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Yesterday I would argue this is unimaginable, someone being investigated for blasphemy in 2017 (in the west). We are dropping the ball on free speech. We chippi

Yesterday I would argue this is unimaginable, someone being investigated for blasphemy in 2017 (in the west). We are dropping the ball on free speech. We chipping away on our liberties bit by bit. This is why hate speech laws are dangerous.

g5555 9y ago
It won't go anywhere. Bizarrely the Irish blasphemy law is designed to be basically unenforceable, a fact admitted by the very minister who implemented it to much backlash at the time. The Irish government didn't even want a blasphemy law - it was forced to write one to fill a hole in the law caused by a reference to blasphemy in the Constitution. An early blasphemy law had been removed but removing it from law entirely requires a referendum to alter the Constitution. The "temporary" solution was a law worded in such a way any prosecution was pretty unlikely.
- ch_123 9y ago
  The government has even expressed an intent to get rid of the law - http://www.merrionstreet.ie/MerrionStreet/en/ImageLibrary/Programme_for_Partnership_Government.pdf#page=153 http://www.merrionstreet.ie/MerrionStreet/en/ImageLibrary/Pr... It's still pretty embarrassing that this sort of thing can happen. I hope the negative attention this will bring will force some progress on the matter.
- everyone 9y ago
  The Irish constitution was written after a war of independence immediately followed by a civil war. Ireland was a mix of socialist dictatorship and theocracy at the time. The constitution is very weird and causes issues like this. It needs to be changed. Though in fairness the progress we have made socially has been extremely rapid and profound. Have a look at the film "The rocky road to Dublin", a documentary about life in Ireland in the 60's, made by an outsider. To see how bad things were until that recently (Its like Iran under the Shah or something)
- Hydraulix989 9y ago
  A law isn't unenforceable until it is no longer a law.
blibble 9y ago
it's ireland... abortion is still illegal in nearly all circumstances, divorce was only legalised in 1997 and only in very specific circumstances
- ch_123 9y ago
  1995 ;)
- Udik 9y ago
  Abortion aside, Ireland is in fact much more progressive and liberally minded than the US and most of southern Europe. These comments were made during an interview on the Irish public broadcasting network; just for a comparison, in Italy nobody would have even dared to speak their mind so clearly about God on tv, or the show would have likely been cancelled. Twenty years ago the sitcom "Father Ted" became the most popular show in Ireland, and it would be still considered too blasphemous to be aired by any of the major tv networks in Italy.
- ue_ 9y ago
  There are a variety of silly things under Irish law, not least of which is that a pornographic film/image may be classed as 'child pornography' (and prosecuted the same) even if the participants are aged over 18, but one or more of the participants is made to appear as if they are a child, or with child-like characteristics.
- jwilk 9y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteenth_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_of_Ireland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteenth_Amendment_of_the_Con...
raverbashing 9y ago
Well there are people being assassinated by less tolerant religious members (usually of certain religions) for not following them even in 2017 And Hate Speech laws are not dangerous (and a different issue than blasphemy)
xroche 9y ago
> This is why hate speech laws are dangerous. You are mixing apples and oranges. Hate speech laws are perfectly fine, they intent to protect people from being harassed and attacked for what they are (philosophically, religiously, skin color...). This is not hate speech law: no group or people or people are involved here, only an imaginary character. If I say "death to religious people", this should be criminalized. If I say "death to god", there is nothing wrong with that.
- stringcode 9y ago
  I agree with you in principle. What I was trying to say is that hate speech laws (and laws of similar spirit) tend to be written vaguely and leave room for unfavourable interpretation. Particularly in current climate, governments seem to be all too happy to sacrifice liberties under the disguise of protecting this or that (perceived as oppressed) minority.
  - ameen 9y ago
    Is the alternative a free-for-all against minorities (perceived as oppressed?).
    - stringcode 9y ago
      I might be misunderstanding you, but of course not. Equal rights for all. Egalitarianism. But it seems as though these laws, well meaning or misguided as they may be, give special privileges to certain groups. Rather then preserving true equality and liberty for all.
    - safek 9y ago
      I don't have a better alternative yet, but I can't help but think after observing the way things have played out the last couple decades that policing negative speech against minorities isn't the way to help them. I sympathize with the sentiment of lending a hand to the downtrodden, but the policy itself doesn't seem to work.
- psyc 9y ago
tomjen3 9y ago
There is a a guy being charged for burning, or threatening to burn a quran in Denmark right now.
morganvachon 9y ago
As others have stated, the complainant is likely bringing the accusation not to punish Mr. Fry, but to bring the outdated law into the spotlight so the people will be moved to strike it from the constitution. In effect, the anonymous accuser is doing exactly what you, a freedom loving person, would want him to do: Call these laws out for their backwards and repressive themes.
angry-hacker 9y ago
Canada going with the laws of stopping islamophobia (what does it even mean?) the West is on the downhill. I need to create a religion fast to protect my ideas - - also the ones o might have in the future, I'm not sure yet. Who wants to join to make it more credible?

g5555 9y ago

It won't go anywhere. Bizarrely the Irish blasphemy law is designed to be basically unenforceable, a fact admitted by the very minister who implemented it to much backlash at the time. The Irish government didn't even want a blasphemy law - it was forced to write one to fill a hole in the law caused by a reference to blasphemy in the Constitution. An early blasphemy law had been removed but removing it from law entirely requires a referendum to alter the Constitution. The "temporary" solution was a law worded in such a way any prosecution was pretty unlikely.

ch_123 9y ago
The government has even expressed an intent to get rid of the law - http://www.merrionstreet.ie/MerrionStreet/en/ImageLibrary/Programme_for_Partnership_Government.pdf#page=153 http://www.merrionstreet.ie/MerrionStreet/en/ImageLibrary/Pr... It's still pretty embarrassing that this sort of thing can happen. I hope the negative attention this will bring will force some progress on the matter.
everyone 9y ago
The Irish constitution was written after a war of independence immediately followed by a civil war. Ireland was a mix of socialist dictatorship and theocracy at the time. The constitution is very weird and causes issues like this. It needs to be changed. Though in fairness the progress we have made socially has been extremely rapid and profound. Have a look at the film "The rocky road to Dublin", a documentary about life in Ireland in the 60's, made by an outsider. To see how bad things were until that recently (Its like Iran under the Shah or something)
Hydraulix989 9y ago
A law isn't unenforceable until it is no longer a law.

blibble 9y ago

it's ireland... abortion is still illegal in nearly all circumstances, divorce was only legalised in 1997 and only in very specific circumstances

ch_123 9y ago
1995 ;)
Udik 9y ago
Abortion aside, Ireland is in fact much more progressive and liberally minded than the US and most of southern Europe. These comments were made during an interview on the Irish public broadcasting network; just for a comparison, in Italy nobody would have even dared to speak their mind so clearly about God on tv, or the show would have likely been cancelled. Twenty years ago the sitcom "Father Ted" became the most popular show in Ireland, and it would be still considered too blasphemous to be aired by any of the major tv networks in Italy.
ue_ 9y ago
There are a variety of silly things under Irish law, not least of which is that a pornographic film/image may be classed as 'child pornography' (and prosecuted the same) even if the participants are aged over 18, but one or more of the participants is made to appear as if they are a child, or with child-like characteristics.
jwilk 9y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteenth_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_of_Ireland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteenth_Amendment_of_the_Con...

raverbashing 9y ago

Well there are people being assassinated by less tolerant religious members (usually of certain religions) for not following them even in 2017 And Hate Speech laws are not dangerous (and a different issue than blasphemy)

xroche 9y ago

> This is why hate speech laws are dangerous. You are mixing apples and oranges. Hate speech laws are perfectly fine, they intent to protect people from being harassed and attacked for what they are (philosophically, religiously, skin color...). This is not hate speech law: no group or people or people are involved here, only an imaginary character. If I say "death to religious people", this should be criminalized. If I say "death to god", there is nothing wrong with that.

stringcode 9y ago
I agree with you in principle. What I was trying to say is that hate speech laws (and laws of similar spirit) tend to be written vaguely and leave room for unfavourable interpretation. Particularly in current climate, governments seem to be all too happy to sacrifice liberties under the disguise of protecting this or that (perceived as oppressed) minority.
- ameen 9y ago
  Is the alternative a free-for-all against minorities (perceived as oppressed?).
  - stringcode 9y ago
    I might be misunderstanding you, but of course not. Equal rights for all. Egalitarianism. But it seems as though these laws, well meaning or misguided as they may be, give special privileges to certain groups. Rather then preserving true equality and liberty for all.
  - safek 9y ago
    I don't have a better alternative yet, but I can't help but think after observing the way things have played out the last couple decades that policing negative speech against minorities isn't the way to help them. I sympathize with the sentiment of lending a hand to the downtrodden, but the policy itself doesn't seem to work.
psyc 9y ago

tomjen3 9y ago

There is a a guy being charged for burning, or threatening to burn a quran in Denmark right now.

morganvachon 9y ago

As others have stated, the complainant is likely bringing the accusation not to punish Mr. Fry, but to bring the outdated law into the spotlight so the people will be moved to strike it from the constitution. In effect, the anonymous accuser is doing exactly what you, a freedom loving person, would want him to do: Call these laws out for their backwards and repressive themes.

angry-hacker 9y ago

Canada going with the laws of stopping islamophobia (what does it even mean?) the West is on the downhill. I need to create a religion fast to protect my ideas - - also the ones o might have in the future, I'm not sure yet. Who wants to join to make it more credible?