Canadian groups seek repeal of blasphemy law

OTTAWA, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Following Wednesday's violent attack on a Paris satirical magazine, two Canadian secularist groups called for abolishing Canada's laws against blasphemy.

Leaders of Humanist Canada and the Center for Inquiry met last month with Andrew Bennett, head of the federal government's Office of Religious Freedom, and will request the Justice Department abolish a section of the country's criminal code making blasphemy an offense.

The meeting in December called into question Canada's encouragement of religious freedom abroad while a blasphemy law is still enforceable at home. The law has not been put to a test in Canada since 1935, although an Anglican clergyman attempted to prosecute a theater in 1980 showing the Monty Python film Life of Brian. The government declined to support the prosecution.

"These murders (in Paris) cause us so much grief but also further convince us that no remnants of these ancient attitudes can be allowed to continue," said Eric Adrianns of the Center for Inquiry.

The Canadian law dates to 1892. Britain abolished its blasphemy law in 2008, and most countries in Europe still have versions in force, if not in use. The United States, on the federal level, never had such a law.

"There are certain parts of the world where apostasy (renunciation of religious faith) will get your head removed," added Eric Thomas, Humanist Canada president. "We don't have that issue here but why would we even have this on our books?"