Would Fr Ted fail the new blasphemy test?

IT was with great dismay that I heard the Government proposes to bring in a law against blasphemy.

As a state we came through a period where censorship resulted in the banning of the works of many of our important literary figures.

Surely we don’t want to bring in a law which would limit the works of future writers and comedians.

The Irish have always been known for their wit and irreverent sense of humour, which is a healthy thing.

Under this law the comedy series Fr Ted could have been banned for blaspheming the Catholic Church, as well as much of the output of entertainers such as Tommy Tiernan.

Our country is in a state of transition. We have in our midst many new religious and ethnic groups who could use this law to silence anyone uncomfortable with their beliefs and practices.

If we wish to preserve freedom of expression for future generations, this proposal must not be made into law.

I ask the justice minister to defer this proposal and wait till we can afford a referendum which could be slotted in with a general election.

As this is an important issue we need to wake up before it is too late. Freedom of expression is too important to throw away lightly.

God knows we need our comedians, writers and artists to give us an escape from the grim economic situation.

Maura Healy

Ballinvinny

Watergrasshill

Co Cork