Blasphemy Law

ASSIST News Service reports '[Britain's blasphemy law may be abolished as UK parliament considers amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill - The British government has "every sympathy" for the case for abolishing blasphemy laws in the United Kingdom, according to Justice Minister Maria Eagle.
A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report said Eagle was speaking at the end of a debate on proposals to scrap the laws. She told Members of Parliament (MPs) they wanted to first consult the Church of England.The BBC said that subject to those discussions, Ms. Eagle said the government intended to bring forward amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill to abolish the offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel. During the debate, Dr Harris described the laws as "ancient, discriminatory, unnecessary, illiberal and non-human rights compliant". He said the last conviction under the law was 1979."So it's not needed any more, old-fashioned, ancient and out of time," he said, adding: "The Almighty does not really need the protection of these ridiculous laws and that's why large numbers of people of a religious perspective share the view that these offences need to be abolished."
This week the Rt Rev Lord Carey of Clifton, the former archbishop of Canterbury, was one of several public figures who signed a letter in the Daily Telegraph calling for the abolition of the law. Don Horrocks of the Evangelical Alliance warned repeal would signal that protecting Jesus, God and the Bible was no longer regarded as so important.'

Abolishing this law will be a step down the road os seculatisation. God does not need protecting. Some years ago Donald MacLeod wrote in support of the law in the Free Church Record. He pointed ourt that behind the law were two assumptions. First, that blasphemy would provoke civil unrest. This is no longer true. The only civil unrest comes from followers of the false prophet when he is ridiculed. Chrisatians are more civilised.

But the second assumption behind the law is unchanged, It is that the Christian faith is true. For this reason I favour retention of the law.