[QUOTE="cowboymonkey21"][QUOTE="ASK_Story"]Honestly, what's the difference between this and the government prohibiting students and teachers praying, bringing the Bible, teachers saying Merry Christmas, or mentioning creation in science classes in schools here in America? Just a thought.ASK_Story
Because this is prohibiting blasphemy all time. Not just in the class, where you teach science because it has hard evidence. And blasphemy's a good thing? I understand on the concerns about freedom of speech and all that but here in the US, the government thinks saying "Christmas" in schools is offensive yet we can blaspheme all we want and that's okay to them. It makes no sense to me, that's all I'm saying.So basically what I hear from you is that you're in favor of free speech if what people are saying correlates with your values but not if it doesn't? Besides, you're mixing two issues. What is taught in the classroom is not a matter of free speech, it's a matter of educational standards. What is happening in Ireland would be comprable to if you said something about your beliefs that a cop might have overhead and you got fined for it. I'm sure you wouldn't like that, so why should it be any different for anyone else's beliefs?
The whole Christmas thing is just a matter of courtesy. Christianity is not the majority religion by as much as it used to be. Classrooms are more diversified and reflect many different points of view. It's simply rude to talk to a group you know is so diverse in its beliefs as if they all share you belief simply because your belief has a longer history of being the dominant one in this country.
As for blasphemy being OK, why the hell not? Why is it that Evangelists think they can go shouting their beliefs from the proverbial mountaintops, but as soon as someone else professes a differeing belief suddenly it's a crime. I mean, the whole idea of blasphemy is totally ridiculous and outdated. It's basically saying that unless you're a Christian you're committing a crime, maybe not a legal crime everywhere but an implied moral crime by the definition of the word. I'm sure if Christianity were no longer the exception to which blasphemy didn't apply there would be a much bigger uproar about it.
And finally, look at how much this bill leaves open to interpretation. Jews can be fined for saying they don't believe Christ is the messiah? Isn't that basically saying that a majority of all Jews are completely wrong in their beliefs and can be fined just for practicing them? How the hell is that acceptable in a modern day society?
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