- For God’s sake, why have blasphemous libel?
(analysis by Carol Coulter in the Irish Times) - Ahern denies ‘criminalising blasphemy’
(news item in the Irish Examiner) - A blasphemy law for Ireland?
(news item in New Humanist)
April 30, 2009
In the News – Thursday April 30
Blasphemy, God and the Irish Constitution
If you are charged with blasphemy in Ireland, you will be tried by a Judge who was obliged to swear a religious oath asking the Christian God to direct and sustain him or her, and who will be enforcing a Constitution that includes these clauses:
- The Preamble begins with the words: “In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred, we, the people of Eire, humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ…”
- Article 40.6.1 guarantees the right of citizens to express freely their convictions and opinions subject to public order and morality. It then restricts this right by saying that says that “The publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law.”
- Article 44.1 says that “The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion.” Note that this article does not enshrine the rights of citizens to worship this imagined character. Instead, it enshrines the rights of this imagined character to be worshipped.
April 29, 2009
In the News – Wed April 29
- Crime of blasphemous libel proposed for Defamation Bill
(news item by Carol Coulter in the Irish Times) - Atheist Ireland responds to proposed law on RTE radio
(recording of Liveline, with Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland) - Ahern defends blasphemy changes
(news item on Irish Times website) - Religion doesn’t need protection
(opinion piece by Padraig Reidy in Index on Censorship)
Irish Constitution – All Authority Comes From God
What Eamon de Valera told the Dail during the debate on the 1937 Irish Constitution:
“I want everybody to realise what this Constitution states about authority. In the Preamble, and in the Article that refers to that, there is a clear, unequivocal statement that authority comes from God. That is fundamental. It does not matter what view a group of Catholic theologians may take as to how it comes to the immediate rulers. What we have here is clear at any rate – that authority is from God. That is fundamental Catholic doctrine, and it is here. It is true doctrine.”