I think we should be careful what we term as blasphemy. Irreverent humour and a mocking of beliefs hardly passes for a crime of any kind. Make fun of my beliefs or my God and if it's good enough I will laugh with you. If it's not, try harder. Don't worry about God, He's a big boy. He can take it. If you don't think God has a sense of humour, look at a kangaroo. Better still, look in the mirror. I get a laugh every morning.

I realize that some religions are very intolerant when it comes to so called 'blasphemy' but then again some of these people are uptight about everything. A definite clashing of cultures that immigration and modern communication have given us. That is the present reality.

I think it takes two things to have real blasphemy. One is knowledge. If you do not know anything about what you are mocking, then you can be excused for just being uninformed on the subject matter. The other is hatred. Put these two together and you've got a recipe for some real intolerance.

Just a sec, I gotta turn my radio down. :O:

I reserve all rights to mock/trash/joke about any religion I want.


Being offended is your problem, not all of ours.

You ever hear the one about Buddha, Muhammad, and Jesus in a truck stop mens room? I'll spare you.:D

I find it interesting how far this thread has wandered. The question was simple: Should there be laws making blasphemy a punishable crime?

Blasphemy is defined as
a. A contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity.
b. The act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God.

As has been pointed out, these are rude things and people really shouldn't be rude to each other. The world would be a much better place if people showed some respect to each other and each other's feelings and beliefs. Of course if you try to make a law enforcing respect for others' feelings and beliefs you get accused of Political Correctness. But this is about making it illegal to curse or to disrespect God, not, as some immediately tried to reshape it, about "bashing religion".

So, should it be illegal? Does laughing at someone who says it should constitute "bashing religion"? I think people who propose such laws deserve to be laughed at.

I think what we really need to do is to find the root cause of blasphemy.

The root cause of blasphemy is religion.

without religion blasphemy is not possible.

Therefore we must outlaw religion.

:up:

I see my work here is done... :03:

Definite no. Reason. Blasphemy does not harm any human.

:har:

One thing I've never heard is a joke about New Jersey. Know any.:O:

New Jersey.


Satisfied?

:up:

And the world would be a better place to live.

Markus

New Jersey. You get in for free but have to pay to get out!
:haha:

A Law against blasphemy is blasphemy in a way.

We don't stink anymore, that is an old rumor, all our refineries in N jersey were killed in the 70s, thank you.

The stench in N jersey wafts over the river from new York.

We always have to clean up after them when they dump a garbage barge though. And all the times we had to close our beaches due to their medical waste washing up.. I think you mock the wrong state.

Besides for being such a small state, we consider ourselves 3 different peoples, the N jersey city folks, the central Jersey cool dudes, and south jersey folks, who wish they lived in Pennsylvania.

Try coming here before you mock it.:) (I know you guys are kidding)

No offense intended, it was just something to say. I have a feeling there's a reason they call it "The Garden State". I'll gladly knock my own state as well.

It's like when I was asked for my favorite blond joke. I said "Dan Quayle".

Yep, we could solve a lot of problems that way. Let's make a list. I'll get a pen.:03:

I've always had to work in the denser areas.
Makes me glad that I live in an out of the way small burg that nobody has ever heard of.
:up:

Wait, hold on there. Don't try to connect what those barbarians down in NYC do, with the Great State of New York. :O:

:DOnce you escape the areas near Philly, and NYC, it is either suburban or outright rural.

I know you guys were teasing, but we hold a reputation as being some kind of toxic waste dump.

I live the next town over from Asbury Park. Home of the Stone Pony. *tmi*

I watched Bruce Springsteen walk into the stone pony not too long ago, and begin playing the guitar with a small local band. Now tell me we don't rock! We got alot more than pollution!

What he said.
:yep:

I enjoy my visits to Rochester because of a Mob friend I met up there near Chili.
:up: