The Great Blasphemy Referendum 2018

I suspect that there always has been this divide but historically most people kept their thoughts to themselves or their close circle. 

Now these doubts have been emboldened and encouraged by years of secularising media and governments. Referenda on issues such as abortion and same sex marriage have forced people to show their hands. The new 'progressive' liberal/left consensus is portrayed as the compassionate way and is winning the culture wars at the moment, and therefore is the more fashionable side for those who want to 'fit in'.

I would hope that rather than a split, the Church would assert the truth more vocally, and the 'fashionista' Catholics would walk away if they could not stomach the truth.

"Together for No will not mention God or women in case it alienates the middle ground. On our pastel coloured posters we will use words like care , compassion respect and trust. We plan an outreach to the new Irish community especially the Muslim brotherhood and all those alienated by militant atheists and feminists. If the referenda are repealed we reserve the right to have days of rage and further actions as are deemed necessary.This attack on Islamic values and traditional patriarchy must be resisted."

Actually took me a minute to see the joke, good job man.

Not to boast but I have been seeing signs the world has been insane since I was a lot younger, at least ten years ago. Basically a I grew up feeling isolated. It is so weird and so refreshing to see more and more people waking up to the madness and raw evil modern life is filled with. Whoever was the man who commented on the 'Banality of Evil' in the modern world was an astute man and clearly prescient on the current crises of the world as we see it. The devil tricked the world into thinking he doesn't exist, and used the obfuscation and bureaucracy of the world to hide his evil behind boring, banal drudgery. It is his most effective scam yet, even if there are signs it will be coming to an end.

I am also voting No, despite being a believer in free speech.

Religion is special and I think it should be treated as special even by unbelievers. What else goes to the core of somebody's being in the same way as religious beliefs?

From a believer's perspective, I think of all the times Jesus and Mary have told visionaries that blasphemies grieve them enormously.

I'm against blasphemies to Islam, too. I don't see why any religion should be blasphemed. There's no need for it.

I think what happened to the Charlie Hebdo journalists was terrible, but I don't see anything admirable in their own behaviour.

I do see your point, though. Yes, it's hard to imagine what would be much worse than what we see and hear regularly, anyway. I don't think there is much of a practical point to this vote, it is more a culture war battlefront, a point of principle. Remember that if you vote "Yes", the nuances of your position will mean little to liberal commentators. They will interpret every Yes vote as being anti-religious.

Those are all fair arguments and I can understand why you would make them.

I listened to an interview with Kathy Sinnott about this and her argument is that you CAN make any criticism you want about religion-- but the blasphemy law means that it has to be done respectfully. There is a danger of being too fair-minded which is one that I often fall into myself. Sadly, culture wars are often more like arm-wrestling than Queensberry rules. If we could trust secularists and liberals to be magnanimous, we might hope that they would appreciate our fair-mindedness and open-mindedness. However, that has not been the history of secularization. Whenever Christians try to be fair to secularism, every concession is taken advantage of. (An example of this is described in The Abolition of Britain by Peter Hitchens-- Church of England schools allowed themselves to be nationalised after the War, I think, on the condition that Christian instruction would still be given-- a condition which was eventually reneged upon). I feel rather sad to put it like this, but unfortunately I do think it's true. We are not in the kind of battle where your opponent graciously waits for you to get up off the ground and pick up your sword.

The bigger the Yes vote, the more of a statement it will be taken as Ireland "emerging" from its Catholic past. Just think of how we were assured in both the gay marriage and abortion referendum that it had nothing to do with religious vs. secular-- once the win was in the bag, the secular crowing was unabashed, both times, and it very much WAS painted in just those terms.

I respect your position, though. And, in truth, it probably won't make much practical difference-- I think the vote is mostly symbolic.

The famous case of the Christian Mrs Asia Bibi in Pakistan seems to have finally turned in her favour, after several years in confinement. But, as one commentary mentioned, not only will she and her family need to flee Pakistan now but so, possibly, will the three(presumably Muslim) judges who ruled in her favour.