blasphemy
Sign in to saveBlasphemy is an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something that is considered inviolable. Some religions, especially Abrahamic ones, regard blasphemy as a crime, including insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, speaking the sacred name in Judaism, and blasphemy of God's Holy Spirit is an eternal sin in Christianity. It was also a crime under English common law, and it is still a crime under Italian law (Art. 724 del Codice Penale).
AI overview
Blasphemy is an insult or act of disrespect directed at something sacred, such as a deity or a revered religious figure. Many religions consider it a serious offense—sometimes even a crime—and some countries still have laws against it, though the specific definitions and penalties vary widely across different religious and legal traditions.
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Article
31 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Middle Ages
- Common law
- By religion
- Christianity
- Biblical texts
- Church history
- Catholic prayers and reparations for blasphemy
- Disputation of Paris
- Islam
- Punishment and definition
- Failed OIC anti-blasphemy campaign at UN
- Depictions of Muhammad
- Judaism
- Buddhism
- Sikhism
- Backlash against anti-blasphemy laws
- Affirmation of Freedom of Speech (FOS)
- The Council of Europe's rejection of ABL and affirmation of FOS
- UN's rejection of ABL and affirmation of FOS
- International Blasphemy Day
- Removal of blasphemy laws by several nations
- Nations with blasphemy laws
- Purpose of blasphemy laws
- Nations with blasphemy laws
- Hyperbolic use of the term ''blasphemy''
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Blasphemy is an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something that is considered inviolable. Some religions, especially Abrahamic ones, regard blasphemy as a crime, including insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, speaking the sacred name in Judaism, and blasphemy of God's Holy Spirit is an eternal sin in Christianity. It was also a crime under English common law, and it is still a crime under Italian law (Art. 724 del Codice Penale).
In the early history of the Church, blasphemy "was considered to show active disrespect to God and to involve the use of profane cursing or mockery of his powers". In the medieval world, those who committed blasphemy were seen as needing discipline. By the 17th century, several historically Christian countries had legislation against blasphemy. Blasphemy was proscribed speech in the U.S. until well into the 20th century. Blasphemy laws were abolished in England and Wales in 2008, and in Ireland in 2020. Scotland repealed its blasphemy laws in 2021. Many other countries have abolished blasphemy laws including Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, Norway and New Zealand. , 40 percent of the world's countries have blasphemy laws on the books, including 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, or 90% of countries in that region.