Isn't blasphemy a victimless crime?
832103
Blasphemy is not a crime.  It is some silliness made up by the humans who wrote the various versions of the bible.  It serves the purpose of controlling people via guilt and fear.
1124872
Very well said!\n\nRemember that the people who bring up "all the killing Christians have done" are not really worried or distressed about all the alleged killing.  \n\nThat's just their excuse for throwing rocks at a Church that teaches certain things that they don't want to hear, or that don't jive with their lifestyles.\n\nIt's the same when they blame overpopulation (which is a myth anyway) and poverty on the Church's ban on contraception.\n\nThese blamers aren't really interested in alleviating poverty -- if they were, they would sign up to sponsor a child in a poor country through the many agencies run by the Catholic Church and other Christian institutions.  \n\nNor are they interested in gaining Church-approved contraception for the world's poor.   They're just interested in getting Church-approved contraception for themselves!!!
352845
The fact is that you can't.  What I have seen from having been to a few of those countries is that they primarily run by culture, not law or religion.  Sure, they claim it's the law or part of religion, but careful examination of both will tell you the opposite.  She won't get justice because in those countries they just don't care.  The victim is the criminal in their eyes.  They criminal is rarely punished whereas the victim has a stigma attached to her permanently and may even be murdered to protect her family's "honor" if that's what you want to call it.
235754
If the crime is committed because they are gay then yes it's a hate crime. If the crime is committed with no consideration given to victims sexuality then it's not a hate crime eg. if a bank is robbed and the teller is gay or lesbian.
989738
I think true free speech is limitless, but if you say something false that incriminates or otherwise harms others, the fact that you harmed someone would be a violation of law.
520179
Hardly ... it is not religion that is to blame ... but sick individuals that cause the problems. Anyone can use any excuse they want to do bad things, but that doesn't make them a legitamate representative of the religion, philosophy, social movement ... etc, etc, etc.
1044826
This idiotic concept of Blasphemy is only in abrahmic religions.\n\nNone of the eastern religions have this stupidity\n\nIs god so small that he can be maligned by humans\n\nwhat a childish philosophy and what a narrow minded religion....\n\nthanks god i am not the one from your religion
465805
I am not going to answer about the 9 year old wife of the prophet Mohamed because I know nothing about it. Instead I would like to direct my opinion to AIRASAE. \n\nAirasae, this is an open public discussion and anything can be expected out of it except lewd and foul contents. Nobody is trashing or crushing anybody. If one man's truth can not be your truth just give them logical answers instead of paranoia. If some disturbing questions would rise up against Islam, every muslim would say that Islam is being crushed. Have you ever noticed the countless time Christianity have been crushed with words, thoughts and bombs. But what comes into our minds would often seek the answers to a belief different from ours. \n\nThey say Islam is a religion of peace, but look around you. Bombs here, bombs there and bombs everywhere not even the third world was spared. If western cable companies report what transpires in the muslim world, you say that they do biased reporting. Do you think respectable, world class cable TV stations stay a long time if the world will know that they are trying to do false reporting? They will be out of business in no time. \n\nIf Islam is really a religion of peace truth will surely come out and no one can ever stop it. So, why so worried, be paranoid and overprotective when you can't do anything about it because people have eyes to see, ears to hear and brains to analyze and finally decide. \n\nIf I were a muslim, the first thing I would do is to really try to understand why innocent people including women and children are being targeted. This is not Jihad, this is a crime against humanity. Just imagine the whole muslim world went crazy over a cartoon made by one dumb christian and yet nobody gets crazy over what suicide bombers are doing. How Ironic can it be?   \n\nIf christians would bomb public places with no exactly logical target but innocent people, I would voice out a loud cry to go against those who perpetrates such crime because it simply is not acceptable. I will protest against my fellow christian suicide bombers until my people will get the message and join the protest because to me they are not freedom fighters but mere criminals. Do you see why we don't have such martyrs? It is because to us they will never be martyrs nor freedom fighters nor jihad fighters because to the Christian world, it will always be a heinous crime if they will kill muslims that way and every christian soul knows that.\n\n\nTO BEYOND EVENT\n\nShould I believe because you said so? Read between the lines. If ever it really happened because you said so, then you have first hand knowledge not me. If you are a muslim, educate me for being so naive. Collateral damage was coined in the 20th century and made popular by Mr. Schwartzenegger and it was a nice movie. I just wonder what they call it during Napoleon's time.
686410
I don't believe in calling things "hate crimes".  A crime is a crime, and we are not supposed to be able to prosecute based on what someone's feelings, beliefs or thoughts were in conjunction with the crime.  It should be enough that it amounts to vandalism, harassment, and possibly intimidation (assault).  If you criminalize something on the basis of someone "not liking Jews," then you are essentially criminalizing certain unpopular or offensive thought -- and that is a road we certainly should do all we can to avoid going down.\n\nCali Girl, why are you amazed that "in the 21st century" people still do this?  We live in a world in which muslims kill other muslims because they're not the "right" sect of muslim!!  I don't see it EVER ending, unfortunately.\n\n\n-Jeffrey
570803
Blaphemy is against the Holy Spitit alone. There are many stories wereas one may loose his life now and his spiritual life also if he speaks ill toward the Holy spirit of God\n One such story ( which is true BTW) follows below.\n\n  Three men who owned a small busines employed a woman they knew very well was a christian. On church nights she would never stay over to work even though they often asked her to. They asked her  " what is so important in your church that you would miss the oportunity to make more money?" She said \n"serving my Lord.' The men stated  that some day they will come to her church to see what it was all about. But they were not serious because they always teased her and made fun of her dispite the fact she was the most professional sceretary they could ever find.\n\n One night she was off to church and the men asked her to go out with them to the local tavern for drinks and dance . She declined but they teased her and said ' well then go to your boring Lord and sit in the pews and think you are getting anywhere in life.She warned them about speaking ill of the Lord and the church. They laughed at her and went on to their regular drinking bash.\n\n While in church the women heard loud voices in the back pews saying all kinds of foul language such as " ahhh  bullsh!t" and so on. It was her three bosses who were drunk on their behinds. The women rushed back to them and pleaded that they not make a spectacle of themselves in church and embarass her, and especially not to speak any  more profantiy in the church and toward the Lord Jesus Christ.\n\n The men laughed at her as she returned to her seat. They kept on untill the Pastor asked them to quit and warned them about speaking against God in the Chrurch and especially using profanity toward God . The pastor told them that it wounds the Holy spirit when we speak ill against Him or insult him.\n\n With that the men repeatedly said F**K you and F**k your GOD , your Jesus and your Holy Spirit. At that time the church became deadly silent as if they all knew through the spirit that the Pastor was about to speak in the Spirit toward the men.\n\n The Pastor then said . "You have cursed God and the Lord Jesus Christ . But cursing the Holy Spirit is Blasphemy toward the Spirt of God and is not forgivable. You can be forgiven of all sins including blasphemy toward the Lord Jesus the Christ who died for your sins but never against the Holy Spirit. Get your lives in order for in the next three days the spirit of God has  called upon your spirit for judgement agianst your blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. that is to mean that you are dead in this life and in the next!"\n\n The three men laughed and cursed all the more as they left the church building while the woman was in her pew crying unto God to forgive her Bosses.\n\n The next day the woman went to work and kept very silent and her boss's were a little humilitated about the event and asked her " did your pastor really mean what he said.' She stated that it was not the Pastor speaking but the Spirit of the Holy Spirit through the Pastors, please get on your knees and ask God to forgive you!" They chuckeled and said "we've got to go and get our hair cut." One of the boses told the other he would meet him there while the third boss would remain behind and hold down the fort.\n\n  As the other boss went to meet the other at the barber shop he noticed several ambulances around the Barber shop. As he walked up to the barber shop he noticed his co-boss on the ground and the paramedics working on him. He asked what happened and they stated as he walked into the shop he fell over with a fatal heart attack.\n\n Obviously shaken and worred now what the Pastor and his secretary had said he rushed back to his car to go back to the shop to tell the secretary and his remaining co-boss what had happened. Just as he ran into the street a car had struck him and he
573186
this is a difficult passage, i too am having problems with it\ni think it is referencing the only unforgivable sin, blasphemy...because you know of the truth but you blatantly disregard it. You ignorantly ignore the truth of the word and therefore cannot be accepted. But I could be wrong altogether
727418
I don;t feel like anyone should put therselves on the same level with God, and GOD is the ONLY  HOLY FATHER.. blaspheme ? i think so..!
971248
Not unbiblical, just unpopular to the "world"...\n\nTotal Depravity : does not mean that everybody is an ax murderer..it means ALL are guilty of some sin\nIsa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. \n\n(Rom 3:19)  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.\n(Rom 3:20)  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.\n\nUNCONDITIONAL Election...means you can't earn your way to heaven...goes hand in hand with total depravity..\n(Joh 1:11)  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.\n(Joh 1:12)  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:\n(Joh 1:13)  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.\n\nEph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: \n(Eph 1:5)  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,\n(Eph 1:6)  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.\n\n\nLimited Atonement:\n(1Co 8:6)  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.\n(1Co 8:7)  Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.\n\nAct 10:41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. \n\nMat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. \n\nMat 20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. \n\n(Joh 10:26)  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.\n(Joh 10:27)  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:\n(Joh 10:28)  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.\n(Joh 10:29)  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.\n(Joh 10:30)  I and my Father are one.\n\nIrresistable Grace:\n\n(Gal 1:10)  For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.\n(Gal 1:11)  But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.\n(Gal 1:12)  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.\n(Gal 1:13)  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:\n(Gal 1:14)  And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.\n(Gal 1:15)  But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,\n(Gal 1:16)  To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:\n\nPerseverance of the Saint's.. merely echoes the above (total depravity & uncond. election)..we are Christian's not by any great or good thing we do; but, by the will of God...who can stand against the Almighty God???\n\n(Joh 10:29)  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.\n\n2Ti 2:13  If we
937800
It's apparent that you have never opened a Bible, so please stop showing your ignorance.  The Bible is all about loving thy neighbor as thyself.  Love the sinner, hate the sin.  Love thy enemy.  Turn the other cheek.  Everyone is capable of finding faults in others when they do not have any knowledge.  It would be perfectly normal for people to judge Islam on the actions of terrorists who say "Death to the infidel."  That doesn't sound like Muslims tolerate their enemies, does it?
1061203
nope, it's not my place to punish sinners and I don't think someone else can hurt my religious sentiments.  If someone is not respectful of my beliefs it might tick me off but it doesn't affect my beliefs.
873498
Anything inciting a riot, disruption of peace, and anything involving a conspiracy to incite, or act, with depraved indifference from this speechs consequence, including the possibility TOWARDS a crime being commited from this right (free speech, as it was intended for), in my opinion, is not free speech.
985230
Just putting the words "Without provocation" does not make it less provocative.\n\nIf there is indeed a place called "hell", it belongs to people like the Nazis, no matter how Christian they are.