INTRODUCTION:
Blasphemy, according to the New Dictionary of Theology, connotes a word or deed that directs insolence to the character of God, Christian truth or sacred things. In its purest form blasphemy is a ‘deliberate and direct attack upon the honour of God with intent to insult him’ (Ferguson, 1988, 105). Blasphemy is especially prevalent in our society as we suppress the truth (Romans 1:18) and thus suppress the creator of truth - God. Our society has become more lax when it comes to blasphemy which results in it being easier for those who dismiss the truth to blaspheme and misuse the name of God. Should we as a society accept public blasphemy or should we stand against blasphemy with legal action? In this essay there will be a discussion
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Every citizen has a right to be in an environment where they feel non-threatened (Constitutionally Speaking, 2015).
Therefore, it can be concluded that blasphemy is a violation of human rights based on the premise that the constitution states that every citizen should feel unthreatened in their environment, with the freedom to practice the religion of their choice.
Blasphemy and reconciliation:
The oppressive apartheid regime in South Africa lasted from 1948 – 1994. The apartheid laws consisted of various racial discriminations, such as, separate facilities for blacks and whites, with blacks having the worst facilities of the two. Despite it being a policy implemented by the South African government, and less of a society-implemented bias, community in South Africa fell, and thus created a rift between races. "I didn't actually realise what apartheid meant. I'm probably a bit naive, but I thought it was more of a vague segregation, like on the beaches and buses."
- John
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This law implies that the government has no say in matters of religion as a government is unable to meet all the standards of all the religious practices in her country, as well as religions attaining no influence over the government and legality.
Separation of church and state has resulted in religion being taken out of the government schooling curriculum and a few religious holidays being withdrawn. This then means that if a child comes into a disagreement with another about God, the parents cannot make a plea to the department of education, as there is a separation between the two. This allows for schools and parents to come to a conclusion that is fair across the board, and not based on religion, which is such a controversial and vast topic. (News24, 2012)
Therefore, since there is a separation of church and state, the church, and members of the church, cannot go into the world and make claims based on religious morals and ideas as other members of society may not share the same views as they do. This also results in blasphemy not being illegal because church and state are separate entities. (Feinberg & Feinberg, 2010, pp.
Since the Declaration of Independence was drafted founding itself on individual privileges and choice, happiness and democracy, a multitude of concerns have kindled the rights disputes that we see making law an active and continually growing and interesting area of interest today. Issues arose included women suffrage, civil equality, slavery, the ability to hold a religious forum, along with many others. And, though the context and times have significantly changed with these concerns there still remains a constant struggle between state, religion, and schools. Prayer in public schools is still a topic of conversation. The giving of religious gifts to administrators and the funding of schools through tax-payer monies are
In his treatise, “Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments,” James Madison pointed out, “Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects?” As members of the Church and as American citizens, our promotion of freedom of religion is both a matter of promoting the general welfare and promoting our own self-interest. In matters of religious liberty, it is necessary that we recognize that our approach to the religious freedoms of others sets a precedent that could potentially be used against us. This applies both restrictions on the practice of other faiths and the legal compulsion of others to follow the tenets of our own faith.
Since the founding of America, there has been concern with the church manipulating government. The separation of Church and State was to make sure the church did not become more powerful than government. In spite of wanting a separation of church and state, The United States of America became one nation under God. The earliest test of the separation of church and state with respect to education is McCollum versus Board of Education. This was a landmark case the United States Supreme Court in 1948 ended the power of a state to use its tax-supported public school system in aid of religious instruction. “The court case which prohibited the state from sponsoring specific prayers in public schools was Engel v. Vitale, decided in 1962 by an 8-1 vote.” (Cline p) It is unconstitutional to compose a school prayer and make students repeat it daily. Although these cases protect our religious freedoms, there is some fear that expelling God from public school has adverse effects. God can still be present; teachers can lead by example and teach behaviors and ethics that
Racism, discrimination and degradation faced by Blacks and other ethnic minorities under the apartheid system was not unlike the segregation and intimidation faced by African-Americans in the Jim Crow south. Jim Crow system of segregation that kept Blacks from fully participating in public and civic activities and relegated African-Americans to substandard conditions at work, school and even in the home. Blacks in South Africa were under the clutches of an overt, national policy of racism and segregation implemented by the country’s highest level of government. Civil and human rights abuses of Blacks in South Africa at the hand of the country’s white minority occurred long before apartheid officially began, but the system’s official start brought strict, sweeping laws such as the rule that all persons in South Africa to be categorized as white, Black, colored and Indian, without exception. Like in the U.S. during Jim Crow, Blacks and whites were not allowed to marry and sexual relations between members of different races was a criminal offense.
Black South Africans living in South Africa, had to endure fifty years of oppression and racial discrimination. Apartheid was a policy implemented by the South African government across South Africa. It was used to control the Black South African population since they make up the majority of the population. The government created Apartheid, due to their fear that the Black population will overthrow them. Living as a Black South African meant that they had to live a more oppressive and undesirable life.
The South African Apartheid, instituted in 1948 by the country’s Afrikaner National Party, was legalized segregation on the basis of race, and is a system comparable to the segregation of African Americans in the United States. Non-whites - including blacks, Indians, and people of color in general- were prohibited from engaging in any activities specific to whites and prohibited from engaging in interracial marriages, receiving higher education, and obtaining certain jobs. The National Party’s classification of “race” was loosely based on physical appearance and lineage. White individuals were superficially defined as being “obviously white'' on the basis of their “habits, education and speech as well as deportment and demeanor”; an
Even when the Constitution establishes a separation between church and state, traces of religion can still be found in public and government environments, such as the Pledge of Allegiance containing the words ‘under God’, American currency having ‘In God we trust’ and other such events and places. Consequently, this prevalence of Christian ideology violates all Americans’ first amendment right to freedom of and from religion and has a negative impact all citizens as it conflicts with their individual beliefs, religious or not.
Over time, this has been interpreted as the government can neither impose a state religion upon you nor punish you for exercising the religion of your choice. Thenceforth, you may express your opinions, write and publish what you wish, gather
Neither a state nor a federal government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. Neither can force... a person to go to or remain away from church against his
Originally, the separation of church and state stands for the principle that the American government must always keep up an unbiased attitude toward religion, as opposed to the English system which has an official state Church which it supports through taxes. Unlike what a majority people think, the isolation of the church and the government is not required by the first amendment, despite the fact that they kind of have the same final objective which is keeping the government from officially recognizing or
The separation of church and state is a very discussed topic. There are some situations where there is no separation of church and state, for example government funding of religious schools where money is given to the religious school and or program. Another example is prayer at a public school event such a graduation; the program is started with a prayer. Many also say that the abortion laws violate the separation of church and state. The last example of which students are familiar with is the pledge of alliance that is said every morning includes the words under god; this shows the flaw in the separation of church and state. There are also examples of clear separation of church and state, for example in some schools no one single religion is being
There has been long time debate over the separation between church and state. The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment together read: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...”. In the case of Sante Fe Independent School District v. Doe, the Supreme Court upheld the findings of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In a 6-3 opinion delivered by Justice John Paul Stevens, the Court held that the District's policy permitting student-led, student-initiated prayer at football games violates the Establishment Clause (Santa Fe Independent …).
The national party achieved power in South Africa in 1948 the government, usually comprised on “white people”, and racially segregated the country by a policy under the Apartheid legislation system. With this new policy in place the black South African people were forced to live segregated from the white people and use separate public facilities. There were many attempts to overthrow the Apartheid regime, it persisted to control for almost 50 years.
The separation of church and state has been pushed upon people for a very long time. Today, it is very, very unlikely to find a school where you can discuss religion. Although it seems that the majority believes that both state and church should be separated, there are more people that feel religion should be allowed in schools. If religion were allowed in schools, the children of America would have a better understanding of religion and of God.
Most arguments against separation have to do with the fact that religion has a good effect on peoples’ conduct, and why would the state want to take away the good conduct? Religion tells you what is wrong and right and people want to go to heaven, not hell, so they usually try to do the right thing; to avoid the consequences, therefore a person’s conduct is better when he has a religion.