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Ireland Criminalizes Blasphemy
An anonymous reader writes "Another European country clamps down on free speech. From the article: 'It does seem bizarre that, in 2009, a modern European nation would seek to shield religious belief from criticism — yet that is what is happening in Ireland right now. In repealing the 1961 Defamation Act, the Irish government sought to expunge the worst excesses of Ireland's draconian laws restricting free speech, but in the process it has ended up making offending religious belief a criminal offence. Aside from a 25,000 fine (reduced from the 100,000 originally sought by the government), the new Defamation Act gives the authorities the power to stage raids on publishers: the courts may now issue a warrant authorising the police to enter, using "reasonable force," premises where they have grounds for believing there are copies of "blasphemous statements."'"
Expect this to be coming to the USA, though replace religious beliefs with some far-off claim about terrorism. Also expect it to have full bi-partisan support in congress.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
or at least that is what I'm told by my hip American hating Euro friends. Nice to know you guys are just as dumb as we are really.
Yeah, in America, we call them Republicans.
Truth, Justice. Or the American Way.
Europe, unlike USA, has experienced a true invasion of muslim immigrants and their culture on its territory in recent years. USA didnt because it became far more restrictive about who to let in. UK is particulary open because of all the ol' Empire stuff. It may be just my guess but I have a feeling this law has been influenced by muslim lobby and will mostly be executed towards offending muslim faith, which takes any signs of offence waaay too serious. Unlike any other religion.
I dare you to say the same thing, except insert Muslim prophet's name instead. It is probably more accurate as well ;)
Christians are just wimps, and easy pickings. And yet people fear them more than the Muslims.
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
In Ireland, the ACLU could go fuck itself.
You go with what the majority wants, wether you in your US mentality think its right or not.
Considering the ratio of strongly religious people to non-religious in Ireland, this law is not shocking in the least.
I really don't see what your problem is, other than you are probably one of those jackasses that screams about being open minded and freedom of speech, yet you are unable to to accept that not everyone feels the way you do.
So basically, the people in Ireland feel differently than you, and because they don't agree with you, you think of them as bible thumping idiots. How ironic is it that you call them names for doing the exactly the same thing you do, but on the other side of the fence.
Stop being such a self absorbed twit and realize you're point of view isn't the only one that exists.
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If there's one thing that irritates me more than religious zealots, it's dictionary zealots who presume to tell ME what I am or am not. I say I'm an atheist. I don't know for a fact if there is a god or not, but my guess is NO. "Oh, you're not really an atheist then, you're actually an agnostic." No, I'm atheist, and that's that. Now mind your own fucking business. Can I make it any clearer?