The creators of the Father Ted television series have denounced Ireland’s proposed blasphemy laws as “insanity” and pledged to support a campaign to repeal them.
Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan backed moves by a group of Irish secularists to challenge the bill against blasphemy introduced in the Dáil last week. Atheist Ireland said this weekend that it will publish a statement blaspheming all the major religions in Ireland, including Christianity and Islam. The group said it would be a calculated challenge to the law.
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What a fantastic idea!
Blasphemy Oath 2009 convention from American Atheists on Vimeo.
Yikes…and you wonder why membership in AA is falling. How in the world could anyone take you seriously?
Tell us Dave…who paid for the rental of the hall?
I have to agree with the troll. Maybe you had to be there(?), but I think that anyone looking at that video would conclude that you were a bunch of loons and definitely should not be taken seriously.
Membership isn’t falling, and we all had a great time. I think you’re both missing the point.
Well, like I said, maybe you had to be there.
Good on the Irish! few nations in history have suffered as much and for so long at the hands of religion as has Ireland.
The people at the event looked like they were having fun, and being atheists, that is what life is about. Make no mistake that those in attendance took the matter very seriously. If they had behaved solemn then they would have been accused of being dour stick in the muds.
Phreedm made his comment in an effort to ridicule, thanks to some who have agreed with him, he may think he has succeeded. Don’t let phreedm guide the procession of this thread, if I had been at this meeting and didn’t have a few laughs I would wonder what in sam hill I was doing there.
Yep, dw, my sentiments exactly. I was up on stage (far far left in green.)
This ceremony was serious. We were making a point. Everyone was dressed up (cat-in-the-hat, Dave’s masters-degree robe, Moses) for the debaptism which happened immediately following the mass blasphemy. The combining of the ceremonies was a great idea. Each muted the other a bit.
Supreme Court Justic Joseph Story(appointed by Madison) knew the lunacy of “blashepmy” laws:”The remaining part of the clause declares, that “no religious test shall ever be required, as a qualification to any office or public trust, under the United States.” This clause is not introduced merely for the purpose of satisfying the scruples of many respectable persons, who feel an invincible repugnance to any religious test, or affirmation. It had a higher object; to cut off for ever every pretence of any alliance between church and state in the national government. The framers of the constitution were fully sensible of the dangers from this source, marked out in the history of other ages and countries; and not wholly unknown to our own. They knew, that bigotry was unceasingly vigilant in its stratagems, to secure to itself an exclusive ascendancy over the human mind; and that intolerance was ever ready to arm itself with all the terrors of the civil power to exterminate those, who doubted its dogmas, or resisted its infallibility. The Catholic and the Protestant had alternately waged the most ferocious and unrelenting warfare on each other; and Protestantism itself, at the very moment, that it was proclaiming the right of private judgment, prescribed boundaries to that right, beyond which if any one dared to pass, he must seal his rashness with the blood of martyrdom.”
“Commentaries on the Constitution.”
Great Job! Dave…..F U Monotheism and all your ridiculousness…..
The idea of blasphemy being illegal is reason enough to ridicule as loud as possible…..
I completely refute these ridiculous claims of supernatural beings….
Gotta love that cat-in-the-hat hat.
I was there, and this *was* fun. It was also a serious challenge to a ridiculous law.
Phreedm inadvertently brings up a good point with his mocking comment – when atheists are serious about the topic of atheism or religion and come to a discussion with scientific facts to fully support compelling arguments, we are often labeled by the religious as ‘militant’, ‘technophiles’, ’science worshippers’ or are told that we are too serious, stuffy, nerdy, or whatever implication you prefer. When atheists have a little fun and act silly, we are called absurd and get responses like ‘how could anyone take you seriously?’ So essentially no matter what we do, we should be doing the opposite?
OK…obviously even the enlightened ones among us can’t agree…
Hmmm…so were they “seriously…acting silly?”
No Dave…you miss the point. You’re not only preaching to the choir…
It’s a “proven fact” that atheists are one of the most least trusted minorities. Those who don’t trust you will watch this video, where you claim to be making a serious challenge to a UN resolution (even though the thread is discussing Ireland), and see 4 grown men dressed up like they just left a summer theaters version of a 4th grade play, and conclude that their first impressions of atheists are valid…
Since Rev. Fred Phelps, and the film Jesus Camp accurately portray all Christians, we are not worried in the least.
atheist_republican says: Easy pinkocommiebastard, the Christian got one right. Atheists really are the most hated group in America
You are correct however, not really the minority..
http://www.atheistempire.com/reference/stats/index.php
Also more atheists than blacks, jews, and gays..
Cite your sources for your “proven fact” please. Or can we claim anything as a proven fact without any proof or facts simply by encasing it in quotations now?
“God isn’t real”. Awesome!
Also, no one questions your ability to cherry pick through different peoples posts to create some kind of modge podge of commentary to fit your predetermined conclusions, so you can cut that out any time, buddy.
Easy pinkocommiebastard, the Christian got one right. Atheists really are the most hated group in America.
You can’t be referring to this single study:
American’s increasing acceptance of religious diversity doesn’t extend to those who don’t believe in a god, according to a national survey by researchers in the University of Minnesota’s department of sociology.
From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.”
and claiming that a poll of over 2000 (but less than 3000) people equals a proven fact, right?
Honestly, I don’t care – this poll says what you want to claim so you’ll say that it’s a proven fact regardless. My ultimate point being: I think it’s ridiculous the way your standards for what a fact is change so easily.
AR – least trusted, most hated, regardless – phreedm will renounce any data that doesn’t agree with his opinion, but then when he finds data that coincides, it’s considered factual. I completely failed to word my comment correctly, but that’s my point. It’s aggravating.
pinkocommiebastard,
Single study?
This study and other comparable studies are conducted every year by different people. The results are more or less all the same. These results are not surprising since about 85% of Americans have an imaginary skyborne benefactor. The encouraging part is that the public sentiment towards atheists has definately improved in the last 30 years. The future looks pretty good.
Thanks for the posting. I was losing hope for the Irish.
Dave, all you do is fantastic and appreciated by all of us. Don’t listen to the negativity.
Thanks to you for all you do in the name of a real good cause.
When people make a comment about me being white, I tell them I’m not white, I’m Irish. Man it’s rough having an Irish heritage. People ask me if I’m drunk all the time or if I want any potatoes. I can’t believe they’re going to pass this stupid ass law. They only way we’ll be able to defeat it is if they vote sometime in the afternoon. In the morning we’re too hungover and in the evening we’re too drunk, but in the afternoon we’re at that “philosopher” stage of drunkeness where we’re pretty coherent. And since it is now past noon, I have to start drinking.
An Irishman walks into a pub. The bartender asks him, “what’ll you have?” The man says, “Give me three pints of Guinness please.” So the bartender brings him three pints and the man proceeds to alternately sip one, then the other, then the third until they’re gone. He then orders three more.
The bartender says, “Sir, I know you like them cold. You don’t have to order three at a time. I can keep an eye on it and when you get low I’ll bring you a fresh cold one.”
The Irishman says, “You don’t understand. I have two brothers, one in Australia and one in the States. We made a vow to each other that every Saturday night we’d still drink together. So right now, my brothers have three Guinness Stouts too, and we’re drinking together.
The bartender thought that was a wonderful tradition. Every week the man came in and ordered three beers.
Then one week he came in and ordered only two. He drank them in silence and then ordered two more. The bartender, realizing what must have happened, approached the Irishman and said to him, “I’d just like to say that I’m sorry for your loss.”
The Irishman’s was at first befuddled but upon realizing the meaning of the bartenders words replied, “Oh, no, no, me brothers are jus fine. … I just quit drinking.”
too funny
O’Leary & McLaughlin are staggerin’ down a country road at night.
Says O’Leary, “Aye, ‘n when I die, will ye pour a quart of good Irish whiskey on me grave?”
Says McLaughlin, “Why sure enough, ‘n I hope you don’t mind if it passes thru me kidneys 1st.”
Dammit! If there weren’t three of you I’d punch you right in the face.
lao tzu, there’s actually only one. You see three of him because he’s drunk.
Lao Tzu, I’m Irish too, so I get a free pass @ Irish jokes.
I don’t drink, & potatoes are fattening. But I still consider meself a son of Eire.
Can someone please explain to me how you can blaspheme against something that doesn’t exist?
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