25 Blasphemous Quotes

Beware the Thought Police. Freedom of Speech and Expression forever and for everyone.

These quotes were originally posted in an article here:
http://blasphemy.ie/2010/01/01/atheist-ireland-publishes-25-blasphemous-quotes/

From 1 January 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational, and we begin our campaign to have it repealed. Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine. The new law defines blasphemy as publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion, with some defenses permitted.
This new law is both silly and dangerous. It is silly because medieval religious laws have no place in a modern secular republic, where the criminal law should protect people and not ideas. And it is dangerous because it incentives religious outrage, and because Islamic States led by Pakistan are already using the wording of this Irish law to promote new blasphemy laws at UN level.
We believe in the golden rule: that we have a right to be treated justly, and that we have a responsibility to treat other people justly. Blasphemy laws are unjust: they silence people in order to protect ideas. In a civilized society, people have a right to to express and to hear ideas about religion even if other people find those ideas to be outrageous.

In this context we now publish a list of 25 blasphemous quotes, which have previously been published by or uttered by or attributed to Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Mark Twain, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, James Kirkup, Monty Python, Rev Ian Paisley, Conor Cruise OBrien, Frank Zappa, Salman Rushdie, Bjork, Amanda Donohoe, George Carlin, Paul Woodfull, Jerry Springer the Opera, Tim Minchin, Richard Dawkins, Pope Benedict XVI, Christopher Hitchens, PZ Myers, Ian ODoherty, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-OConnor and Dermot Ahern.

Despite these quotes being abusive and insulting in relation to matters held sacred by various religions, we unreservedly support the right of these people to have published or uttered them, and we unreservedly support the right of any Irish citizen to make comparable statements about matters held sacred by any religion without fear of being criminalized, and without having to prove to a court that a reasonable person would find any particular value in the statement.

We ask Fianna Fail and the Green Party to repeal their anachronistic blasphemy law, as part of the revision of the Defamation Act that is included within the Act. We ask them to hold a referendum to remove the reference to blasphemy from the Irish Constitution.
We also ask all TDs and Senators to support a referendum to remove references to God from the Irish Constitution, including the clauses that prevent atheists from being appointed as President of Ireland or as a Judge without swearing a religious oath asking God to direct them in their work.

If you run a website, blog or other media publication, please feel free to republish this statement and the list of quotes yourself, in order to show your support for the campaign to repeal the Irish blasphemy law and to promote a rational, ethical, secular Ireland.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• blasphemy
• blasphemous
• ireland
• law
• religion
• sin
• atheist
• reason
• freedom
• of
• speech
• atheism
• challenge
• irish
• mohammed
• muhammad

[chepat57]

can anyone explain the planets and there origin along with the various galoxies and how they came into existance? if you go the big bang route please explain what ever caused it came from? I am very curious how you would explain it. ppl

[JPO1618]

@chepat57 The short answer is that we don't know where the universe came from - what "caused" it. But I'm guessing that you are explaining the origin of the cosmos with "magic" and accepting that, so the question is: do you actually want to try to understand the answer to your question (because it is right here on YT if you want it), or are you stuck in a belief that the-magic-man-made-it is an acceptable answer?

[WhItEcHaPeL95]

HOW FUCKING FAST O YOU WANT ME TO READ?!

[HenkHenk76]

@WilliamTheFriar

I would love to be touched by his noodly appendages as well

[BigBrothersWatching2]

@WilliamTheFriar lol, I remember waaaaay back when myspace was "it" and if you even clicked on that religion on someones profile it would automatically set your religion as the same and w/e the book was called went under your fav. books haha, thought it was so funny as a kid, and still today lol

[rhcpdave]

@chepat57 Sure. Planets are composed on either rock with molten centers (due to the gravitational pull from their home star) or primarily made of gas, which coalesced much in the same way stars do: massively heavy amounts of gas and dust collapsing in on itself due to gravity. If you take a gas giant like Jupiter, the only between that and our sun is the Sun is MUCH more massive. EVERYTHING is a product of element dispursion via ever repeating supernovae over billions of years. Yourself too

[TheMadFedje]

@TheLaunchingPad From what you say God is a monster. If he gave us the ability to use logic and reason. the ability to seek answers and find truths, but expected us to believe in something without any evidence. Intentionally confusing us so that a large portion of people go to the worst place imaginable. He supposedly armed us with a weapon that we're never to use, our mind. We're never to understand him, we're only to take our punishment as dumb, blind slaves. To love something that hates us so

[WilliamTheFriar]

I am delighted to learn that there are Atheists in Ireland. Years ago we were told that there were only Catholics and Protestants, although now I understand that there is quite a Muslim presence as well. And trust me, THOSE folks know a thing or two about the detection of the crime of blasphemy. Personally, I am a Pastafarian and I invite you fellow Athiests to embrace His holy noodles as well. It might actually aid your cause, giving your belief system a title. Learn more at venganza[dot]org

[chepat57]

@YngwieAteMe