Blasphemy in Massachussets

[epepke]

I thought you all might enjoy this:

http://www.state.ma.us/legis/laws/mgl/272-36.htm

Chapter 272: Section 36 Blasphemy

Section 36. Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior.

[Tez]

Geez - click "previous section" twice and you find this


Chapter 272: Section 35 Unnatural and lascivious acts

Section 35. Whoever commits any unnatural and lascivious act with another person shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years or in jail or the house of correction for not more than two and one half years.


I've been known to be lascivious at times, good thing I wasnt in Massachusetts...

[Brown]

I believe Mr. Randi once published something that he deemed blasphemeous, and then urged lawmakers to try to enforce the law.

Lawmakers sometimes deem laws like blasphemy laws and adultery laws too trivial to remove from the books, but they ignore the possibility that some day some pin-headed prosecutor will waste taxpayer money to try to enforce the stupid thing.

[Marc]

Originally posted by Brown
I believe Mr. Randi once published something that he deemed blasphemeous, and then urged lawmakers to try to enforce the law.

quick search turns up this
In a 1995 interview in Skeptic magazine, Randi attempted in one statement to break the blasphemy law in every state that still has one:

I hereby state my opinion that the notion of a god is a basic superstition and that there is no evidence for the existence of any god(s). Further, devils, demons, angels and saints are myths; there is no life after death, no heaven or hell; the Pope is a dangerous, bigoted, medieval dinosaur, and the Holy Ghost is a comic-book character worthy of laughter and derision. I accuse the Christian god of murder by allowing the Holocaust to take place — not to mention the 'ethnic cleansing' presently being performed by Christians in our world — and I condemn and vilify this mythical deity for encouraging racial prejudice and commanding the degradation of women.‡


‡ from Skeptic, 1995, 3:4, p. 11. Randi adds, "This comprehensive statement was arrived at by examining the statutes of those seven states that have remained in the Dark Ages, so that I might satisfy their definitions of blasphemy."

[Some Friggin Guy]

I used to live in Massachussetts. That falls under the catagory of "laws that haven't been enforced for years, but we're too lazy to take off the books".

IIRC, up until the 80s there was a law in Massachusssetts which required citizens to shoot anyone seen crossing the border from Rhode Island after dark.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Originally posted by Some Friggin Guy
IIRC, up until the 80s there was a law in Massachusssetts which required citizens to shoot anyone seen crossing the border from Rhode Island after dark.

No wonder my grandmother wanted to get rid of grandpa's guns so quickly after he died.

Note to self - make sure you blashpeme next time you're up that way.

Note to self supplimental - try to commit an unnatural or lascivious act as well.

[c4ts]

Uh... boo establishment?

[glee]

There used to be a law requiring Englishmen to practice with a Long Bow every Sunday.
And I'm pretty sure that 'interfering' with the female Monarch, or arson in Her Majesty's Dockyards were Capital offences.

[epepke]

Originally posted by Some Friggin Guy
[B]I used to live in Massachussetts. That falls under the catagory of "laws that haven't been enforced for years, but we're too lazy to take off the books".


Indeed.

However, such laws occasionally turn into laws that just happen to get enforced in this case because while I don't have anything I can pin on this suspect, I don't like the way he looks.

I'm reminded of the time in the late 1980's when some guy in court over a divorce dispute admitted that he had performed cunnilingus on his ex-wife in Georgia and was sent up for three years. Apparently, the judge didn't like him or something.

What is distressing is not that something weird happened in Georgia, but that feminists all over the county developed a back-formation story about how, being male and all, he must have been guilty of rape, but they couldn't prove it, so it was perfectly reasonable.

[Johnny Pneumatic]

where is blasphemy still a crime?






___________________________________________


Blasphemy is a victimless crime.

[MoeFaux]

Originally posted by bewareofdogmas
[B]where is blasphemy still a crime?




I don't give much of a hoot about the laws against blasphemy as I do about the laws agains sexual acts. That's just bull. [let's not comment here that perhaps some folks proclaim blasphemous remarks during these illegal sex acts. I wouldn't know a thing about it. Nope]

[Bikewer]

contumeliously??? What a word! I may start using this in my police reports....

Here in Missouri, prior to the last do-over of the statutes, they did not refer to "sodomy".

Rather, it was "The abominable and detestable crime against nature".
Presumably, written in bold type with numerous exclamation marks.

[epepke]

Originally posted by Bikewer
Rather, it was "The abominable and detestable crime against nature".
Presumably, written in bold type with numerous exclamation marks.

Littering, maybe? Or starting forest fires?

[Some Friggin Guy]

Oddly enough, I will admit that one (http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/IceCream/Sundae.htm) good thing came out of these wacky religious laws.

[c4ts]

Soda is the creation of Satan! Jack Chick was right!

[Yahzi]

Originally posted by Bikewer
Rather, it was "The abominable and detestable crime against nature".
Here in Arizona we just got rid of the law making the "crime against nature" a class 3 misdeameanor. Everybody assumed they meant "sodomy," but the law contained no actual details, so it wasn't actually clear what they were outlawing.

:D