BBC: Stephen Fry faces blasphemy probe after God comments

[beam me up scottie]

Stephen Fry faces blasphemy probe after God
6 May 2017

Police in the Republic of Ireland have launched an investigation after a viewer claimed comments made by Stephen Fry on a TV show were blasphemous.


According to a report in the Irish Independent newspaper, no publicised cases of blasphemy have been brought before the courts since the law was introduced in 2009 and a source said it was "highly unlikely" that a prosecution against Fry would take place.


***

Appearing on The Meaning of Life, hosted by Gay Byrne, in February 2015, Fry had been asked what he might say to God at the gates of heaven.

Fry said: "How dare you create a world in which there is such misery? It's not our fault? It's not right. It's utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid god who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?"

Police in the Republic of Ireland have launched an investigation after a viewer claimed comments made by Stephen Fry on a TV show were blasphemous.

...

The Irish Independent reported a member of the public made a complaint to police in Ennis in the same month the programme was broadcast. He was recently contacted by a detective to say they were looking into his complaint.

The viewer was not said to be offended himself but believed Fry's comments qualified as blasphemy under the law, which carries a maximum penalty of a fine of 25,000 euros (£22,000).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39830447

The video has been posted here several times and it's worth watching if you haven't seen it yet:

Personally I think Stephen deserves an award and a payout of 25,000 euros for nailing it.

[Lint Head]

1. Time for The Spanish Inquisition!

&sns=em

[beam me up scottie]

2. Thanks, I love that skit!

Mal Brooks is pretty good too:

[Lint Head]

4. This is so great! I wish Mel Brookes would make more movies.

At least direct if he's retired from acting.

[beam me up scottie]

20. Me too!

I've watched Young Frankenstein more times than I can remember.

#

[SergeStorms]

17. Cardinal Fang........

fetch.......the comfy chair!

We all used to gather at the local bar on Saturday nights to watch Monty Python on PBS (WXXI Rochester, NY) in the early 70s. It aired at 9:00 PM and it was something we all looked forward to. Ah.......those were the days of my misspent youth! We had quite simpler pleasures back then.

[progressoid]

3. What the ???

The law prohibits people from publishing or uttering "matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion".

I'm ...

[msongs]

5. catholic church and taliban/ISIS have some things in common nt

[dhill926]

7. more than some...

[trotsky]

23. Exactly what I was going to say. n/t

[beam me up scottie]

6. Right?

I'll bet Giordano Bruno is giving the Church the finger all over again.

[OnDoutside]

9. I wouldn't worry about this.

When our Irish Constitution was enacted in 1937, we were still a priest ridden society, and one part of it was a Blasphemy law that only applied to offending a Christian God. In a hamfisted reaction to being told that this was inequitable towards other religions, the incompetent Fianna Fail Government minister brought in an updated law until a Referendum could be held to remove this altogether. This was despite being advised to just go ahead with the Referendum to clear this all up.

Between all our economic problems, other issues like this were left in the background. Obviously someone is trying to prompt the current government into taking on a Referendum to sort this out. After all, Stephen's interview with Uncle Gaybo was nearly 2 years ago.

[progressoid]

21. Yeah, like the article stated, it does seem "highly unlikely" that prosecution against Fry

would take place.

It's just bizarre that this comes up now.

[OnDoutside]

22. I reckon it's some political opponent acting the maggot.

Dermot Aherne was the idiot who brought this in, back in 2009, when everyone was telling him not to.

[Jno_Gilmor_]

8. It looks like many opposition groups are hoping the Frye case

overturns this abomination of a law. Lets hope they are right

[beam me up scottie]

10. I wouldn't mind if it turned into a contest.

I'm sure Stephen would be happy to provide them with another entry.

[Jno_Gilmor_]

12. 😈😈😈

[Binkie The Clown]

11. "God" save us from religion. What utter stupidity! n/t

[beam me up scottie]

13. Time to invoke the wrath of Cthulhu.

Or if he's not available the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[DRoseDARs]

14. No, an inquisition is EXACTLY what's needed here. Let his accuser face him...

...and when it is found that this is a ridiculous charge without merit, his accuser should face death by stoning as commanded by his capricious, mean-minded, stupid god.

Oh, and "The viewer was not said to be offended himself but believed Fry's comments qualified as blasphemy under the law"

Are you shitting me? ARE YOU SHITTING ME? Wrap around the arse of everyone in Ireland, fuckwit.

[beam me up scottie]

15. Well said!

[pansypoo53219]

18. talibornagain.

[beam me up scottie]

19. Fundamentalists want to control our speech and thought.

The fact that others mock them and their sacred cows absolutely INFURIATES them.

It's actually fun to poke them and watch them rage on and on.

[trotsky]

24. "The fact that others mock them and their sacred cows absolutely INFURIATES them."

This is it in a nutshell. Conservative ones want to kill or jail heretics. Liberals just want to shame them into submission. But it's the same reaction - drastic opposition to alternative thought.

[beam me up scottie]

25. Exactly!

Thought police cannot stand the idea that someone rejects their ideology so they try to bully us into silence. Then there are those who constantly try to tone police minorities: Pipe down or you might offend someone!

[gtar100]

31. As someone smarter than me (admittedly a low bar) once said,

If it's the truth, then it can stand up to scrutiny. No need to prop it up with "faith" or threats of violence. You can turn away from it, deny it, criticize it, crush anyone who stands by it. But if it's true it will be there whether you like it or not.

[trotsky]

35. Precisely!

Truth is scary to those who profit from lies.

[Voltaire2]

26. My prediction is that Ireland will toss it's blasphemy laws

as a result of this idiocy.

[beam me up scottie]

28. I hope you're right.

Ireland is taking a lot of heat about this, Stephen Fry is very popular and the backlash is growing.

[stopbush]

27. Who is the injured party in a blasphemy case?

Seems like a victimless crime to me.

[beam me up scottie]

29. Ideas don't need protection, people do.

[mountain grammy]

30. My friend's 19 year old grandson just diagnosed with bone cancer..

and I remembered and have been thinking of this interview a lot, since there's a lot of praying going on to the holy being, who, I guess for some reason, thought this kid should get bone cancer so everyone will pray for healing, what a crock.

Meantime, the grandson is an atheist, told me and his grandmother years ago. As always, I hope for the best. strong kid, might be one of the lucky ones.

[beam me up scottie]

32. That's terrible. I'm so sorry for your friend and her grandson.

I hope his friends and family respect his atheism and don't use this as an opportunity to proselytize. Predatory religious types often try to take advantage of vulnerable people, they stalked and harassed my ex-brother in law when he was hospitalized. They literally camped out in his room trying to brainwash him while he was medicated.

[mountain grammy]

33. His mother is a bit nuts

but my friend and the rest of the close family are non practicing anythings, so good he doesn't have to deal with that crap. The prayers are from the multitudes of friends and family who lurk around the edges.

Man, there's a lot of religion out there.

I have another friend in the last stages of cancer. She's an atheist, always very active in town stuff, so all the local believers are praying big time, but she's gonna die and soon. We've been planning a big event for her birthday in June, whether she's here or not because she'll "be here in spirit" they say. Hogwash, I say, she doesn't believe that crap. Do it now!

[beam me up scottie]

34. I agree, do it now!

Having it now will comfort her when she needs it the most. Some people have a 'funeral' for themselves when they find out they're dying, it's a way for people to tell their loved one how they feel while there's still time. Funerals are for the grieving, better to have a celebration of her life so she can enjoy it too.