A blasphemy it's a saying that offends or outrage to a being or something sacred . The concept comes from the Latin term blasphemĭa, which in turn derives from the Greek blasphie.
Before advancing 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 is the object of worship and veneration. An image of Jesus Christ or one Bible they are sacred objects for Christianity, for example.
When a person verbally attacks these sacred elements, he pronounces blasphemy. The same happens when you directly attack a divinity or make fun of it. In many countries there are laws that punish profanity since they are considered as aggressions against God or against the gods.
Blasphemies often arise from a irreverence towards objects, characters or rites related to religion . The individual may not even intend to offend believers, but his words still cause a negative feeling.
There are theocracies who sanction those who express profanity with the death penalty . In others nations On the other hand, the freedom of expression and there are no regulations that punish blasphemies.
In various cultures Westerners there is the idea that religion belongs, along with politics and sports, to a group of issues that should not be addressed in a conversation with people outside the intimate circle . One of the reasons why this may be good advice is that, beyond the offenses that our opinions may cause in the other, they can also lead to professional problems or even enmity that result in aggressive responses.
If we are talking with 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 can hurt the feelings of the other. Blasphemy may seem unforgivable to some, but often it emerges as a mere opinion by those who do not believe in the existence of God, without the intention of offending anyone.
Let's see it from another perspective. In Japan, the elderly receive a level of respect that is not normal in the West; In general, they are considered very wise people and are treated with great affection. If we refer to the different art forms of this country, we will rarely find a derision towards the elderly, unless it is in an affectionate tone or by referring to the personality of a particular elder. Needless to say, this is not the case in most Western countries, but that the treatment of the elderly may well be described as blasphemy.
Westerners are accustomed to complaining about the elderly, to criticizing their customs, such as the fact that they get up very early and obstruct pharmacy and bank counters; over here it is normal for comedies to mock the senility and apology of geriatrics. If the elders were gods, surely all these ideas They would be considered blasphemies. And here comes the question whose answer can lead us to a better coexistence: what do we gain from attacking what others believe in?
When in 1988 published his book "The Satanic Verses" , the writer Salman Rushdie He was accused of blasphemy. Ayatollah Ruhollan Khomeini , in this context, ordered through a religious edict that Rushdie off executed for offending the Islam . Since then the author remains guarded as he receives death threats from religious fanatics who believe that his work contains profanity.
