Atheists in Ireland are risking possible prosecution with an audacious online challenge to the country's new blasphemy law.

Under the law, which went into effect Friday, a person can be found guilty of blasphemy if "he or she publishes or utters matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion."

The penalty is a fine of up to 25,000 euros, or more than $35,000.

In a bid to demonstrate that the law is outdated and largely unenforceable, a group named Atheist Ireland published on its Web site on Friday 25 potentially blasphemous quotations from figures such as Jesus Christ, Muhammad, George Carlin, Pope Benedict XVI and Mark Twain...

In a bid to demonstrate that the law is outdated and largely unenforceable, a group named Atheist Ireland published on its Web site on Friday 25 potentially blasphemous quotations from figures such as Jesus Christ, Muhammad, George Carlin, Pope Benedict XVI and Mark Twain...

Mark Twain is a cultural icon, but I don't know I'd consider him a religious figure.

Ireland needs to shed it'd unfortunate predisposition towards theocracy. Laws like this are embarrassing for first world countries.

Disrupting a religious services carries up to 3 years of jail in Germany, at least according to a recent article.

Theocracy? What religion controls Ireland's government? Show your work.

Now, show other examples of this "predisposition towards theocracy."

That's the most retarded statement I've ever heard.

Okay, that's nice, Taly. The only one that I can attribute to religious influence is the contraception thing, though -- the rest of those positions are perfectly acceptable secular policies, on the face of it.

For instance, one does not require religious motivation to draw the arbitrary line in the sand on the concept of when life begins early enough to support the illegality of abortion.

Nor does one require religious conviction to refuse to acknowledge most divorces as a matter of contract law, I imagine.

I just love the last paragraph from your post -

Nor does one require religious conviction to refuse to acknowledge most divorces as a matter of contract law, I imagine.

And even so, you haven't demonstrated a causality between the Catholic church and any of those laws, so maintaining that there is a Catholic theocracy is really terrible logic.

For this purpose, you're right, this law doesn't show a whole lot of "predisposition towards theocracy," quite the opposite, really. However, overall, Montegue is right here. For instance, all forms of contraception were illegal until 1978, divorce was illegal until 1995, and abortion is still illegal. There is a strong (but waning) Catholic influence in Irish government.

Yes, but there's still no reason to believe it's "embarassing". The only reason it's embarassing is if you are predisposed against religion to begin with, in which case, it's just an underhanded and thinly veiled cheap shot. Ultimately ironic considering its coming from a person who has such zeal and faith in the Religion of Science.

lol George Carlin included with Christ, Muhammad and the Pope.

Love this!

Or it could be the nitrous affecting my sense of humor..

Failing to recognize divorces is most certainly about religion. What valid secular reason could there possibly be to forbid two people to dissolve a contract by mutual agreement? I could understand if it banned divorce when only one of the two people wanted one, but not one by mutual agreement.