I'd say……I'm in favour of not having restrictions on blasphemy….

But I think it can get a bit vague. When is Insulting Mohammad effectively insulting Muslims.

When does it cross into public expression of hate against a religious group? I'd be against that, for the same reasons I'd be against any equivalent expression aimed at anyone because of their sexuality, gender or ethnicity.

I wrote a long person before I realised there was a much simpler way of expressing my thoughts on the matter.

You don't have to respect a persons beliefs or how they choose to define themselves but you should not discriminate against them. I have noticed that a lack of expected respect is often labelled as discrimination even though the individual/group in question have been subject to no discernible discrimination.

I've had personal experience of this when refusing to provide a customer with an enhanced service that they had requested on religious grounds. They immediately accused me of discriminating against them but I stood my ground and explained while there are criteria for giving a customer an enhanced service (Such as relevant physical or mental disability) religious belief isn't one of them.

Personally I think blasphemy laws are less about protecting the feelings of the religious and more about protecting religious authority itself. Its very easy to take criticism of a religious authority and redefine it as an attack on the religion itself. Criticism of the those in power is quickly crushed by the invoking of these laws and public outcry against what they see as an attack against their beliefs even though they were never the target of criticism.

Stumped wrote: Criticism of the those in power is quickly crushed by the invoking of these laws and public outcry against what they see as an attack against their beliefs even though they were never the target of criticism.

Total bollocks. The beliefs are exactly what's being attacked, and quite right too. Indeed, the only valid target for rational attack is the beliefs of the religious, because said beliefs are fucking stupid, and exist only to be disposed of.

I respect the person as much as possible as they are a human being but am
under no such obligation to respect their beliefs. And this is not something
confined to just the religious for it can be any one including other atheists