Blasphemy facts for kids

Blasphemy is a word that means speaking badly about a religion or insulting a god. It's about showing disrespect towards things that people consider holy or sacred.

Of Blasphemy, from the Narrenschiff (The Ship of Fools); woodcut attributed to Albrecht Dürer

What is Blasphemy?

Blasphemy is when someone says or does something that is seen as very disrespectful to a religion or its beliefs. This could be insulting a god, a holy person, or sacred objects. Different religions and cultures have different ideas about what counts as blasphemy. What one group sees as disrespectful, another might not.

Blasphemy Around the World

Many countries have different rules about blasphemy. In some places, especially those with a state religion, there are laws against it. These laws mean that if someone is found to have committed blasphemy, there can be serious consequences. For example, some countries might have rules that lead to fines or other penalties.

However, many other countries do not have laws against blasphemy. After the French Revolution, for instance, France made it legal to speak freely about religion. This was done to protect people's freedom of religion and their freedom of the press.

Freedom of Speech and Expression

In countries like the United States, Canada, and many European nations, people are protected by laws that allow them to express their opinions, even about religion. This is part of freedom of speech. Sometimes, people might use satire to make fun of things, including religion, in movies or shows. These forms of expression are usually allowed because of free speech laws. This means people can share their thoughts and ideas without fear of being punished by the government for what they say about religious topics.

Other pages

• Heresy
• Profanity
• Sacrilege

Images for kids

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  Sufi teacher Mansur Al-Hallaj was executed in Baghdad amid political intrigue and charges of blasphemy in 922.

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  Nathan confronts David over his relationship with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, saying "by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme" (2 Samuel 12:14)

See also

In Spanish: Blasfemia para niños