Minister for Justice is a blasphemer
I was asked to write a piece today that would be offensive to some religion or other, in protest at the proposed blasphemy law.
I am not going to do that.
It’s not that I’m afraid of the law, but rather that I don’t believe in being offensive for the sake of it.
This proposed blasphemy law is such a preposterous piece of bullshit, that frankly I find it very difficult to find any logic behind it. It is however symptomatic of a political system that uses laws like Elastoplast, to the extent that there is little in everyday life now that isn’t covered by some law.
This country has become over reliant on laws. Originally laws were introduced to protect the people. Now laws are being abused left right and centre to control the population, and in extreme cases as a tool to provide extra income for the government coffers.
I am a great believer in the adage that “Laws are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men”. Laws should be a written statement of the obvious, and used merely to prosecute transgressors. They should exist to protect society from the few, and not to protect us from ourselves.
How often in recent times have we heard the law being abused? We have government ministers refusing to give up absurd pensions because “the pensions are within the law”. We have a Taoiseach who “will have to take legal advice” before answering a simple question. Laws are being used now to protect the guilty which is an absurd state of affairs.
I am not going into the law in detail. If you want to read all about it, I suggest you try blasphemy.ie which is an excellent site. They explain the new law and the history behind it here. They also have an excellent analysis of the absurdity of the law and campaign proposals here.
I live my life by the common moral code. As it is my belief that this is the right ethical way to live my life, I can argue that it is my religion.
I would further propose that the majority of people in this country would aspire to that belief.
I find the proposed law extremely offensive in that it reduces my personal dignity in the eyes of the law by implying that I need to be controlled, and I would argue that the majority of people would feel the same way.
Therefore, under the terms of the proposed 2009 Defamation Bill, I hereby call for the arrest of the Minister for Justice and that the maximum fine of €100,000 be imposed
Crap moves like this do a good job of distracting some of us away from the fact that we’ve got a corrupt and incapable government, and inept health service leadership. Honestly I think that’s all it’s for.
Susan – Of course it is. Don’t worry though – I’m keeping a close eye on them. 😈
Here here!
Christ on a pogo stick.
Poor old Minister Der Mutt has been manouvered into making an eejit of himself on this one grandad. The wording of the proposed amendment is such a hostage to legal fortune that every Irish barrister’s little piggy eyes must be shining at the thought of it all.
There’s been an outbreak of those who think they’ll lead the party after the coming decimation suddenly making profound public statements of one kind or another to keep their snouties in the media.
All except Micheal Martin, who seems to be the only one who knows the value of silence on the national stage at the right time.
I could beat a blasphemy rap as described without even hiring a solicitor.
Lena – The two of us together therefore form a significant enough majority to be offended. I rest my case, M’Lud.
Maxi – That is offensive to Christians. €100,000 to the usual account please.
Cap’n – If they want their little soundbytes, they had better come up with something better than that. That law is pathetic. It is so vague as to be unenforcable. It just shows, once more, how out of touch the government is with reality.
“Blasphemous matter” is defined as 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; and he or she intends, by the publication of the matter concerned, to cause such outrage.”
My religion is knowledge. I hold dear and sacred the quest for knowledge. Therefore, I am outraged and insulted that the Irish government would consider such a thing as this Blasphemy Law. Therefor myself being a substantial number of one(1) and one(1) being a number of substance I hereby demand the law be upheld. Now being that the Irish government represents the whole of the Irish people I demand the maximum fine of 100,000 euros per person for every Irish person living as of today be paid to me directly, in cash, in large brown envelopes, in person. I also demand that resolution of this payment be made no later than 15 days from today.
Now I ask but one question. What is sillier, the proposed law or my response?
Brianf – There is only one small flaw in your argument. You are assuming that the Irish government is representative of the Irish people. It ain’t, as the forthcoming elections will doubtless prove.
I have passed on an invoice on your behalf to our esteemed Minister for Justice. I’m afraid you will have to make do with a paltry €100,000 and not the €400,000,000,000 you were hoping for. We don’t have that much anyway.
Grandad you have the mind of a barrister and the beard of Lena Zavarone.
Valete.
The law was always there it was just never clearly defined what blasphemy actually was. Obersturmbahnfurher Ahern has now put a definition on it. Any material that is grossly offensive to any religon so as to cause upset to a significant number of members of that religon was how he defined it if I can remember.
Surely this paves the way for all religons to accuse each other of blasphemy, (as we all know how grossly offensiuve they find each other) imposing fines, demanding arrests and the confiscation of each other’s blasphemous literature eventually leading to the outlawing of mass, morning, afternoon and evening prayers, the angelus, Yom Kippur and Easter. That can’t be a bad thing really though can it?