New Irish blasphemy law

Better be careful what you say about religion in Ireland. That you might insult someone is the least of your worries. You could get fined, assuming that a judge actually upholds this ridiculous (and ridiculously vague) law. The U.K. Guardian reports:

[The new law,] which was passed in July, means that blasphemy in Ireland is now a crime punishable with a fine of up to €25,000 (£22,000). It defines blasphemy as "publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion, with some defences permitted".
I wonder if I could be fined in Ireland for insulting the most powerful American God: Mammon? The Guardian article notes that the Irish Constitution prevents those who don't believe in God from serving as judges or as President. For more, see Michael Nugent's post here.

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The hollow authority of the Catholic Church

Over at Daylight Atheism, Ebonmuse is busy pointing out more hypocrisy of the Catholic Church. While senior clergy continue to rant about the dangers of atheism, the Church can't even seem to acknowledge recent revelations in Ireland that Church leaders had been quite busy, for decades, raping and beating thousands of children.

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If you like romance and music, I’ve got a movie for you: “Once” (2007)

I knew something was up when, in the opening scene of the film, an actor was playing the guitar but he really knew how to handle that guitar. "Once," which was written and directed by John Carney, is a low-budget ($160,000) Irish love story that deservedly won a slew of…

Continue ReadingIf you like romance and music, I’ve got a movie for you: “Once” (2007)