I recently read at the BBC about the amendments to defamation law which makes blasphemy illegal. So if you reside in the Irish Republic, blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a fine of up to 25,000 euros (£22,000; $35,000)!
It’s a strange world we now live in and as some others have said;
- Criticising someone’s political philosophy is called ‘freedom of expression’ but criticising someone’s religious philosophy is called ‘blasphemy’.
- To be offended by something someone else does just implies a great weakness within the self.
- If people were truely secure in their faith, the words of others would mean nothing.
Who can remember the childhood verse of “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me” Something will offend somebody at some time or another but it appears that we place too much importance to it. Why not just shrug it off and carry on?
To demonstrate how ludicrous I believe it has all become, I leave you with the classic Monty Python and the blasphemy sketch from Life of Brian: 