If the following is what passes to justify a blasphemy charge under a criminal code, then the prophet Job was have had a rough time getting into heaven. When asked in a TV interview what he would say if he encountered God 'face to face' as it were, Stephen Fry replied:
"How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It's not right."
That sounds to me like a line that could be lifted straight from the pages of Job's Old Testament tome. Separate from the question of whether a state should enforce a religious law, how is what Fry said blasphemous?
But while we're on the subject of civil responsibility in religious matters, what is a supposedly 1st world country like Ireland doing having such a charge as 'blasphemy' on the books to begin with? I hardly think that God requires the protection of the criminal law of a nation to protect his honour or privilege. Since if he exists (as I do believe that he does,) he will have the opportunity to speak for himself in such affairs when we make our big exit from this life. And if he doesn't exist (as an atheist would posit,) then speaking out against him is no more consequential than ripping into Santa or trashing the Easter Bunny and certainly undeserving of any sort of civil sanction, no matter how minor or menial. Either way, for any democracy that claims to treat all people equally under its jurisdiction, it's a stupid law to have in any criminal or legal code.
Comedian Stephen Fry focus of blasphemy complaint | Entertainment & Showbiz from CTV News
Comedian Stephen Fry focus of blasphemy complaint | Entertainment & Showbiz from CTV News
The law was put on the books a few years ago and I think this is the first potential prosecution under it and boy have they picked the wrong man to go after. Put him on the stand and the results would be devastating.
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