Blasphemy!

Now, that got your attention, didn't it?

I was thinking about how a Christian should sensibly approach the topic. Not whether we should do it or not, I would hope there wouldn't be much variety of opinion on that. I mean acts of blasphemy committed by various unbelieving members of society.

There are various opinions. One is, of course, enshrined in the blasphemy laws of this land which are a bit of a legal minefield anyway. Some Christians believe it's all a bit silly and God is big enough to take care of Himself, so we shouldn't worry about it. Still others believe in pickets and protests at blasphemous plays and the like.

In looking at this, the word that keeps cropping up is 'offense'. It's a rather slippery term. Worldwide, Muslims let their feelings on their own definition of blasphemy be known by rioting, demonstrating and generally demanding new laws for religious censorship. Which once again highlights the Muslim worldview that you have to impose good behaviour from the outside. Recent law in England narrowly avoided a situation where being religiously offended could become an criminal act.

I find myself on the liberal end of the scale on this issue, which is a rather unusual and mildly unpleasant feeling. I don't believe the Blasphemy laws of this country have any sensible place in modern society. We are not a theocracy - therefore we have no place prosecuting people for 'religious' crimes. This is a helpful link to the current understanding of blasphemy law in the UK.

I also don't think we should stand outside theatres with banners, shouting about how offended we are by whatever blasphemous nonsense may be going on inside.

Now, do I think Blasphemy should be given a special pass because we live in a secular society, and most people don't worship the Lord anyway? Well, no, not a bit of it. I'm not even coming at this from a pragmatic point of view about what works and what doesn't - though I have to say, in terms of fighting against blasphemous talk, picketing a theatre does resemble an ant pushing a car uphill.

No, I do emphatically believe blasphemy is a crime. But against who? When I hear that 'Jerry Springer the Opera' makes the sickening claim that God raped Mary, who is being slandered? Now, yes, I certainly should be horrified by such a claim, because I know it is a false and hideous accusation. But is it blasphemy if it offends me?

Blasphemy is surely that because it offends God. Therefore, our approach to it should be the same as the right approach to adultery. It is a sin - and those who commit it will come under judgement - not by a member of the earthly judiciary, but by the Almighty creator.

The result then, should be that our prime motivation, when speaking out against blasphemy, is not offense but compassion. To illustrate :-

Your father has made a beautiful steam locomotive. It's shiny green and the machinery is perfect. Everyone who has seen it thinks how marvellous it is. It begins a journey on some tracks, and builds up a good head of steam.

However, further down the line, you notice a man standing on the tracks, shouting.

"That's not a train, it's a cabbage! If I was going to make a train, I'd make it much better! Your father stole that train! I don't even believe that train is there!"

Now, you could stand, watch and listen to the man, and become deeply offended by the rambling nonsense that man was saying. But surely the more pressing thought on your mind would be that he was about to be pureed by an enormous locomotive train.

People casually blaspheme everyday, oblivious to the consequences, and we can see their precarious position all too clearly. By all means speak out when you hear someone blaspheme, but don't tell them it offends you - tell them it offends the Almighty creator God who will one day judge them for every single word they speak. Use something that denigrates our gracious God, and turn it into something which glorifies Him.