Religion vs Freedom of Speech

The govt have published their "Racial and Religious Hatred Bill".

I'm opposed to it for the following reasons:

• It's my right to slag-off Christianity


• Religion is different to sex/race/sex orientation in that you can change your religion, but it's kinda hard to change your race


• The govt unfortunately appears to be pandering to religious-freaks who want to stop any criticism of them (see the hassle Christian groups caused with the BBC's showing of Jerry Springer: The Opera & the subsequent dismissal of their complaints).


• Religion is just an idea - ideas are there to be challenged, if you can't take my criticism, then that means those beliefs are very poorly thought out. There's no reason for people to end up in prison because you're easily offended (are make out that you are offended…). Let's hope someone challenges it under the Human Rights Act 1998 as being disproportionate & a breach of Article 10 (Freedom of Expression), which would force to govt to change it.
  

"But ministers insists it will not ban people - including artists and performers - from offending, criticising or ridiculing faiths."

Yeah, right! All Labour know is to stifle criticism & dissent at all costs - see the Serious Organised Crime & Police Act 2005 which bans "Any person [from demonstrating] in a public place in the designated area" (section 129), which means Parliament. There is an anti-war demonstrator (Brian Haw, who stood in the election as an Independent) who's been there for 4 years, so it appears that this section has been designed specifically with him in mind.