Irish Befuddled By New Blasphemy Law

[Synnical]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122225249&ps=cprs

January 4, 2010

A new blasphemy law went into effect in Ireland with the new year, and it was greeted with a certain amount of bemusement.

Uttering anything abusive about matters held sacred by any religion is now an offense punishable by a fine of some $35,000. The law was immediately challenged by atheist groups.

The Irish government says it had to put the new law in place to uphold the country's Constitution.

The Irish Constitution, written in 1937, contains a line saying that blasphemy is an offense punishable by law. But the law that sustained the constitutional provision — the 1961 Defamation Act — was being repealed and lawmakers said they were required to replace it.

The new statute has had people of all beliefs and none scratching their heads.

. . . .

"If it's an actual number it discriminates against small religions; if it's a percentage of adherents, it discriminates against large religions," Nugent says.

. . .

So the law is almost impossible to enforce, Nugent says. Almost everyone seems to agree, even committed Catholics, of whom there are still many in Ireland.

. . .

Many say the best step forward is to hold a referendum about deleting the blasphemy clause from the 1937 Constitution, eliminating the need for a law to enforce it.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[onager]

1. It baffled me. Thanks and a movie tip...

Here's a great movie about religion in Ireland of the early 50's. True story of a mixed marriage between a Catholic and Protestant, and the horrifying story of what happened when the local church demanded they raise their 2 kids as Catholics.

One of the VERY few movies where an atheist is a main (and sympathetic) character. He's a former IRA member who runs the local pub. In one scene, a neighbor mentions that he "fought for his country." His response is someting like: "And I didn't fight for my country to see it torn apart by religious nonsense."

A Love Divided (1999) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0198668/