Blasphemy

[Open]

Should blasphemy be a crime punishable by law?

 

[OdwinOddball]

Should blasphemy be a crime punishable by law?

No, that would deny the right to free speech.

 

[Isambard]

No.

 

[Nathan Poe]

Blasphemy against who?

 

[ToddNotTodd]

I'm going to become a pantheist so I can yell "blasphemy" whenever anyone complains about anything at all.

 

[MoonLancer]

Should blasphemy be a crime punishable by law?

Just about any action i can think if is probably blasphemous to somebody.

 

[jayem]

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. "


And yet, in March, 2009, under prompting from Pakistan, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution on "defamation of religion:"

"Defamation of religious is a serious affront to human dignity leading to a restriction on the freedom of their adherents and incitement to religious violence," the adopted text read, adding that "Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism."

It called on states to ensure that religious places, sites, shrines and symbols are protected, to reinforce laws "to deny impunity" for those exhibiting intolerance of ethnic and religious minorities, and "to take all possible measures to promote tolerance and respect for all religions and beliefs." (emphasis mine)

 

[LittleNipper]

Is there a law which states one cannot say they are going to shoot the President or blow up the Capitol? If there is, I see no reason that there could not be a blasphemy law. Certainly, GOD is more important then either of the afore mentioned...

 

[Isambard]

Is there a law which states one cannot say they are going to shoot the President or blow up the Capitol? If there is, I see no reason that there could not be a blasphemy law. Certainly, GOD is more important then either of the afore mentioned...

I had no idea God could be shot or blown up.

 

[DelindaJane]

The definition of the word Blasphemy: the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things.

Should blasphemy be a crime punishable by law?

Well, It is a crime punishable by the rules (aka the law) on this site. And, it is in the Bible. (I got 43 matches in my Bible search, too many to quote all here)

I'm not sure if all societies do not consider it a crime punishable by law. I would think that some do. But, I can only speak for America, and I think it's because there can be no freedom of religion if blasphemy were to be a crime here, because not every American believes in God, or choses to adhere to Christian beliefs about blasphemy or God, and because Freedom of Speech protects what people say.

 

[Nooj]

Should blasphemy be a crime punishable by law?

No, and blasphemy against whose God?

 

[Freodin]

Yes, I would like that. Equal opportunity law, of course.

Oh, we would have so much fun sueing each other!

 

[Mling]

Hmm....it could really help out environmentalist laws, too, if desecrating Mother Earth was blasphemous.

 

[lawtonfogle]

Should blasphemy be a crime punishable by law?

You just blasphemed the deity of not asking questions about blasphemy.

Everyone else just blasphemed the deity of not answering questions about blasphemy. So if it is illegal, you all gonna go to jail.

 

[tulc]

Sure. As soon as anyone can figure out who gets to decide what is or isn't blasphemy.
tulc(suspects it's going to be a long time coming)

 

[DeathMagus]

Why not just let God take care of it?

 

[tulc]

Why not just let God take care of it?

But...if we did that when would we be able to stand up as tall as we can, point our finger at someone and scream "BLASPHEMER!!!" (tm)?
tulc(it's the simple joys in life we have to protect dude)

 

[DeathMagus]

But...if we did that when would we be able to stand up as tall as we can, point our finger at someone and scream "BLASPHEMER!!!"] (tm)?
tulc(it's the simple joys in life we have to protect dude)

I agree that doing such a thing is very pleasurable (probably why "blasphemy" was invented in the first place) - but we can do that without including the boring trial and imprisonment/corporal punishment/death parts.

 

[Chazemataz]

Some genius decided to introduce such a law in Ireland, and last I checked Atheist Ireland is going to release an extremely blasphemous and offensive document mocking every known religious denomination in existance, including Atheist Ireland to cause court confusion. I personally think it would be much entertaining if they made up a religion a la Spaghetti Monster and said Christians were blaspheming the FSM by quoting the Bible, as others have suggested.

 

[LittleNipper]

I had no idea God could be shot or blown up.

GOD is not mocked either.