Blasphemy Laws

[Corcos, Christine]

See 
Commonwealth v. Kneeland, 37 Mass. 206, 20 Pick. 206, 1838 Mass. LEXIS 35 (1838)
 
 
 
 
For Michigan see MCL § 750.102
§ 750.102.    Blasphemy; punishment.


   Sec. 102. Punishment-Any person who shall wilfully blaspheme the holy name of God, by cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
 
 
§ 750.103.    Cursing and swearing.


   Sec. 103. Cursing and swearing-Any person who has arrived at the age of discretion, who shall profanely curse or damn or swear by the name of God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. No such prosecution shall be sustained unless it shall be commenced within 5 days after the commission of such offense.

 
For Oklahoma see 21 Okl. St. § 901 (2007)
§ 901.  Blasphemy defined


   Blasphemy consists in wantonly uttering or publishing words, casting contumelious reproach or profane ridicule upon God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Scriptures or the Christian or any other religion.



A couple of Michigan men were charged with violating a statute against uttering profanities in public; I'm not sure if the charges were brought under the statute above.  See http://www.cnn.com/US/9906/09/cursing.trial/ and http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=12321

There's also an ALR discussing blasphemy laws: 5 ALR 4th 956
 
Christine Corcos
LSU Law Center


________________________________

From: religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu on behalf of Douglas Laycock
Sent: Tue 7/3/2007 1:30 PM
To: religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu
Subject: Blasphemy Laws



A colleague sent me this link to the Massachusetts blasphemy law.  It is still on the books, although a quick Westlaw check shows no cases interpreting it -- ever.  How many laws like this have survived?  Is anybody aware of others?

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/272-36.htm



Douglas Laycock
Yale Kamisar Collegiate Professor of Law
University of Michigan Law School
625 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1215
  734-647-9713

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