HERESY AND BLASPHEMY

In religion, implies the idea of irreverence and profanity. Although it has points in common with heresy, it is differenttiated from it in that heresy consists of holding a belief contrary to the orthodox one. Thus, it a belief contrary to the orthodox one. Thus, it is not blasphemous to deny the existence of God or to question the established tenets of the Christian faith unless this is done in a mocking and derisive spirit.

In the Christian religion, blasphemy has been regarded as a sin by moral theologians; St. Thomas Aquinas described it as a sin against faith. For the Muslim it is blasphemy to speak contemptuously not only of God but also of Muhammad.

Among many peoples blasphemy in some form or another has been an offense punishable by law. The Mosaic law decreed death by stoning as the penalty for the blasphemer.

Under Emperor Justinian I (reigned 527-565) the death penalty was decreed for blasphemy.

In the United States many states have legislation aimed at the offense.

In Scotland until the 18th century it was punishable by death, and in England it is both a statutory and a common-law offense. It was recognized as the later in the 17th century; the underlying idea apparently was that an attack on religion is necessarily an attack on the state. This idea probably has been the reason why penalties have been laid down for blasphemy in some secular legal codes.