Blacks Law Dictionary - 4th Edition
Blasphemy
In English Law
Blasphemy is the offense of speaking matter
relating to God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, or the
Book of Common Prayer, intended to wound the
feelings of mankind or to excite contempt and
hatred against the church by law established, or
to promote immorality. Sweet.
In American Law
Any oral or written reproach maliciously cast
upon God, His name, attributes, or religion. Com.
v. Kneeland, 20 Pick. (Mass.) 213; Young v. State,
10 Lea (Tenn.) 165; People v. Ruggles, 8 Johns.
( N.Y.) 290, 5 Am.Dec. 335; Updegraph v. Corn.,
11 Serg. & R. (Pa.) 406.
In general, blasphemy may be described as consisting in
speaking evil of the Deity with an impious purpose to
derogate from the divine majesty, and to alienate the
minds of others from the love and reverence of God.
It is purposely using words concerning God calculated
and designed to impair and destroy the reverence, respect,
and confidence due to Him as the intelligent creator, governor,
and judge of the world. It embraces the idea of
detraction, when used towards the Supreme Being, as
"calumny" usually carries the same idea when applied to
an individual. It is a willful and malicious attempt to
lessen men's reverence of God by denying His existence, or
His attributes as an intelligent creator, governor, and
judge of men, and to prevent their having confidence in
Him as such. Corn. v. Kneeland, 20 Pick. (Mass.) 211, 212.
The use of this word is, in modern law, exclusively confined
to sacred subjects; but blasphemia and blasphemare
were anciently used to signify the reviling by one person
of another. Nov. 77, c. 1, § 1; Spelman.
Blasphemy is the offense of speaking matter
relating to God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, or the
Book of Common Prayer, intended to wound the
feelings of mankind or to excite contempt and
hatred against the church by law established, or
to promote immorality. Sweet.
In American Law
Any oral or written reproach maliciously cast
upon God, His name, attributes, or religion. Com.
v. Kneeland, 20 Pick. (Mass.) 213; Young v. State,
10 Lea (Tenn.) 165; People v. Ruggles, 8 Johns.
( N.Y.) 290, 5 Am.Dec. 335; Updegraph v. Corn.,
11 Serg. & R. (Pa.) 406.
In general, blasphemy may be described as consisting in
speaking evil of the Deity with an impious purpose to
derogate from the divine majesty, and to alienate the
minds of others from the love and reverence of God.
It is purposely using words concerning God calculated
and designed to impair and destroy the reverence, respect,
and confidence due to Him as the intelligent creator, governor,
and judge of the world. It embraces the idea of
detraction, when used towards the Supreme Being, as
"calumny" usually carries the same idea when applied to
an individual. It is a willful and malicious attempt to
lessen men's reverence of God by denying His existence, or
His attributes as an intelligent creator, governor, and
judge of men, and to prevent their having confidence in
Him as such. Corn. v. Kneeland, 20 Pick. (Mass.) 211, 212.
The use of this word is, in modern law, exclusively confined
to sacred subjects; but blasphemia and blasphemare
were anciently used to signify the reviling by one person
of another. Nov. 77, c. 1, § 1; Spelman.