You couldn’t make this stuff up.
A blasphemy investigation arising from comments made by Stephen Fry on the RTÉ show Meaning of Life in 2015 has been dropped.
According to the Irish Independent, An Garda Síochána decided not to proceed with the investigation because they were “unable to find a substantial number of outraged people”.
Detectives spoke to the member of the public who reported Fry’s comments to Gardaí in Ennis and confirmed that they would not be carrying out further inquiries.
A well-placed source told Independent.ie: “This man was simply a witness and not an injured party. Gardaí were unable to find a substantial number of outraged people.
“For this reason the investigation has been concluded.”
The report added that the man told Gardaí he was happy he had done his civic duty by reporting what he believed could be a crime and that he was also happy the Gardaí had carried out an investigation into the matter.
In Ireland, the Defamation Act 2009 means that a person who publishes or utters blasphemous material “shall be guilty of an offence.” Upon conviction, a person could be forced to pay a fine up to €25,000.
During an appearance on The Meaning of Life in 2015, Fry, when asked by host Gay Byrne what he would say to God at the pearly gates, responded: “How dare you create a world in which there is such misery? It’s not our fault? It’s not right. It’s utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid god who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?”
Clip via RTÉ
“Because the god who created this universe, if it was created by god, is quite clearly a maniac, an utter maniac, totally selfish,” he added.
“We have to spend our lives on our knees thanking him. What kind of god would do that?”
Ireland is the only country in the developed world to have introduced a blasphemy law in the 21st century, although reports suggest that preparatory steps have been taken towards having a referendum with regard to the law in the near future.
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