From today, 1 January 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational, and we begin our campaign to have it repealed.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 defences 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.

[…]

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 O’Brien, 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 O’Doherty, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Dermot Ahern.

[…]

22. PZ Myers, on the Roman Catholic communion host, 2008: “You would not believe how many people are writing to me, insisting that these horrible little crackers (they look like flattened bits of styrofoam) are literally pieces of their god, and that this omnipotent being who created the universe can actually be seriously harmed by some third-rate liberal intellectual at a third-rate university… However, inspired by an old woodcut of Jews stabbing the host, I thought of a simple, quick thing to do: I pierced it with a rusty nail (I hope Jesus’s tetanus shots are up to date). And then I simply threw it in the trash, followed by the classic, decorative items of trash cans everywhere, old coffeegrounds and a banana peel.”

(via Pharyngula)

It’s a nice little collection of quotes, too! I’m so excited to see where this leads! Here’s to hoping we never see laws against blasphemy in the US.  Happy New Year, everyone!

(via orbitalteapot)

Apparently there’s no room at the inn for an irreverent billboard saying “there is no God.” ClearChannel Outdoor company in Las Vegas has taken down six Freedom From Religion Foundation billboards that had a jolly Santa stating, “Yes, Virginia… There is no God,” just one to two days after placing them around the city.

A kind donor paid for 10 solstice signs to adorn the city of Las Vegas this December, which, in addition to the six censored “Yes, Virginia…” signs, included two that said “Heathen’s Greetings” and two with the message “Reason’s Greetings.”

A representative from ClearChannel Outdoor told FFRF that the Santa signs were removed due to calls of complaint received by the company.

“It’s rather mind-boggling for this to happen in a town with the reputation of Las Vegas, built on gambling and call girls,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-president. “Who would have guessed there would be such delicate sensibilities in the city known for the saying ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.’ “

Gaylor remarked: ” ‘Tis the season for censorship—we are just happy our other signs passed muster.”

At least the other signs are still up.  I suppose my current efforts towards getting a United Coalition of Reason sign around here will get a good heap of negative attention, too.

goodreasonnews:

christiannightmares:

Bill O’Reilly explains why he believes atheists are “jealous” of Christmas.

“Why does the American Humanist Society, who wants to be good for ‘goodness sake’ LOATHE the baby Jesus, HE’S JUST A BABY!”

man, oh, man.

There is just… so.. much.. wrong here… I think I just have to write it off as Fox News doing what it does best: presenting a single bigoted and ignorant side of a story.

reneehendricks:

Could this be the beginning of Sharia Law?!? (via FreeRefugee)

I have no words for this, other than to say that I don’t believe the same level of apprehension would have been displayed on television if it were Christianity rather than Islam.

Frank Turek vs. Christopher Hitchens: What Best Explains Reality: Theism or Atheism? on Vimeo (via Vimeo)

I won’t have an opportunity to watch this until later this evening, but it seems as if it ought to be a decent round-two to their debate.

Before watching it, here’s what I expect: Turek making some fairly naive arguments that sound logical on the surface, but fall apart at a decent glance, and Hitchens applying Occam’s razor a bit too much and generally only making absolute sense to the people who have read his books.

Either way, probably worth the two hours if you’re a Hitchens fan.

Friendly Atheist by @hemantmehta » Chicago Coalition of Reason Billboard Goes Up

I wish I had one near me, frankly (though without the Chicago bit - that might confuse people).  Instead, there’s at least one version of a “Jesus is Coming” billboard a couple blocks away.  Sigh.

Philip Pullman, the children’s author, is set to cause controversy with a new book – called The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ – denying that Jesus was the son of God.

The book which is due to be published at Easter next year, argues that St Paul came up with the ‘’story” that Jesus had a divine link.

Pullman has previously ruffled feathers in religious circles with the trilogy His Dark Materials, interpreted by some groups as being anti-Christian.

He said: ”By the time the gospels were being written, Paul had already begun to transform the story of Jesus into something altogether new and extraordinary, and some of his version influenced what the gospel writers put in theirs.

”Paul was a literary and imaginative genius of the first order who has probably had more influence on the history of the world than any other human being, Jesus certainly included. I believe this is a pity.”

Pullman is a wonderful, illustrative writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Dark Materials trilogy.  I must admit, however, that I didn’t pick up any anti-theism in the first go-round.  The stories were entertaining and fantastical, and though the movie was poorly executed, they’re worth exploring if you’ve never had a read.

I’ll be purchasing The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ the day it comes out.  It will be interesting to see what he has to say and what he uses to back it up.

The Vatican’s chief doctrinal official says the church has received many requests from Anglicans upset by their church’s gay-friendly turn. “At the same time, they have told us the importance of their Anglican traditions.” Under the new structure, called Personal Ordinariates, units of faithful will form within local Catholic Churches, headed by former Anglican prelates. An Anglican and Catholic archbishop issued a joint statement saying the new structure was the result of the “ongoing official dialogue” between the churches.

Is your Anglican church not hateful or intolerant enough? Join ours! We hate both gays and women!

What a sentiment…