Blasphemy Bullshit

[Smellyoldgit]

There is some hope on this island for the outdated blasphemy laws to be finally dumped.

There is cross-party, secular and religious support for confining this unnecessary, discriminatory and censorious law to the history books where it belongs.

Neither the Church of England nor the government has given a good reason for the blasphemy law to be retained, so it is time Parliament stood up for free expression and against a religious privilege which protects beliefs instead of people

Watch this space.

Does yankland have anything as stoopid as blasphemy laws?

[VladTheImpaler]

I believe Blasphemy laws are considered unconstitutional in the United States. If memory serves me right there are some states who still have written blasphemy laws on record, however as far as I understand nobody can be convicted of blasphemy as it constitutes an unconstitutional restraint on the freedom of speech.

Norway still has blasphemy laws that are, in theory, active. Nobody has been convicted using these laws for a very long time, however. I don’t think anyone takes them serious anymore and there was talk not too long ago of removing them altogether.

[Smellyoldgit]

The Law does work in mysterious ways - and takes bloody years to be dragged up to date. Till 1998, High Treason and Piracy with Violence were capital crimes in the UK!
Blasphemy 'crime' is certainly now a just minor glitch - but I'd sooner be rid of it.

[GodlessHeathen]

Smellyoldgit wrote

Does yankland have anything as stoopid as blasphemy laws?

Thanks to the "Establishment Clause" of the first amendment to our Constitution (which King George hasn't manage to piss on too much yet), no, we don't have blasphemy laws. There are many who would like to change that, however.

There are still a few 'Blasphemy' type laws on the books in the US.

However, you have to understand how the law works here, you can have useless, unprosecutable laws on the books for centuries... it's liike having legacy DNA that does nothing.

Judges are the ones that ultimately correct laws, but they cannot create them or act unilaterally on them. A Judge cannot search through a law book... find an unconstitutional law... and then strike it down.

Some other dupe, like a super-christard sheriff somewhere, has to actually arrest someone for the dumb ass offense, an equally super-christard district Attorney has to think persecution is a good idea... THEN it can go before a Judge and be struck down for unconstitutionality.

It's all part of an elaborate process with checks and balances to keep any individual or group from screwing it over too badly.

At least that's the theory... the number of super-christards is growing all the time. Will it eventually reach critical mass? Dunno!

[Rhinoqulous]

Speaking of dumb-ass laws, it's illegal in North Dakota for people of the opposite sex, who are not related, to live together. The law is part of some "Purity" laws from a century ago that are still on the books. A landlord actually had some tenants he didn't like arrested a few years ago under this law, though the case was thrown out of court. The ND congress had a motion to strike the law, but the motion didn't pass, as too many congresstards were worried striking the law would "send the wrong message to the youth of North Dakota".

I fucking hate North Dakota. Luckily I'm a resident of Minnesota still (though I can spit out my kitchen window and hit ND).

[Philboid Studge]

In Atlanta, it is illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp. True fact!

Speaking of which, are there any Ravers (or Jeetarded head bumpees) in or near Atlanta? I'll be going to that peachy town for the first time in a couple weeks ...

[GodlessHeathen]

Philboid Studge wrote

In Atlanta, it is illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.

You have to wonder if this was such a problem at some point that they had to pass an ordinance. . . .

[Choobus]

Rhinoqulous wrote

....I can spit out my kitchen window and hit ND).

you should.

[Irreligious]

According to this site, in Cleveland, women are forbidden from wearing patent leather shoes, for men can see the reflection of their underwear. I'd heard that this was a rule in many Catholic schools, once upon time, but I didn't know that entire cities followed suit.

[Smellyoldgit]

Reminds me of the joke where this bloke was going around all the women, having an up-skirt peep with his shiney shoe. He stared in amazed horror at one lass and she said - "fooled ya - I've got no knickers on".
"Thank fuck for that" he said, - - - "I thought I'd got a huge split in my new shoe"

[Kate]

Irreligious wrote

According to this site, in Cleveland, women are forbidden from wearing patent leather shoes, for men can see the reflection of their underwear. I'd heard that this was a rule in many Catholic schools, once upon time, but I didn't know that entire cities followed suit.

[Rhinoqulous]

Irreligious wrote

According to this site,.

North Dakota:
# It is illegal to serve beer and pretzels at the same time in any bar, club, or restaurant.


I can tell you with experience this law is enforced, as no fucking bar in town serves pretzels (well, one of em does if you dish out 3 fucking bucks). Come-on! Gimme some damn pretzels already!

[Professor Chaos]

Kate wrote

Just don't wear underwear and you have nothing to worry about. I'll PM you my address if you want to send them to me.

[Kate]

I was gonna dress up for breakfast.