Irish Police Investigate British Comedian for Blasphemy
The police in Ireland are investigating a blasphemy claim involving British comedian Stephen Fry over his comments made about God on TV more than two years ago. The remark was made in February 2015 at RTÉ One's "The Meaning of Life," a weekly program that discusses the purpose of life, religion and the afterlife.
In that episode, Fry was asked by host Gay Byrne what he would tell God if he arrived at heaven's pearly gates. To this, the 57-year-old avid atheist replied: "How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It's not right. It's utterly, utterly evil."
"Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain? Because the God who created this universe, if it was created by God, is quite clearly a maniac, utter maniac. Totally selfish. We have to spend our life on our knees thanking him? What kind of God would do that?" he added.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The clip of the interview was uploaded on YouTube, and it got seven million views. However, one viewer wasn't pleased and reported the matter to authorities. The complainant admitted he wasn't offended by the statement, but he was compelled to report what he believed was a commission of a crime as a matter of civic duty.
Ireland passed in 2010 a blasphemy law which prohibits publishing or making remarks that are grossly insulting in relation to matters sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among adherents of that religion. It carries a maximum fine of €25,000.
The complaint was almost relegated to the dustbin, but he followed up, prompting the police to revive its investigation. Since the introduction of the blasphemy law, no such case was filed before the Irish courts, the Irish Independent reported.
