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."'"

Comments

No one's yet gone for the obvious...

[PapagenoX]

Oh, Jesus Chr... oops!

Re:Will at be enforced fairly?

[yoshi_mon]

woosh. (...or just english not your native language)

DIET-y. As in diet.
vs. Deity (a divinity or god)

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Ummm, he was referring to the fact that the poster wrote 'diety' in stead of 'deity'. Which, given the name of the deity in question, is pretty unintentionally funny.

Woosh and ummm to you both! I actually missed that but I'm quite sure, again research FSM!, that it was intentional.

Those who warship the FSM refer to themselves as Pastafarians fer cipes sake.