with the promotion and protection of human rights. It can be used to justify arbitrary limitations on, or the denial of, freedom of expression. Indeed, Ireland considers that freedom of expression is a key and inherent element in the manifestation of freedom of thought and conscience and as such is complementary to freedom of religion or belief.” Just months after Minister Martin made this comment, his colleague Dermot Ahern introduced Ireland’s new blasphemy law.
226 Comments
1Then the LORD answered out of the whirlwind, and said,
2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
19Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
22Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
33Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?
36Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
39Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
Be very careful, walking in ignorance and causing others to stumble is dangerous for you.
Go Atheist Ireland!
Here’s one more from Emma Goldman :
“So weak and helpless was this “Savior of Men” that he must needs the whole human family to pay for him, unto all eternity, because he “hath died for them.” Redemption through the Cross is worse than damnation, because of the terrible burden it imposes upon humanity, because of the effect it has on the human soul, fettering and paralyzing it with the weight of the burden exacted through the death of Christ.
Thousands of martyrs have perished, yet few, if any, of them have proved so helpless as the great Christian God. Thousands have gone to their death with greater fortitude, with more courage, with deeper faith in their ideas than the Nazarene. Nor did they expect eternal gratitude from their fellow-men because of what they endured for them.
Compared with Socrates and Bruno, with the great martyrs of Russia, with the Chicago Anarchists, Francisco Ferrer, and unnumbered others, Christ cuts a poor figure indeed. Compared with the delicate, frail Spiridonova who underwent the most terrible tortures, the most horrible indignities, without losing faith in herself or her cause, Jesus is a veritable nonentity. They stood their ground and faced their executioners with unflinching determination, and though they, too, died for the people, they asked nothing in return for their great sacrifice.”
There is a magnificently blasphemous picture at my site. It is on the front page and hard to miss. The designer who created it is a contributor to the site & says that you may feel free to use it as your own…though it might piss off a lot of Americans if you did!
Stand strong!
Those blasphemous quotations certainly ring very true, they very entertaining. More please !!
Good luck fighting the new laws. They are another attempt to drag us back to the dark ages and we should all stand against them.
Very nice work!
Another support comes from Holland!
Keep up the good stuff, Atheist Ireland.
This ridiculous law should be terminated rightaway.
Danielle says:
January 3, 2010 at 12:28 am
As each and every religion blasphemes every other religion by claiming to be the one “true” religion, is not this law unenforceable without banning all religion?
Now there is an idea. Keep on claiming EVERYTHING OFFENDS ME.
I just invented my own pizza-religion. Which is, pizza is the supreme god. Now if you eat pizza, instead of worshiping it, you are insulting my religion and since I am a large majority of believers in pizza-religion, your insult qualifies as blasphemy. So prepare your cash…
All my support from Italy.
George Bernard Shaw said “All great truths begin as blasphemies.” Add to that what Siddhartha Gautama—also known as the Buddha, or Enlightened One—said; “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it—even if I have said it—unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
Unfortunately, the Irish government has lost sight of an essential strength of a true democracy, which is the freedom to express ideas that may be unpleasant at first because they are unfamiliar. The balance between offense and truth is delicate, and it seems to me the government has erred too far toward protecting against the bogeyman of offense. I feel strongly they ought to let these ideas come out, and let those ideas that are offensive get argued down by majority opinion rather than the prickly personalities of a touchy minority.
Now that is nicely put, Douglas. Respect!
i feel personally threatened by this law. i remember reading about the spanish inquisition in school and thinking how lucky i was to live in a time where such things didn’t exist. this law may not be as extreme as the inquisition but it is founded on that same mentality. i don’t want to live in a society which persecutes people for their beliefs. i genuinely thought this was a thing of the past. this law is a huge step backward for this nation and cannot be passed.
Atheism is not necessarily anti-religion, just anti-deity/supernatural (from my understanding). I know several Unitarian Atheists who attend my Church. They are reasonable people and would find this law in direct conflict with their beliefs. They are respectful of other religions, but their statements could still be considered blasphemous. Just as peaching about my God to them is blasphemous.
Please let me know when the first burning at the steak of a Blasphemer is scheduled and I’ll book myself a front row seat.
I always thought that the claim that the vatican ran Irland were rubbish. Now I see that they are in fact true.
Great.
If I understand this law correctly, we can now round up proselytizers. Anything said in favor of one religion is inherently blasphemous to another (e.g., check #1 on Jehovah’s Top Ten List). TV preachers will have to shut down their operations. I’m looking forward to watching this play out in court… from afar.
What a regressive and shockingly right wing country we have.
Keep up the good work, section 36 of the Defamation Act 2009 needs to be opposed in it’s entirety.
And the Lord said: “How sillieth be he who hath quoted a really long bible passage on an atheist website, for thou have wasted thou’s time, as nobody hath the inclination to read it, even if thou putest “LORD” in big capital letters, as if we are doth supposed to be scared by it or something. And if we are doth walking in ignorance and everyone else be stumbling, doesn’t that doth mean that we are OK, if thouest think about it?”
Oops, did I just blaspheme there? Can anyone spare me a few thousand quid?
A 25,000-euro indulgence?
That won’t satisfy God… or Allah… or Zeus… or the Flying Spaghetti Monster… or whomever. No, we need to go Old School: public stonings, beheadings, torture, burning at the stake, etc.
Think about it, these people had the audacity to SAY something that conflicts with other people’s religious beliefs!!! Gasp.
For religions, critical thinking is like intellectual terrorism.
Oh, Ireland. You guys are hilarious.
I’m still shaking my head in disbelief. For the first time, I’m ashamed of my Irish ancestry.
am from USA
Kudos and a “Go Athies!” from the U.S. Your fight is just and reason is on your side. My condolences that the so-called “leaders” of your nation are sufficiently credulous and simple minded to impose such foolishness and call it law.
I write in full recognition that my own leaders are, by measure, far worse.
#11, by Frank Zappa, is an insult to Chimps everywhere.
Thank you for making a stand against this ridiculous law.
Here in Australia the government is trying the censor the internet.
These are things which should never happen in modern, democratic countries.
The nazi pope has called homosexuality “inherent moral evil” while protecting priests who molest children. He is causing genocide around the world by preventing millions of people from using condoms.
Would I be to write this true statement in an Irish newspaper under this new law?
Don’t let the bastards get away with this…more power to you!
Brad Parry
Culburra Beach,
Australia
Well done. You’ve got lots of press coverage for this already. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8437460.stm
Fianna Fail’s reaction to destroying the Irish economy is to bring in a law against blasphemy??! shame on us all for not revolting.
Paul in Galway
Imagine an all knowing, all loving super intelligent being who is the only thing that exists in the entire universe feeling lonely and deciding to create a fairly ignorant herd of humans. Too bad the humans were not given a brain.
If this psychic being created humans in order to receive worship or praise from what it made, that would be self worship.
If I were the only entity in the universe and if I were lonely, would I create a herd of lame, war like, greedy, flesh ingesting animals or would I create equals whom I could converse and grow with and perhaps get lucky on occasion?
While I’m not an atheist, as an Irish American and free speech advocate, I give you my full support in challenging this foolish blasphemy law. Hopefully it will be eliminated soon.
I’ve seen how such laws work in India, and it’s not pretty. The courts just get bogged down in stupid cases while people kill each other over religion anyway. You are right to fight this. What saddens me is that Ireland has such a rich history of creativity and lively debate. I’d hate to see that dampened by such a stupid law.
Let’s nuke Mecca.
Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
The best method of defence is attack: there are many peoples of the world, that have been dammaged by the Judaic trio. and it is all documented in history.
http://breez991.multiply.com/journal/item/34
A short blog documenting the dammage done by the Roman Catholic anexation of their lands. all historicaly verifiable. But for the Judaic church; there would very likely be! No Atheists.
Get lawyers around the world to put injunctions against the practice of any of the Judaic trio.
By the word of Jesus; you can not become broken (corrupt fruit); but you be followers of False prophets/teachers as: Alexander VI, given name Rodrigo Borgia, Roman Catholic Pope from 1492 until his death, is the most memorable of the corrupt and secular popes of the Renaissance. http://www.nndb.com/people/159/000092880/
Greetings and support from Australia.
This is a very important fight for freedom of speech. At the same time, it is very funny to read the quotes in this context.
Keep up the good work.
More support from the US. This story is on the cnn.com home page, where I read about it. Please keep up the defiance, which is both good and important work.
Three cheers for your work! I encourage you and say stand your ground. Reason and common sense are on your side. From the ‘Bible-Belt’ of central Kansas, USA.
Religious people are idiots. So by that logic, all those in Ireland are….yup, you guessed it….
Way to go, AI! Love from Brooklyn – and a quote from Joe Orton: “The man who said ‘Love thy neighbor’ was crucified by his.” Keep up the good work.
Yet more support from the US. Lots of us Irish decended over here cheering you on, and some who are not, but they’re not as sexy.
There are those within our own government who would do this in a moment if they thought they could get away with it.
Perhaps they should be reminded that Celestine I sending Palladius was no doubt considered a pretty big blasphemy by the Druids at the time?
“Christianity might be a good thing if anyone has ever tried it.” George Bernard Shaw.
“Work is the curse of the drinking class.” Oscar Wilde
“We have always found the Irish to be a bit odd. They refuse to be English.” Winston Churchill
We Americans have a bit of that too, probably got it from our Irish ancestors. The more fortunate of us get our looks from them too. Fight well, I’d wish you luck, but you’re already lucky enough to be Irish.
More greetings and support from Australia.
Why are all Godbotherers so damned humourless? Obviously being one of God’s chosen people (whichever crazy sect that may be) is grim work.
Theists need to harden the f*ck up. If your deity can’t take a little blasphemy from time to time, it needs to toughen up. Get a grip.
Did anyone else notice the absolute gem on Islam buried in the 25 quotes: “Pakistan’s foreign Ministry spokesperson said that “anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence”.” Um… if you describe something as intolerant and the reaction is violence, um, wouldn’t that confirm the original assertion that it IS intolerant?
Goodness! You Irish need to kick this law back into the desert from wence it came. Why trade the modern world, with all its’ pitfalls for an Islamic overlord?
I support you guys all the way. Free speech is necessary and wonderful.
When I first saw this story I thought you were trying to overturn some law created 300 years ago! A new law like this in 2010 is unbelievable. Religious extremism is the cause of huge problems in the word today … not the answer!
Support from France. This law is archaic and must be overturned.
The bible verse; from which the Ecleastical definition of ‘blasphemy’ originated. “Claiming for onself the rites, or atributes of ‘god’ ”
John 10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
The fact that the Judaic religions; all claim to be in the image and likeness of god! Makes them all; blasphemous religions, by their own scriptures..
I saw this on CNN. You have my support in the US! This law is ridiculous and silly. I think what they are really trying to do is avoid what happened to the Danish cartoonist and his cartoons regarding Islam…but at the price of your freedom. Any religion is not better than no religion. And no religion isn’t necessarily better than any religion. The government should simply leave people alone. Sure, atheists don’t “believe” in a God(s) and would like to see others follow suit, but all we really want is for people to just live in peace and stop bickering over religion. I know you can get this law changed, so good luck taking this to court…it’s absurd!
Are they going to start burning witches at the stake too???
Jesus and the fiery furnace.
Devil and the deep blue sea.
Preacher say I’m gonna burn in hell for all eternity.
But when I have my judgement day and I lock eyes with my savior, well,
This is what I’m gonna tell him when he asks about my behavior…
I’m gonna say;
God was drunk when he made me.
God was drunk when he made me.
God was drunk when he made me.
And that’s why I’m so crazy.
Jesus and the fiery furnace.
Devil and the deep blue sea.
God was drunk when he made me…but that’s okay ’cause
I forgive Him.
See if it was God who made forgiveness, then before that he musta made sin.
And who built the house of brotherly love, then let the Devil come dancing in?
If it was God that saved the miracle child from the peril of the fiery flame,
Well then it musta been him that killed the two hundred others just to glorify
His name
That’s why I say;
God was drunk when he made me.
God was drunk when he made me.
God was drunk when he made me.
And that’s why I spout heresy.
Jesus and the fiery furnace,
Devil and the deep blue sea.
God was drunk when he made me but that’s okay…’cause I forgive Him.
– Jim White
I used to be a religious person. People turned me off, not God, not Jesus. People. I throw out any thing you site from the Bible, as it should be taken in whole. Reading the whole account of each Gospel and not taking parts, as many do and fit it to their own good.
I throw out government telling people what their beliefs MUST be. What makes us all different is what we believe and, if held correctly, can be good conversation. I hold nothing against anyone for what they believe or don’t. Life is too short for bullshit like that. But I do hope they get rid of this and let each believe and live.
To Peter B Workman
I’d like to clarify one thing. Islam is an Abrahamic religion and Muslims do not claim that humans are of God’s image.
Muslims believe that the image of God is unknown and no human mind can comprehend how He looks like.
I hope I have clarified Islamic’s position on image of God
Kudos from US on your quotes. I am also fearful of the push in the UN from Muslim nations (predominantly, but not solely) for a similar resolution. If you love your country, and freedom of speech, you’ll push to have your UN representative vote against this when it comes up. Interestingly Ireland supported at the UN something opposed to this idea here: http://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N09/587/38/pdf/N0958738.pdf?OpenElement
While the UN document, which uses double speak to both protect religion and remove free speech seems to exist here:
http://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N09/584/94/pdf/N0958494.pdf?OpenElement
Note in particular pages 6 and 7. Scary stuff. Good luck in your battle.
Let’s see, wouldn’t eating meat be blasphemous to Jains? Is Ireland now a vegetarian nation? Or does the law only apply to Christians? This will be fun.
Does this mean the theory of Evolution is blasphemous
because it contradicts the Bible?????
Yet another example of polititans acting without thinking.
“I am an atheist.” Isn’t that blasphemy?
I’ve never considered myself an atheist as it seems to suggest that there some level of validity to the whole “theist” part of the idea.
Californian followers of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster support you
Ramen
How recently have the religious law makers kept Ireland an abortion free state?
Not sure how long ago condoms and the pill were not on the scene?
Keep up the good work!!!!
Even more support from the US, to which religion does this ‘blasphemy’ pertain to? Roman Catholic, I’m guessing? What about the lawsuits against the Roman Catholic Church?
Everyday, I would be put in jail if I lived in Ireland. At least once per hour, I make some blasphemous comment about religion, ANY religion, like this:
God committed incest with Mary, isn’t she his daughter, on several levels? Isn’t she waaaaaaay younger than him? That is statutory rape.
Keep up the good work! Let them know they can’t suppress freedom of speech!
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