New Zealand has come under stinging criticism from the New Zealand Humanist Society (NZHS) for adopting the Harmful Digital Communications Act, which is believed to be one of the world’s strictest blasphemy laws.
The NZHS described the law that received Royal assent on July 2 as “an embarrassing step backwards and a severe blow to free speech.” The society said the new act seeking to put an end to cyber-bullying can land people in prison for up to two years for committing blasphemy.
The NZHS also believes the law was introduced “by the back door.”
“This legislation not only flies in the face of human rights, but the introduction of yet another law that gives special privileges to religions is unfair, unpopular and unrepresentative of our society, where over 40 percent of New Zealanders identify as not religious, making this our country’s largest single belief group,” said Mark Honeychurch, the NZHS president as cited by The New Zealand Herald.
“We want to increase social cohesion and understanding, and by awarding privileges and protecting groups from critique we are closing the door on free speech, free inquiry and public debate. New Zealand has to abolish its blasphemy laws before they are used to censor, suppress, and silence public debate,” he added.
But they’re liars; it isn’t that one can’t attack a particular religion or commit blasphemy; merely that one can’t denigrate someone online based on their religion:
The Harmful Digital Communications Act came into force on July 2. It introduces a number of communication principles. One of them states: “A digital communication should not denigrate an individual by reason of his or her colour, race, ethnic or national origins, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.”
Violators of the law will have to pay a fine up to 50,000NZD (almost $33,200) or serve two years in prison. Corporate bodies will face even higher fines – up to 200,000NZD almost ($133,200).
Advocates of the law believe it will effectively help to fight against cyber-bullying and harmful online content.
Now, I think that overall, this law is misguided, and anti-free-speech, but apparently, the secularists wrongly equate being forbidden to put down people online based on their faith as being equivalent to banning blasphemy, which it isn’t; they can still do that to their heart’s content (far as I can tell from what is written there).
Idiots.
They fail to recognize that they have a religion, too. They are as firmly convinced by faith, not proof, that there is no God, just as much as any theist is convinced, by faith, that there is one. Meaning this law ought to also equally shield them, as individuals, from being attacked online on the basis of their own faith-based beliefs, too.
Patriactionary 
ddswaterloo
August 11, 2015 at 9:30 am
This is a very draconian law. Will have a worse effect than Bill C-13 in Canada.
Being critical of others and offensive is the basis of free speech and freedom. Pretending its not or open to interpretation just give power to those who want to judge and control thought.
This is really bad. The road to hell is paved with this type of foolish well meaning garbage. Now New Zealand has an online censor just waiting for a chance to act.
Sanne
August 11, 2015 at 9:35 am
In reality the law most probably will be used to punish those who criticise the religion of peace, I’m afraid.
Will S.
August 11, 2015 at 11:25 am
@ ddswaterloo, Sanne: I agree with both of you; i’m sure the laws point is to shield Muslims from any criticism whatsoever. I can’t decide whether the secularists are useful idiots, or being disingenuous.
Mark Citadel
August 11, 2015 at 4:52 pm
Strange that they are totally fine when privileges against criticism are given to racial minorities, women, and sexual deviants. Hmmm… Perhaps ‘free speech’ is really just a cover for a more insidious agenda.
feeriker
August 11, 2015 at 6:57 pm
Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelings!
Remember, folks: this is our new secular god.
ray
August 11, 2015 at 8:22 pm
Mark Honeychurch? Supposedly God has no sense of humor, but Mr. Supermoral Humanist has an apostle’s first name… and a surname very accurately describing the modern, uh, places of worship. Churches ruled by queens leading male drones. Churches drunk on honey and money.
His whining is false-flag. Distract and re-frame. Modern western governments don’t use their powers to restrict godless ‘humanists’ and their Religion of Me. They restrict, harass, silence, and sometimes punish Christians. You know. The bad guys. The ‘bigots’ who won’t go along with homo marriage, or feminist governments/courts, or etc.
Cheers.
Phero
August 11, 2015 at 11:27 pm
Actually if men were to use it to report everyti,e a woan does it, the gov would need more hdd space for emails.
pukeko60
August 12, 2015 at 2:16 am
It was bought in to stop girls being shamed by photos of them servicing a bunchaton of bad boys. And then the perpetually offended got involved.
The only good bit will be if the Muslims try to take out the Humanists. Which will fail: most of you do not understand the depth of contempt NZers have of their politicians. We respect whores, car salesmen and journalists more.
Will S.
August 12, 2015 at 2:49 am
@ feeriker: Yep.
@ ray: Exactly.
@ Phero: But no doubt the authorities would have no interest in such cases, alas.
@ Chris: Oh, that case; I remember! Had no idea this was related to that.
Girls OUGHT to be shamed for being sluts and whores; in a sane civilization, they would be.
feeriker
August 13, 2015 at 7:36 pm
…most of you do not understand the depth of contempt NZers have of their politicians. We respect whores, car salesmen and journalists more.
I think that’s the case pretty much everywhere in the world. The problem is that the sheeple keep voting, as if the act were somehow unrelated to the persistent pestilential presence of the very politicians they supposedly despise.
Will S.
August 14, 2015 at 3:54 am
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
(attributed to Albert Einstein)
pukeko60
August 14, 2015 at 4:47 pm
Freeriker, in NZ, we ROLL politicians regularly. Destroy their parties: a bit like the Liberals in Canadaa or some versions of the Tories. The trouble is the bureau in the capital still have the same policies. Regardless of who is in power.
I ahve seen competent and caring people (some of the left, some of the right) get destroyed by the education and health department. If you can survive that you then may make it to the top three jobs: PM, Minister of Finance, and Leader of the House (who generally tells defence, social welfare, health, education etc what to do).
The current NZ gov’t s nto perfect, but they are tryin to change Wellington. By telling soem fairly ambistions people they will stay in this porfolio for two or three (three year) eelction cycles to ensure the changes get bedded in.
But we don’t have a huan rights commisioner and tribunals, and we don’t have people stopping speeches. The Canadian left and judiciary are noxious, and a cancer that needs to be expunged.
infowarrior1
August 16, 2015 at 6:39 am
@pukeko60
”The trouble is the bureau in the capital still have the same policies. Regardless of who is in power.”
the bureaucracy is the real power.