No Blasphemy, Please; We're British
Well, it's about time:
"Opponents of the offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel, designed to protect the Established Church in particular, and which criminalise the "scurrilous vilification" of Christianity, include MPs, civil rights campaigners led by Liberty, senior church figures (including the retired Bishop of Oxford, Lord Harries, and the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey), the British Humanist Association, satirists Ricky Gervais and Rowan Atkinson, writers and journalists including Philip Pullman, the National Secular Society, the Christian think-tank Ekklesia and others of all faiths and none."
Archaic laws designed to shield a religious institution from criticism, including legitimate concerns, are about to fall after being virtually ignored for years.
"...the notion of a transcendent God needing human protection is both theologically incoherent and itself blasphemous in many traditions."
"Theologically incoherent." Now, there's a catch-phrase for the times!
"The government had originally indicated that blasphemy laws would be repealed in the light of the Religious and Racial Hatred Act, but had then failed to act further, pushing the matter into the lap of campaigners and backbenchers."
Ah, the joys of a job half-done! And this from a bunch of bench-warmers who insist that we, the citizens, dot every i and cross every t when it comes to following their directives. Would this be a good time to introduce a bill that criminalizes hypocrisy?
I didn't think so.
(H/T Howard Friedman)
"Opponents of the offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel, designed to protect the Established Church in particular, and which criminalise the "scurrilous vilification" of Christianity, include MPs, civil rights campaigners led by Liberty, senior church figures (including the retired Bishop of Oxford, Lord Harries, and the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey), the British Humanist Association, satirists Ricky Gervais and Rowan Atkinson, writers and journalists including Philip Pullman, the National Secular Society, the Christian think-tank Ekklesia and others of all faiths and none."
Archaic laws designed to shield a religious institution from criticism, including legitimate concerns, are about to fall after being virtually ignored for years.
"...the notion of a transcendent God needing human protection is both theologically incoherent and itself blasphemous in many traditions."
"Theologically incoherent." Now, there's a catch-phrase for the times!
"The government had originally indicated that blasphemy laws would be repealed in the light of the Religious and Racial Hatred Act, but had then failed to act further, pushing the matter into the lap of campaigners and backbenchers."
Ah, the joys of a job half-done! And this from a bunch of bench-warmers who insist that we, the citizens, dot every i and cross every t when it comes to following their directives. Would this be a good time to introduce a bill that criminalizes hypocrisy?
I didn't think so.
(H/T Howard Friedman)
posted by Chimera at 1:33 PM
4 Comments:
"...the notion of a transcendent God needing human protection is both theologically incoherent and itself blasphemous in many traditions."
Best line I've heard in a long time.
Well, if we criminalized hypocrisy, all our politicians would be in prison.
I like the line "... the notion..." etc. too, but I think I would have used the word "inconsistent" instead of "incoherent". Still, great line.
I can't believe people read your blog. What a pile of shit.
Looks like I struck a nerve...
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