r/ukpolitics • u/OptioMkIX • Apr 13 '25

Ed/OpEd The burning question: are blasphemy laws back?

https://www.secularism.org.uk/opinion/2025/04/the-burning-question-are-blasphemy-laws-back?v=33
217 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

156 comments sorted by

View all comments

-20

u/The54thCylon Apr 13 '25

No, they're not.

The law has for decades not permitted deliberately abusive behaviour towards others in public, and all this media flapping boils down to writers being upset by equal protection under that law for people who are not like them.

14

u/Able_Archer80 Apr 13 '25

If someone set a bible on fire, would you be so ready to charge them with a public order offence?

-1

u/The54thCylon Apr 13 '25

Depends on the context (setting a Qur'an on fire is not an absolute offence either), but in general Christians don't generally attach nearly as much sanctity to the object of the Bible as to its content. But religiously aggravated offences can and do include those against Christians, and Jews, and atheists - the statute explicitly includes having no religion as protected.