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3
16
It's a step forward It's B.S.
Debate Score:19
Arguments:13
Total Votes:21
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 It's a step forward (2)
 
 It's B.S. (11)

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Warlin(1213) pic



Ireland makes blasphemy officially illegal.

This my friends, is it. Ireland has done it. They have passed a law that makes blasphemy in any form completely and utterly illegal. That means cartoons of Muhammid, 'insulting' oppinions about christianity, and saying the guy who founded Scientology was completely insane are all considered illegal acts and can land you a hefty 25,000 euro fine.

As a way to start off this party, Ireland has also given permission to police forces around the country to break into houses without warrants if they suspect they might have any blasphemous material. All blasphemous material is to be removed from Ireland and possession of 'blasphemous' material can land you a 25,000 euro fine as well.

 

So to the question

What do you think about this law?

 

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/jul/09/ireland-blasphemy-laws

It's a step forward

Side Score: 3
VS.

It's B.S.

Side Score: 16
2 points

It's not complete B.S. I mean, I see what they are trying to do here by ensuring that every religion feels welcome in Ireland, since no blasphemers are near them. But the way they carried this out is.... well, I can't think of another word besides "fail!"

Also, keep in mind that this is just a law in Ireland, not America. They don't have the same backbone in free speech that we do.

Side: It's a step forward
jomc(3) Disputed
2 points

Actually free speech is guaranteed in the Irish constitution.

The new law is ridiculous, unwanted and unneeded.

Side: It's B.S.
1 point

I agree. Terrible, facist law, but.....good intentions, especially given Ireland's history. Not that the good intentions make okay to put that law into action, but I do see how people could think this is a good idea. It's definitely not, in my opinion; there are better options for stopping religious intolerance than facism.

Side: It's B.S.

Are we going back to the Crusades? They're breaking the door down, literally, of anyone who is suspected of blasphemy and closing the door on freedom. What will happen if someone is in possession of a magazine with not so nice reporting on any religion or what in entails? You may have picked up such material at an airport in another land! This is pure and utter B.S. to me and 25,000 euros is a bit steep.

Side: It's B.S.

I think it is blasphemous to have such a law. Didn't God give us free will? And now Ireland is trying to take that away? Blasphemy I tell you! They should blast blasphemy from here to kingdom come ;)

Side: it is blasphemy
2 points

God damn it. I really don't understand Western Europe... but that is why America is so different. No matter how many insane people we have over hear, we still believe in the right to say w/e the fuck we want.

In the UK we have Sharia Laws becoming more and more popular.

In Germany you are not allowed to make any kind of Nazi statement or even believe in Nazism. A guy got arrested just for teaching his dog the Nazi salute.

For people who live in Europe, this shit seems to be pretty normal. They don't see a problem with limiting freedom of thought as long as others don't feel offended.

In America, we do have a problem with censoring bad language, but it's not censoring thought, just words that everyone around the world doesn't have a problem with censoring.

In Europe, you can't make a belief public. I think that's my main problem.

Side: It's B.S.
xaeon(1095) Disputed
2 points

"In the UK we have Sharia Laws becoming more and more popular. "

Firstly, that's wrong. Secondly, if you believe in people having the right to say and do whatever they want, why are you against them being able to set up their own Sharia Law remediation courts for issues that fall outside of UK law but within the remit of Sharia Law? That sounds like oppresion to ideas and free thought to me.

"In Germany you are not allowed to make any kind of Nazi statement or even believe in Nazism."

And in America you can't belong to any group that it believes is involved in terrorism. Care to explain to me why that is any different to not being allowed to be a member of a Nazi group in Germany? Both preach and actively encourage violence against a specific race/religion/etc, so why is it any different? Shall we start talking body counts?

"In America, we do have a problem with censoring bad language, but it's not censoring thought, just words that everyone around the world doesn't have a problem with censoring."

If you really do believe that Europe suffers from rife opposition of total freedom of speech whilst the only problem America suffers is "a problem with censoring bad language" then you're living in a dream world. Give the Patriot Act a read some time.

"In Europe, you can't make a belief public. I think that's my main problem."

That is utter crap based on nothing but your biased ignorance. Care to provide some facts or statistics to back that up? For every example you can find, I can find one with regards to America to match it. These aren't problems with just Western Europe, they are problems within all of "western" civilisation.

Side: It's B.S.
ThePyg(6738) Disputed
1 point

You can support Islamic Radicalism in America. You can even claim to be part of Radical organizations. You WILL be watched if you are apart of one of these organizations, though. And if you enact violence, you will be arrested. But, no one is arrested for screaming "death to America" or something like that (see Reverend Wright).

Any display of Nazism in Germany is persecuted. That's wrong.

Sharia Law creates exceptions for Muslims. That they can defy the court system and go under their own court system. In America, we say "screw you, everyone's treated equally under our watch". You can believe in Islam, but you will NOT receive special treatment for it. Even UK liberals are against this (at least, the Atheist kind).

Side: It's B.S.

Wow. How does a dog do the Nazi salute? That's talent.

The minimum length for an argument is 50 characters. The purpose of this restriction is to cut down on the amount of dumb jokes, so we can keep the quality of debate and discourse as high as possible.

Side: It's B.S.

That is absolute bullshit. I don't know what else to say.

Side: It's B.S.
1 point

Because of the far-left ideology and support of political correctness just to appeal to an oil-producing country, it is a total B.S. Untill the day that I see that a flag burning of the US or Israeli or British flag (or any for that case) in so-called Palestine or anywhere else in a muslim-dominated country is abolished and punishable, I will never support blasphemy. Let's see if the non-muslims are given the same rights in the muslim-dominated countries...I DON'T THINK SO. If muslims want respect towards them, they have to show it too. They seem to forget that we are living in the 21st, not 7th century.

Side: It's B.S.