New Blasphemy law in Ireland - what Atheist Ireland have to say

The Irish Government’s new proposed blasphemy crime combines the oppressive religious thinking of 1950s Catholic Ireland and modern Islamic fundamentalism. This proposal should be opposed for three reasons.

One, it does not protect religious belief. Instead, it encourages outrage and it criminalises free speech. Two, it treats religious beliefs as more valuable than secular beliefs and scientific thinking. Three, we should be removing 1930s religious references from the Irish Constitution, not legislating to enforce them.

The bill’s first test of blasphemy is that religious adherents express outrage. Instead of encouraging outrage, we should be educating people to respond in a more healthy manner than outrage when somebody expresses a belief that they find insulting. More worryingly, this law would encourage the type of orchestrated outrage that Islamic fundamentalists directed against Danish cartoonists.

Many atheists find it insulting that the Christian Bible suggests that women must not teach and must learn in silence, or that effeminate people are unrighteous, or that people should worship a God who threatens to make you eat your own children. But we do not believe that the Bible should be banned, and neither should discussion of the Bible in terms that cause Christians to be outraged.

Blasphemy is not the only anomaly of running a 21st century state with a 1937 Constitution. You cannot become President or be appointed as a Judge unless you take a religious oath under God asking god to direct and sustain you in your work. We should be amending our Constitution to remove these theistic references, not creating new crimes to enforce provisions that were written in the 1930s.

If you live in Ireland, please lobby your local TD, the Justice Minister, and the members of the Oireachtas Justice Committee that is considering this proposal. Contact details here: http://tr.im/k4Mq

Pop over to Atheist Ireland here: http://blog.atheist.ie/

Dawkins Message - Atheist Bus

"What is this that frighteneth us? Can it be an atheist bus? Yes, the dreaded “Probably There is no God”, so stridently Cuts through our calm like plunging knife – And asks us to enjoy our life! “Enjoy your life”? The dreadful scene Disturbs the Reverend Stephen Green. No chance that he’ll “Stop worrying”. Instead we see him hurrying To file his silly little plea With the official Agency That keeps the Standards gently rising Of all our British Advertising. “Probably? You cannot prove it. So therefore you must now remove it.”

As agreed with Ariane (Whose buses, red and partisan Drive with insolent abandon All around the streets of London) And with her fellow rationalists Among the British Humanists, In April there’s a second wave Of buses from the pounds I gave Together with the gifts I matched And also the small fraction snatched Back from the Inland Revenue – That’s all the Gift Aid that is due. So now we need some good ideas To feed the faith-heads’ darkest fears. A slogan bright, for all of us – Atheistes omnibus. [1]

We've already had some nice suggestions for the slogan for the second wave of buses in April. I said that my own preference was for “No More Faith Schools”, probably following something along the lines of the familiar (perhaps too familiar to our regulars, but not to the citizens of London) “There’s no such thing as a . . . child”, perhaps including the joking reference to “Marxist child” or “Postmodernist child”. Somebody suggested a long list of ex-Gods (Mithras, Zeus, Horus, Wotan etc), all crossed out, with Yahweh and Allah crossed out. I like that suggestion too. There are some other good suggestions that people here have made. Like “Religions: They can’t all be right. They can all be wrong”. Does anybody know the origin of “Religion: For consenting adults in private.” I wonder whether people might send in all their suggestions, to form an orderly list on the page linked below, so that we can survey a gathered field and make a choice.

Submit your slogans here: http://richarddawkins.net/article,3521,New-Bus-Campaign,Richard-Dawkins

Many thanks

Thank you

Richard"

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[1] With acknowledgments to A D Godley (1856-1925): What is this that roareth thus? Can it be a Motor Bus? Yes, the smell and hideous hum Indicat Motorem Bum! Implet in the Corn and High Terror me Motoris Bi: Bo Motori clamitabo Ne Motore caedar a Bo – Dative be or Ablative So thou only let us live: Whither shall thy victims flee? Spare us, spare us, Motor Be! Thus I sang; and still anigh Came in hordes Motores Bi, Et complebat omne forum Copia Motorum Borum. How shall wretches live like us Cincti Bis Motoribus? Domine, defende nos Contra hos Motores Bos!

Atheist bus

So the atheist bus campaign has been launched in the UK which is great, but I bet you any money that the same campaign would not be allowed to happen in the good 'ole Catholic ROI!

For more info on the campaign visit
http://www.atheistcampaign.org/

Atheist Bus Campaign