Congratulations to atheist.ie for international publicity success

[White Horse]

I think you'll need to give us a bit of chapter and verse.

I didn't get that impression at all when I finally managed to tune in.

Have a listen on their web-site if you are interested. He really did speak well on the blasphemy law issue. However, I thought the change in his attitude afterwards was stark. It may be only my interpretation though. You might hear something completely different.

[Cato]

Maybe you are Cato. But the geezer on Newstalk turned like "Jekyl and Hyde" when asked to speak about Christianity. He was full of hate.

Look I was once a believer and once spent three and a half years training to be a Catholic priest. I recognize that religion has done a lot of good in the world and some evil. On the whole I think that the good outweighs the evil. I recognize a lot of beauty in religion and understand the appeal of it to people, but I can no longer assent to it.

The comforts are great but false. The truths are beautiful but untrue.

I have reached the point in my life where the scales fell from my eyes and I see the truth of things. There is no evidence for god and indeed much evidence against the god of Xianity, islam and Judaism.

[Toland]

Have a listen on their web-site if you are interested. He really did speak well on the blasphemy law issue. However, I thought the change in his attitude afterwards was stark. It may be only my interpretation though. You might hear something completely different.

I did.

If you're going to call someone a pejorative and yet meaningful name, you should have some ammunition to throw at your allegation.

It seems you don't have any such ammo.

If I'm right and you don't, you should withdraw your characterisation of him as a hate-monger.

[Cato]

so by your own admission atheists should have no say in state affairs.

You obviously missed where I said that the state should not be atheistic.

How do atheists have a false conception of causation or a belief in chance. No more then the god of Abraham, the goddess fortuna plays no part in the calculation of atheists.

[Cato]

Yes, yes - standard soundbites from the atheist crew but utterly disingenuous, and you know it.

Nope that really is my point of view. Why do you believe that I am being disingenuous?

[Thranduil]

He should put it to a referendum and then change the constitution (perhaps those modern thinking bishops could be persuaded (given the scandals that have embroiled them) to lend their support to such a change - or at least agree not to oppose it), rendering the law/clarification unnecessary, i am not comfortable with the word blasphemy having any place in any law in this country.

It must be said that the blasphemy law is in actuality a climbdown and an improvement over the previous situation (in which you could have been jailed never mind fined - and nobody has ever been) but it does not go far enough.

[muzzylogik]

You obviously missed where I said that the state should not be atheistic.

How do atheists have a false conception of causation or a belief in chance. No more then the god of Abraham, the goddess fortuna plays no part in the calculation of atheists.

True, you have replaced truth with conjecture, revelation with guesswork and certainty with 'ifs' and 'buts'.

You are being disingenuous as you will use the law to remove religion, subvert religious influence while elevating disbelief and atheism.

Postscript - rather you will attempt to remove religion. It will not happen.

[Toland]

...certainty with 'ifs' and 'buts'.

You are privy to certainty (without 'ifs' and 'buts')?

I don't know whether to congratulate you or commiserate with you.

[Half Nelson]

The radical Islamists want it. The govt is concerned about a Danish-style cartoon row blowing up in this country. At the UN, Islamic countries are pushing for a global ban on blasphemy.

Statute
For the purposes of this section, a person publishes or utters blasphemous matter if he or she publishes or utters matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion.

Pakistan's Submission to UN
State parties shall prohibit by law the uttering of matters that are grossly abusive or insulting to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion (p11.1)

Somebody is watching us.

[White Horse]

I did.

If you're going to call someone a pejorative and yet meaningful name, you should have some ammunition to throw at your allegation.

It seems you don't have any such ammo.

If I'm right and you don't, you should withdraw your characterisation of him as a hate-monger.

Everyone is free to listen and make up their own mind. Anyway, how does one adequately convey in words the changes in someone's voice?

It may be blasphemous to describe an athiest as coming across like a hate-monger. However, that is what I heard.