A Victory For Free Speech And Secularism

Today's excellent news is that a Christian group has failed in its efforts to prosecute Jerry Springer: The Opera for blasphemy.

I haven't actually seen it - in fact, it's gathering dust on my DVD shelf while I fully intend to watch it at some point, several friends having told me it is really very funny. But whether it's funny or not, worth watching or not, whether I've even seen it or not, is SO not the point. So it mocks Christianity? So it has the right to, and just because you don't like it does not give you the right to attempt to ban it.

Incidentally, some of the more crusading Christians do a lot more than 'mock' those who do not share their superstitions, they positively damn us to hell. Yet, my tolerant, broad-minded and pluralist self has never once popped down to the High Court to demand that some geezer in a wig ban them from issuing their fire and brimstone.

And the fact that the Daily Telegraph fears that this ruling 'weakens blasphemy law' simply warms my heart. As I was saying just the other day, in relation to Islam rather than Christianity - no bias in this blogger's desire to have all religions lose their legal privileges - there should be no such thing as 'blasphemy law'. It's archaic, irrational and censorious.