"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message
news:68e812c0-4550-414d-a59b-e375360698db@56g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...
On May 10, 8:36 pm, Webmanager_CritEst wrote:
> Blasphemy laws are lifted
>
> By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent
>
> Britain's ancient laws of blasphemy have been abolished by MPs.
>
> A campaign to repeal the offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel,
> which made it illegal to insult Christianity, was proposed in January
> by the Liberal Democrat Evan Harris.
>
> It was supported by public figures including the author Philip Pullman
> and the academic Richard Dawkins.
>
> They claimed the little-used laws served no useful purpose, while
> allowing religious groups to try to censor artists.
> Article continues
> advertisement
>
> Evangelists had tried to prosecute the director-general of the BBC
> over the controversial musical Jerry Springer – The Opera.
>
> MPs voted to support the abolition of blasphemy in an amendment to the
> Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill.
>
> This has now received Royal Assent, condemning the laws to history.
>
> Maria Eagle, the junior justice minister, said in the debate: "These
> offences have now largely fallen into disuse and therefore run the
> risk of bringing the law into disrepute.
>
> "Given that these laws protect only the tenets of the Christian
> Churches, they would appear to be plainly discriminatory."
>
> But Edward Leigh, a Conservative MP, claimed their abolition would
> encourage more people to make fun of Christianity.
>
> "Getting rid of the blasphemy law sends a message that that is OK, but
> it is insulting to many Christians," he said.
>
> The last successful prosecution for blasphemy was in 1977, when the
> publisher of Gay News, Denis Lemon, was given a suspended sentence for
> printing a poem about a Roman centurion's love for Jesus.
>
> The private prosecution had been brought by the campaigner Mary
> Whitehouse.
>
> Last night, Terry Sanderson, the president of the National Secular
> Society, said he was "thrilled" that Sir Ian McKellen, the actor, will
> read the poem in question, The Love That Dares to Speak its Name, at a
> party to celebrate the abolition of the laws next month.
>
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1942668/Blasphemy-laws-are-lifted.html
>
> *****
>
> WMwww.critest.com
Whoops.
WM
A long overdue reform.
Now let's turn our attention to removing the other privileges which religion
currently attracts,including places in the legislature and exemptions from
tax.
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