Blasphemy is illegal in Ireland?

Poe's Law?

Oh no, this is unbelievable. Just when I thought my country was secular and well-adjusted, one of us goes and springs this sort of shit. First the BNP, now this?

The same blasphemy crime existed in our constitution since 1961 I think, but was never enforced. the new law is basically the same, still unenforceable (purposely so). they basically had the choice of either creating this useless law or deleting the part from the constitution, which would require a referendum (and since we already have the second lisbon treaty referendum coming up they didn't bother)

I don't think there is a better description of this type of law than to just call it stupid. It is a stupid law.

You are breaking the law if you draw a picture of Mohammed? WTF? Atheists can't say that god is imaginary? What the fuck is wrong with the Irish government? This is what they spend their time doing?

I thought Canadian politicians were wasting time bickering over easy to solve nonsense. But Ireland now takes the first prize in inane use of political action.

I think they gave up on trying to solve the economic crises so had to do a bit of legal necromancy to occupy themselves :O

Crap. That means we might be next!

Cacophonaut said:
Legal Necromancy, that is probably the best phrase to describe a political situation I have ever heard. Genus.+2

this is so stupid and unconstitutional.

Let's analyze the law (I am by no means an expert in law, but know basic matters of common sense):

a.person publishes or utters blasphemous matter if (a) he or she publishes or utters 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

Ok, so according to this I can be fined (in Ireland, of course) just for saying something like "In my opinion, after I've read the bible, I think that the god described there is not great because he slaughtered women and children". It would just take a bunch of people to come and say they feel outraged by this claim and jackpot- fine for me, the "blasphemer".

Number 2:

(b) he or she intends, by the publication or utterance of the matter concerned, to cause such outrage."

Please tell me how can anyone know my intentions ? How can someone throw charges against me stating that i INTENDED to cause outrage ? How can that person prove my intentions ? Even if I, for example, say that I intent to cause outrage and someone wants to charge me for this, I can easily withdraw my claim stating that it was an irony, a joke, or I was drunk at that time and didn't know what I was saying, and that my actual intentions were to cause love and harmony between people. So there...

This just goes to show how absurd this law is. It doesn't respect the fundamental principles of law and is a fist in the mouth of free speech...

"Please tell me how can anyone know my intentions ? How can someone throw charges against me stating that i INTENDED to cause outrage ? How can that person prove my intentions ? Even if I, for example, say that I intent to cause outrage and someone wants to charge me for this, I can easily withdraw my claim stating that it was an irony, a joke, or I was drunk at that time and didn't know what I was saying, and that my actual intentions were to cause love and harmony between people. So there..."
they dont have too.
spread the right rumour's, falsify the right evidence
and burn the witch.

Akercocke were banned in Northern Ireland, Sorry my english isn't so good

Weird, maybe they didn't consider Akercocke to have any artistic value which is of course nonsense, shouldn't bands be exempt from this law if they are creating works of art? Or is this unrelated to this law?

Now you see what happens when you let christian scum grow strong...
Let this be a good example for all other countries, to hold the freedom of word at high value.
And denial of 'blasphemy' is the same as to deny opposing political party. Censorship, propaganda, control, elimination of those with other opinion.. it leads to totalitarianism and ideological domination.

Its illegal in Poland to Gorgoroth almost got in trouble for it.