While things seem to be going badly all over the world, with a murderous autocrat winning in Brazil, plus the ongoing retreat from democracy in the US, there is one place where things seem to be heading in the right direction: Ireland. In recent years, Irish voters have voted overwhelmingly for marriage equality and legal abortion. And now, the same liberal consensus has done it again, overturning the country's medieval blasphemy law:
Ireland has voted to remove blasphemy as an offence from the country’s constitution.
In a referendum, 64.8 per cent of voters were in favour of changing the law, with 35.1 per cent supporting the status quo.
The result was largely expected, as the article on blasphemy in the constitution is generally agreed to be outdated and obsolete.
The amendment finally needs to be brought into law and the outdated offences formally repealed, but its pretty much done.
If you're wondering, our government's bill to repeal blasphemy in New Zealand is currently waiting for its second reading.
