The UK government has announced an intention to 'review' (official English for 'abolish') the law of blasphemy. This is a common law offence, one created not by statute but by tradition and judges. The last person to be jailed for it, amid great controversy, was a man who wrote that Jesus' entering Jerusalem was a clown on two donkeys. That was in 1921.

We expect it to be replaced by a straightforward law against inciting religious hatred, regardless of what the religion involved is. The present offence of blasphemy only protects Christianity from abuse; people may say what they will of other faiths without contravening it. It is a defence that what is said or written is simply a serious criticism of Christian doctrine or practice.

The USA is simultaneously religious; religion even gets mixed into politics; but supposedly secular. What law is there, if any, like our obsolete law of blasphemy? Is there a law about inciting religious hatred in general?

According to Wikipedia as of the date and time of this post:

"...In the United States, the First Amendment guarantees a relatively unlimited right of free speech, although some US states still have blasphemy laws on the books. Chapter 272 of the Massachusetts General Laws states, for example:

Section 36. Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior."

A commonly cited, albeit old, blasphemy case is Updegraph v Commonwealth (of Pennsylvania).

Holy smoke Fuse, I didn't know that about Massachusetts. As strange as it may sounds, I don't believe it should be a law. People that blaspheme about God shouldn't be punished by man since their punishment will be by God. That's a double whammy.

Fred, thanks for starting this thread. Interesting...to me anyway.

Blasphemy is one of those cases that's better left to God and not man.

And here I thought Massachusetts was supposed to be so liberal!