Should blasphemous speech be subject to criminal prosecution?

[Angel Wings 1288]

We’re living in ungodly days where faith is under siege. Militant atheists are peddling their sacrilege. For example, Sam Harris, a leading spokesperson for the blasphemy community, wrote an anti-God book called The End of Faith, which was a New York Times best seller, where he defamed Christianity by saying that “the Nazis were agents of religion.” Richard Dawkins, another prominent blasphemy advocate, wrote an anti-faith book called The God Delusion where he also defamed God, faith, and religious people.

In practically all Western nations except for the United States, it’s a crime to promote racist views. They call it hate speech. People can go to prison for it. So why isn’t it a crime to promote blasphemy, which is arguably a greater offense than racism? In my opinion, people like Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and other anti-Christian promoters should be languishing in jail.

What do you think? Should blasphemy be a crime? If you think blasphemy should be legal, explain why you value so-called free speech more than your religion.

 

[friend of]

What do you think? Should blasphemy be a crime? If you think blasphemy should be legal, explain why you value so-called free speech more than your religion.

No it should not. This move would only give secularism more ammunition to attack Christianity with if it were to be responsible for revoking rights from non-Christians to express themselves. Jesus never forced anyone to follow him by threatening them with jail or legal penalties.

 

[archer75]

One person's blasphemy is another person's statement of faith.

How on earth would blasphemy be defined in the statute?

The invitation at the end of the OP presents a false choice. Blasphemy is not and should not be a crime because we do not (at least in my country) live under state-controlled religion and I do not wish to.

I do value free speech, but in this case, I am against any such attempts to "criminalize" blasphemy mostly because I value my religion.

 

[mkgal1]

What do you think? Should blasphemy be a crime?

Have you watched or read Handmaid's Tales? That is what a society like that would look like:

....also, Israel is wrestling with becoming a culture like that as well: Reza Aslan: Why I worry about Israel's future - CNN.com

 

[RaymondG]

We have to be careful when we build Jails....lest we get thrown in those very cells ourselves.
It would depend on your definition of blasphemy. If it is speaking against the god of ones religion, then every Christian would be thrown in Jail. Because to us, we have the right God, and everyone else will burn. We have to allow everyone the same freedom we want to be given to us. Should the christian authors who right about the falsity of the gods of other religions be thrown in Jail?

Now if you are saying that no one should say anything negative about anyone's religion and respect everyone's beliefs...I can go for that.

 

[Sam91]

I get sick of hearing and reading minced oaths, especially from Christians. That's hidden blasphemy.

I think those are just as bad. I googled a word after I kept hearing it and getting the same physical/spiritual reaction I get when hearing the Lord's name taken in vain.

Here is a list.
'Minced oath' - the meaning and origin of this phrase

 

[Sam91]

That sounds grumpy. I'm actually very sleepy and gone to bed at 8pm. I don't tell people what they have said unless I know them well. Just try to ignore it really but I wish there was more awareness.

 

[JoeP222w]

What do you think? Should blasphemy be a crime? If you think blasphemy should be legal, explain why you value so-called free speech more than your religion.

Since the USA is not a Theocracy, no. If you think it should be a crime, Muslims will demand Christians be locked up because Christians will not call Allah, God, and by Muslims view, Christians are blaspheming. Do you think that Christians should be locked up if tried in an Islamic court?

However, those who blaspheme God will give account to Him. He is the just judge of the universe.

For example, Sam Harris, a leading spokesperson for the blasphemy community, wrote an anti-God book called The End of Faith, which was a New York Times best seller, where he defamed Christianity by saying that “the Nazis were agents of religion.” Richard Dawkins, another prominent blasphemy advocate, wrote an anti-faith book called The God Delusion where he also defamed God, faith, and religious people.

By their own claims, they are not Christians. Do you expect the unregenerate to act like a regenerate person? Do you expect a pig to act like humming bird?

In practically all Western nations except for the United States, it’s a crime to promote racist views. They call it hate speech. People can go to prison for it. So why isn’t it a crime to promote blasphemy, which is arguably a greater offense than racism? In my opinion, people like Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and other anti-Christian promoters should be languishing in jail.

Are you comparing racism to blasphemy? While they are both wrong, they are not the same thing.

Do you believe yourself to be better than them?

 

[danstribe]

We’re living in ungodly days where faith is under siege. Militant atheists are peddling their sacrilege. For example, Sam Harris, a leading spokesperson for the blasphemy community, wrote an anti-God book called The End of Faith, which was a New York Times best seller, where he defamed Christianity by saying that “the Nazis were agents of religion.” Richard Dawkins, another prominent blasphemy advocate, wrote an anti-faith book called The God Delusion where he also defamed God, faith, and religious people.

In practically all Western nations except for the United States, it’s a crime to promote racist views. They call it hate speech. People can go to prison for it. So why isn’t it a crime to promote blasphemy, which is arguably a greater offense than racism? In my opinion, people like Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and other anti-Christian promoters should be languishing in jail.

What do you think? Should blasphemy be a crime? If you think blasphemy should be legal, explain why you value so-called free speech more than your religion.

It is a crime but God is the one who gives the just punishment. Take the Titanic for example, when they printed that "Even God can't sink this ship!" Well, need I say more?

 

[Hank77]

What do you think? Should blasphemy be a crime? If you think blasphemy should be legal, explain why you value so-called free speech more than your religion.

It is because I do value my freedom of religion that I value freedom of speech.

I can say satan is a murdering, lying viper defaming the one that some worship as their god. I can say the Mohammad was not a prophet of Yehovah.

Would you throw Jews into prison when they say Jesus is the same as Jim Jones or Sun Myung Moon?

 

[RDKirk]

Now if you are saying that no one should say anything negative about anyone's religion and respect everyone's beliefs...I can go for that.

Except that very many people have a "finite pie" concept of religion and will take as "blasphemous" against his own religion anything someone says of their religion.

 

[chevyontheriver]

What do you think? Should blasphemy be a crime? If you think blasphemy should be legal, explain why you value so-called free speech more than your religion.

What would Aasiya Bibi say?

 

[faroukfarouk]

Except that very many people have a "finite pie" concept of religion and will take as "blasphemous" against his own religion anything someone says of their religion.

If it's in relation to their efforts towards multicultural integration, then politicians would fall over themselves to say it should be. If it's in relation to linkage with the Christian roots of ethical conduct, then politicians would fall over themselves to say it should not be. In between these polar opposites is political fudge, which often has absolutely nothing to do with either the law or with the integrity of conscience.

 

[seeking.IAM]

No. Jailing people for what they say goes against a foundational principle of this country. We already incarcerate more people than any other developed nation. Enough already.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Firstly, no one in the United states goes to prison for spewing racist ideology. So-called “hate speech” is protected under the first amendment as per National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie (1977). What you can be charged for is speech that calls for illegal behavior. A person can stand on a street corner all day long spewing racist rhetoric about another race. What they can’t do is stand there and tell people to round up members of that race and kill them.

Secondly, we do not live in a theocracy. The same first amendment that protects your right to proclaim Christianity protects another person’s right to denounce it. There are nations in the world already where blasphemy against a particular religion is a criminal offense…Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria…not the kind of places I want to live.

 

[mkgal1]

Militant atheists

I've never run into a "militant atheist". Do you have an example of one? Most (if not ALL) atheists I've run into are very charitable (which is often what led them to be an atheist to begin with--the dissonance they've witnessed drove them away from believing in God).

 

[Raphael Jauregui]

What do you think? Should blasphemy be a crime? If you think blasphemy should be legal, explain why you value so-called free speech more than your religion.

The short answer is 'No.' The longer answer inherently includes a discussion on the importance of free speech and the fundamental right to freedom of religion. An individual has the right to state views that are unpopular within the public or within a specific religious denomination. There is a difference between a view that is deemed 'blasphemy' by one group and inciting violence. Inciting violence or discrimination is what is illegal under laws against hate speech. A person can make claims that someone else considers to be 'blasphemy.' Secondly, this touches on the nature of religious freedom. Different religions will almost necessarily have views that the other might consider to be 'blasphemy.' We cannot even dare to approach a regulation on blasphemy without realising that, at the centre of this debate, is the religious freedom to have different beliefs about God. In other words, I value being able to share my theology about God and I do not want another group, which disagrees with my theology, to be able to sue me for 'blasphemy.' I am equally certain that the other groups do not want me to be able to sue them for simply expressing their theologies.

 

[Phil 1:21]

I've never run into a "militant atheist". Do you have an example of one? Most (if not ALL) atheists I've run into are very charitable (which is often what led them to be an atheist to begin with--the dissonance they've witnessed drove them away from believing in God).

Probably referring to the small cadre of folks who freak out every time athletes at public schools want to pray before a game. Our local schools now have "winter break" instead of "Christmas break" because the word "Christmas" is apparently offensive to some people.

 

[Papias]

Can't say anything negative about anyone's religion or be thrown in jail?

So I can't say anything bad about this religion?

Or this one?

Or this one?

No thanks, we need our free speech.

In Christ-

Papias

 

[archer75]

Probably referring to the small cadre of folks who freak out every time athletes at public schools want to pray before a game. Our local schools now have "winter break" instead of "Christmas break" because the word "Christmas" is apparently offensive to some people.

Or maybe they just don't want to pretend that Orthodox Christmas doesn't exist?