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Banning Blasphemy: The Repercussions of Religious Offense Under the Right to Free Speech

January 29, 2015 By Tomas Byrne Leave a Comment

There are many examples of accepted limitations on free speech: libel, slander, obscenity, pornography, sedition, hate speech, incitement, fighting words, classified information, copyright violation, trade secrets, non-disclosure agreements, right to privacy, public security, and there will always be a debate on whether any particular limitation is just. But the speech in question in the Hebdo case is none of these. From the objective stance of those offended, it is most accurately characterized as “blasphemous” speech. So the question arises whether laws against blasphemy should be valid or invalid under a right to free speech. The concept of blasphemy has a long and complex relationship with the rise of the secular state and can only be understood in the West in relation to this history. In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas expressed the official view: “[if] we compare murder and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Human Rights

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