What does Blasphemy mean to you ?

Atheist Ireland is seeking a Referendum to remove the new Blasphemy Law. In this part Paul Gill asks people in Galway and Clare what the Basphemy Law means to them.
This was recorded in May 2010 as part of Paul's walk of the lenght of Ireland to raise awareness of the Law that came into effect on the 1st of January 2010 which has a fine of 25k euro.

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• Blasphemy Law
• Ireland Blasphemy law
• atheist
• Ireland
• atheist Ireland
• Galway
• Clare
• Tuam
• moneen
• Tulla
• Gort
• oranmore

[Frottjeif]

25 000 euros? Fuck. That's beyond insane.

What are fines for speeding like in Ireland? Drunk driving, littering, smoking, anything that has the slighest bit of potential of harming others? Would it be cheaper to punch a priest than insult his invisible dictator?

[pgklada]

each religion is an insult to every other one so prohibition of blasphemy is insane... one can not practice its own religion without thinking that other religion and its followers are false, insane, stupid, lying (and that is the fundamental ingredient of any religion, if I may say so :-)...

[Kyee71]

@pgklada Wonderful point you made there, wouldn't preaching Christianity be blaspheming against all the other religions in Ireland or is this law only for Christianity?

[Kyee71]

I am totally gob smacked :-O, when did this law come in? I had no idea Ireland was this backwardly intolerant when it comes to religious laws. If I was Irish I would be totally embarrassed to tell foreigners living in other country's about this law. I would expect to see laws like this in the 1800s but in 2012? good grief, totally feel sorry for non religious people living in Ireland.

[parodox22]

@hawkertruffelsnout you very well should be able to. Religion is religion. Personally if it came down to it, id put my money on odin existing over this "god" character. Who is the most messed up supernatural chartacter ever conceived. Lets protect stupidity. Thats what this law says. Although the irish government was running low on its quota's for doing something retarded that week. Pardon the phrasing. But the average irish politician has the I.Q. of a sponge

[hawkertruffelsnout]

can I sue someone for blaspheming against Odin

[JOHNINCOLUMBUS]

Blasphemy is a victimless crime!

[Xzafierk]

@Frottjeif

Non-Fatal Offences Against The Person Act 1997

Assault: A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.

So.. yeah.

[Frottjeif]

To me it's a display of the utter powerlessness of gods. Even words hurt them, and they can't do anything to defend themselves.

[rictusgate]

Blasphemy is a term that hints at notions of sacredness, holiness and purity - and all of these are slippery slopes that lead to the absurd and quite often detrimental outcomes. The idea that something or someone or some idea is set apart, above reproach or even questioning is an ancient one - and it should have remained that way. These ideas have no place in modern society - they only detract from and often force progress to a full stop for no rational reason at all. Blasphemy - trash it.