Stephen Fry Blasphemy Investigation

[ludwig]

I thought this was a joke article from one of those spoof news sites when I first saw it. There are lots of questions here but I'll go with 'Does anyone think he'll actually be charged with the offence?'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/06/stephen-fry-police-investigation-blasphemy-branding-god-utter/

[Cloverjo]

I don't believe he'll be charged with the offence.
It would be ludicrous if he were. He's surely entitled to his opinion on religion.

[DTCwordfan]

In the UK it's codswallop....In March 2008, peers voted for the laws to be abandoned. On May 8, 2008, the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 abolished the common-law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel in England and Wales, with effect from 8 July 2008.

In Ireland, a bit rich, even though perspectives remain....In the Republic , blasphemy is required to be prohibited by Article 40.6.1.i. of the 1937 Constitution. The common law offence of blasphemous libel, applicable only to Christianity and last prosecuted in 1855, was ruled in 1999 to be incompatible with the Constitution's guarantee of religious equality.

The lacuna was filled in 2009 by a new offence of "publication or utterance of blasphemous matter", against any religion.

The continued existence of a blasphemy offence is indeed controversial, with proponents of freedom of speech and freedom of religion arguing it should be removed.

The government formed in 2016 is committed to holding a referendum on abolishing the constitutional offence, so this fracas all seems somewhat heavy-handed. Odd.

[New Judge]

The Irish police are obviously far better resourced than those in the UK.

[THECORBYLOON]

The Garda can't be that we'll resourced if it's taken more than two years to investigate the complaint!

[Mamyalynne]

I doubt if he will be charged.

[ludwig]

I doubt he'll be charged too Mamya. Blasphemy's a very strange crime if you think about it. It's slander and/or libel against someone that doesn't exist. Haven't they got better things to be spending money on?

[Mamyalynne]

I imagine they have to be seen to doing something as a response to a complaint - whilst I like Stephen I wish he hadn't said it but he is entitled to voice his opinions.

[nailit]

//Stephen Fry under police investigation for blasphemy after branding God an 'utter maniac' //

Whats blasphemous about that?

[Ann]

//Whats blasphemous about that?//

Depends on your own views of God and blasphemy Nailit.

[nailit]

Can I be 'blasphemous' about Santa?
Such backward laws need to be abolished

[vulcan42]

According to the BBC site, the person who complained said he wasn't offended, perhaps he just doesn't like Stephen Fry.

[nailit]

Dependant on your views of Santa and blasphomey of course...

[Mamyalynne]

There are concerted attempts being made to repeal Ireland's Blasphemy laws - I'm sure it will come eventually.

[gness]

I doubt it, Ludwig...I suppose if someone's complained they have to waste time with an investigation..... but it was a wonderful interview with Gay Byrne...calm and rational......

If god does exist then he has a lot to answer for and like Stephen Fry I wouldn't want to have anything to do with such a cruel and selfish being......x

[nailit]

If Fry was referring to the God of the bible then how could it be blasphemous?
The God of the bible *is* a maniac.
(I know, Ive read it...all of it)

[birdie1971]

My understanding of the complaint is that it is being made by someone who is trying to highlight the absurdity of the blasphemy laws in Ireland. He is using a high profile individual, Mr Fry, as an example of an individual who is expressing a personal opinion on the existence of God in a effort to demonstrate that free speech can and should always trump religious dogma.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Some of us would be more impressed by "courageous" Mr. Fry had he taken the *** out of the Muslim God rather than the Christian one, Birdie.

[vetuste_ennemi]

The Sharia blasphemy law which prescribes death to those who insult God's Messenger is incorporated in various Islamic constitutions (e.g. Pakistan). And is now observed (de facto rather than de jure) by all Western dhimmi societies.

Fry and other hypocrites would never dare insult Islam.

[Khandro]

Whether God exists or not is completely immaterial, this obnoxious self-serving so-called intellectual, goes out of his way, not to offend God, but to offend and insult completely innocent people to whom their belief is important.
The real question is, why would anyone wish to do this?
In answer to the OP, no I don't think he will be charged.

[mikey4444]

Nil chance of Fry being charged with anything, unless talking some good commons sense has suddenly become an offence.

I remember this encounter with Gay Byrne very well. Fry's intellect came shining through. If Ireland has a law preventing people from speaking their mind, then the law is an Irish ass.