A blasphemy is an offense to something or someone that is considered sacred.
A blasphemy is a saying that offends or outrages a sacred being or something. The concept comes from the Latin term blasphĭa , which in turn derives from the Greek blasphēmía .
Before moving forward with the definition of blasphemy, therefore, we must focus on the idea of sacred . The sacred is that which has a link with a divinity and which is an object of worship and veneration. An image of Jesus Christ or a Bible are sacred objects for Christianity, for example.
Characteristics of blasphemy
When a person verbally attacks these sacred elements, he utters a blasphemy. The same thing happens when you directly attack a divinity or mock it. In many countries there are laws that punish blasphemies since they are considered attacks against God or the gods.
Blasphemies often arise from irreverence towards objects, characters or rites related to religion . The individual may not even intend to offend believers, but his words still provoke a negative feeling.
There are theocracies that punish those who express blasphemies with the death penalty . In other nations , however, freedom of expression is privileged and there are no regulations that punish blasphemies.
Blasphemy is usually taken as an attack on God.
Danger of confrontation
In various Western cultures there is the idea that religion belongs, along with politics and sports, to a group of topics that should not be discussed in a conversation with people outside the inner circle . One of the reasons why this can be good advice is that, beyond the offenses that our opinions may cause in others, they can also lead to professional problems or even enmities that lead to aggressive responses.
If we are talking to someone we do not know in depth, it is recommended not to talk about any of these three topics in depth, especially religion, since we never know if our next comment could hurt the other's feelings. Blasphemy may seem unforgivable to some, but many times it arises as a mere opinion on the part of those who do not believe in the existence of God, without the intention of offending anyone.
Example of blasphemy
Let's look at it from another perspective. In Japan, the elderly are given a level of respect that is not normal in the West; They are generally considered very wise people and treated with great affection. If we refer to the different art forms of this country, we will rarely find mockery towards the elderly, unless it is in an affectionate tone or referring to the personality of a particular elderly person. Needless to say, this is not the case in most Western countries, but the treatment that the elderly receive could well be described as blasphemy.
We Westerners are used to complaining about the elderly, criticizing their habits, such as the fact that they get up very early and block the counters of pharmacies and banks; Around here it is normal for comedies to make fun of senility and apology for nursing homes. If the elders were gods, surely all these ideas would be considered blasphemies. And here comes the question whose answer can lead us to a better coexistence: what do we gain by attacking what others believe in?
When he published his book “The Satanic Verses” in 1988 , the writer Salman Rushdie was accused of being a blasphemer. Ayatollah Ruhollan Khomeini , in this context, ordered through a religious edict that Rushdie be executed for offending Islam . Since then, the author remains in custody as he receives death threats from religious fanatics who consider that his work contains blasphemies.