Blasphemy

[Lat. blasphemia, from Gr. blasphemia, evil speaking or reviling.] In criminal law. An offence against religion, either by denying the being or providence of God; or by contumelious reproaches of our Saviour Christ; or by profane scoffing at the holy scripture, or exposing it to contempt and ridicule; Christianity being part of the laws of England.

4 Bl. Com. 59. 4 Steph. Com. 233, 234. 2 Hume on Crimes, 568.

In the United States, also, the Christian religion is received as part of the common law, and to revile it publicly and blasphemously, or to blaspheme its author is an indictable offence.

8 Johns. R. 290. Thacher's Crim. Cas. 346. 11 Serg. & Rawle, 394. Story, J., 2 Howard's R. 127, 198. Wharton's Am. Crim. Law, 4, 586. 20 Pick. R. 206. Shaw, C. J., Id. 213.

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.