Dutch to scrap blasphemy law - Almighty will have to defend his own name

[sms]

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Almighty will have to defend his own name from now on: Dutch parliament has accepted a motion that will scrap a law making it a crime to insult God.

A majority of parties said Wednesday the European Union nation no longer needs the law, which hasn't been invoked in the past half-century.

The movement to decriminalize blasphemy gathered strength in the last decade amid a national debate about the limits of freedom of speech. The climax came at the 2011 trial of far-right politician Geert Wilders, when judges ruled he had the right to criticize Islam, even if his opinions were insulting to many Muslims.

It still remains illegal under Dutch law to insult police officers or Queen Beatrix, the country's monarch.

Dutch to scrap blasphemy law on insulting God - Yahoo! News

 

[Peregrine]

Another low from an insignificant country.

 

[Mech]

God doesn't need man to defend him. Its a good move and should be emulated everywhere.

 

[Mech]

If i had my way, i would push issuing licenses to prostitutes, legitimizing LGBT marriages and abolishing child labour/child marriages.

Dont like abortion unless in dire straits.

Humans especially in the third world need to evolve culturally and ethically.

 

[Don Jaguar]

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Almighty will have to defend his own name from now on: Dutch parliament has accepted a motion that will scrap a law making it a crime to insult God.

A majority of parties said Wednesday the European Union nation no longer needs the law, which hasn't been invoked in the past half-century.

The movement to decriminalize blasphemy gathered strength in the last decade amid a national debate about the limits of freedom of speech. The climax came at the 2011 trial of far-right politician Geert Wilders, when judges ruled he had the right to criticize Islam, even if his opinions were insulting to many Muslims.

It still remains illegal under Dutch law to insult police officers or Queen Beatrix, the country's monarch.

Dutch to scrap blasphemy law on insulting God - Yahoo! News

Last line means......

To hell with freedom of speech.

 

[Redbull]

The Dutch finally stopped smoking that good ****. Excellent move.

 

[Don Jaguar]

The Dutch finally stopped smoking that good ****. Excellent move.

Stop making a fool of yourself its not freedom of speech. Some people want to criticize islam that why they did this.

See the last line you cannot criticize police officers or Queen Beatrix, This proves it is not freedom of speech this is freedom to criticize islam.

If i had my way, i would push issuing licenses to prostitutes

You will not mind if your close relatives do it?

 

[gambit]

If i had my way, i would push issuing licenses to prostitutes...

You will not mind if your close relatives do it?

This is about other people's right and freedom to do <whatever>. Of course there are a lot of things my relatives can do, will do, and/or have done that I do 'mind' -- objected to -- greatly. But just because whatever it is that they want to do, are doing it, and/or have done offends me, that does not mean I have the right to curtail their freedoms and rights.

 

[Redbull]

Stop making a fool of yourself its not freedom of speech. Some people want to criticize islam that why they did this.

See the last line you cannot criticize police officers or Queen Beatrix, This proves it is not freedom of speech this is freedom to criticize islam.

What are you talking about?

Freedom of speech implicates the freedom to criticize any religion. They are not mutually exclusive.

 

[Don Jaguar]

This is about other people's right and freedom to do <whatever>. Of course there are a lot of things my relatives can do, will do, and/or have done that I do 'mind' -- objected to -- greatly. But just because whatever it is that they want to do, are doing it, and/or have done offends me, that does not mean I have the right to curtail their freedoms and rights.

They do this for money why not provide them honorable jobs.

What are you talking about?

Freedom of speech implicates the freedom to criticize any religion. They are not mutually exclusive.

Then don't call it freedom of speech. Its freedom to criticize any religion.

Freedom of speech is you can speak anything about anyone.

 

[Redbull]

Then don't call it freedom of speech. Its freedom to criticize any religion.

Freedom of speech is you can speak anything about anyone.

Read again, you can't insult the Queen.
I assume the Dutch are allowed to criticize whatever they want.

Insult is motivated by malice and making the other person feel bad, while criticism is motivated by the desire to improve the other person's understanding of something.

 

[Don Jaguar]

Read again, you can't insult the Queen.
I assume the Dutch are allowed to criticize whatever they want.

Insult is motivated by malice and making the other person feel bad, while criticism is motivated by the desire to improve the other person's understanding of something.

Read the first two lines and then read the last line.

It allows you to insult religion but not police officers and queen beatrix.

And the article clarifies that this law is passed because some people want to criticize islam.

 

[Redbull]

Read the first two lines and then read the last line.

It allows you to insult religion but not police officers and queen beatrix.

And the article clarifies that this law is passed because some people want to criticize islam.

That was regarding whether Geert Wilders and other politicians went too far in their criticism of Islam and whether it mattered that some Muslims felt insulted. The court decided it didn't.

 

[gslv]

since when God ( if there is one) became so defenseless that He needs such silly and insignificant creatures like us to help him. comeon ppl we have much to do than defending god. the world needs good humans not god.btw if he would want he can vapourise one in a moment. so that means god doesn't give a damn about what is happening in this world..( plz dont drag religion here)

 

[Cloakedvessel]

See the last line you cannot criticize police officers or Queen Beatrix, This proves it is not freedom of speech this is freedom to criticize islam.

Islam is not a person, you cannot insult something abstract like an idea or a set of beliefs. Police officers and the Queen are real living people, that can be insulted. You can just as easy criticize Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism as Islam, you can criticize communism, capitalism, abortion, businesses hours of your local mall, a certain car or cigarette brand, or just about any idea can be subjected to criticism. So, these exceptions clauses have nothing to do with the possibility to criticize Islam, it is all in your imagination.

Given the ministerial responsibility for the actions of the Queen, the Queen is not able to defend herself to the same extent as other citizens can defend their selves with respect to matters such as insults or accusations. To me, it is a sign of civilization when people who cannot defend themselves are taken into protection, and to make an exception in the penal code for insulting the Queen.

The limits of freedom of expression in Europe are defined by the European Court of Human Rights. The European Convention on Human Rights allows in certain cases exceptions to the freedom of expression:

Main article: Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights

Article 10 provides the right to freedom of expression, subject to certain restrictions that are "in accordance with law" and "necessary in a democratic society". This right includes the freedom to hold opinions, and to receive and impart information and ideas, but allows restrictions for:

interests of national security
territorial integrity or public safety
prevention of disorder or crime
protection of health or morals
protection of the reputation or the rights of others
preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence
maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary

European Convention on Human Rights - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Incidentally, all citizens can be prosecuted for defamation, not only those who insult police officers. The immunity only applies to parliamentarians.
They cannot be prosecuted for what they say in parliamentary debates. This is once introduced as a protection against the absolutist tendencies of the king.