Blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy, in common law, crime of speaking or publishing words that vilify or ridicule God, the Bible, or religious beliefs. It is a misdemeanor, and two reasons formerly underlay its being a crime: (1) it tended to cause a breach of the peace between the blasphemer and those outraged by his or her words, and (2) because Christianity was a part of common law, blasphemy tended to undermine the law. Only the first reason remains, for Christianity is no longer a part of the law. The manner rather than the content of the utterance or publication renders it blasphemous; a statement of opinion, however heretical (see Heresy) to a religion, is not punishable as blasphemy. Thus, scurrility and a resultant tendency to provoke a public disturbance are the criteria for blasphemy, and statutes condemning it are held to be in consonance with the laws that protect freedom of speech and religion. It is still a crime in the United Kingdom and in most of the United States, but prosecutions are now rare. (1)
Blasphemy, Sabbath, Lord’s Prayer, Bible
From the book The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law, about Blasphemy, Sabbath, Lord’s Prayer, Bible (1): Christianity is a part of the common law of the United States; it is on this ground that blasphemy and violation of the Sabbath are made criminal offenses and that the Lord’s Prayer and the Bible are used in the schools.395
Resources
Notes and References
- Charles M. Scanlan, The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law. The Law of Church and Grave (1909), Benziger Brothers, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago
See Also
- Religion
- Church
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