(Scottish Legal News)(& possibly coming to a government near you! .^
Humanists have written to Scottish government secretaries Aileen Campbell and Humza Yousaf to call for Scotland’s common law offence against blasphemy to be dropped in forthcoming legislation covering hate crime.
Agree! I feel the same about "blue laws" with regard to no selling of alcohol on Sunday, stores not permitted to do business until after Noon when church services are over. I don't know about northern part of the USA but blue laws are still in affect in the Southern USA. Antiquated and discriminatory.
I could try for a petition. It only needs a single signature and acceptance by committee. I may start one after Christmas due to time constraints and drinking commitments
Are there any time restraints on drinking commitments?
According to Wikipedia six US states have blasphemy laws, but they are not enforceable of course. Some people would like to have them enforced no doubt.
GOOD! I'm against ''blasphemy'' laws...they're used punitively against people who don't agree with us. As such...that's really bad law.
I think it was last used in 1944 to shut up a 'witch'. There are some parts of Scotland where Christian extremism is rife, but they mostly fight with one another in their 'Wee Free Kirks'.
The public has no stomach for a referendum, we may have a couple more pressing issues coming up soon.
Humanists have written to Scottish government secretaries Aileen Campbell and Humza Yousaf to call for Scotland’s common law offence against blasphemy to be dropped in forthcoming legislation covering hate crime.
A letter from Humanist Society Scotland calls the retention of the common law offence against blasphemy “a stain on Scotland’s overall positive human rights record”.
Furthermore, the letter claims that members of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee received information from the government that a consultation, launched last week, would cover this issue.
However, the consultation document has no question relating to the offence.
Humanist Society Scotland chief executive Gordon MacRae said: “Scotland is one of the last remaining countries in Europe with a blasphemy law still on its books after Ireland recently voted by referendum to scrap this archaic crime.
“It is disappointing that after positive engagement with the government before the launch of this consultation, including correspondence sent to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee, the Scottish government have now backed away from consulting on scrapping blasphemy.
“There is no rational reason for retaining a law as part of legislation that will bring in new protections against religiously motivated hate crime.”