A lawyer, a Priest, and an Irishman go into a bar...

If you haven't read about it yet, It's now illegal to speak in Ireland. There really isn't anything, anything, that it's legal to say - without facing a £25,000 fine. January 1st, 2010 brought more than the clinking of glasses and cries of "Happy New Year!" to the people of Ireland - it also brought the inception of a new law; The Blasphemy Law. The law defines blasphemy as saying or publishing anything that is abusive, or insulting to any religion.

Saying anything contradictory to any religion? Well, shit. I guess aside from the basic "Hello, how are you?" they just won't be able to speak in Ireland. There really isn't much you could say that wouldn't be contradictory to at least one religion. If I lived in Ireland, and people actually read this shit, then I could be fined. I don't live in Ireland, however, and barely anybody reads this; so here we go - a short tribute to the Irish Blashphemy Law.

There is no God, and in my opinion belief in such an idea is both dangerous and childish; clinging on to the idea of "life after death" in order to make the notion of death more tolerable. An excuse and a shield for extremists and violent psychopaths to use while they cause terror and distress. An easy way out in the attempt to understand the philosophical questions that have been present for millennia. A way for manipulative cunning con-artists to take money from those who would believe their lies and false promises. An oil slick on the road to both scientific and social progression.
The law put in place by the Irish government is a massive step in the wrong direction. Medieval ideals such as this have no place in the 21st century, and I am personally scared to death for any people in Ireland who will face punishment under it. It's an affront to the very idea of freedom of speech, and freedom of the press, and an open condemnation of free thinking people all over their country. It opens the door, or at the very least a metaphorical window, for like-minded people in other countries to think that such a law could be possible where they live, too.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, now that the holiday season is over I should be posting again regularily. I'm sure all six people who read this are thrilled.