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Pros And Cons Of Blasphemy

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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 …show more content…

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 …show more content…

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has resulted in religion being taken out of the government schooling curriculum and a few religious holidays being withdrawn.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.

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