Category:Blasphemy

Blas"phe*my, n. Etym: [L. blasphemia, Gr. : cf. OF. blasphemie.]

1. An indignity offered to God in words, writing, or signs; impiously irreverent words or signs addressed to, or used in reference to, God; speaking evil of God; also, the act of claiming the attributes or prerogatives of deity.

Note: When used generally in statutes or at common law, blasphemy is the use of irreverent words or signs in reference to the Supreme Being in such a way as to produce scandal or provoke violence.

2. Figuratively, of things held in high honor: Calumny; abuse; vilification. Punished for his blasphemy against learning. Bacon.

- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Blasphemy - In the sense of speaking evil of God this word is found in Psalms 74:18; Isaiah 52:5; Romans 2:24; Revelation 13:1, Revelation 13:6; Revelation 16:9, Revelation 16:11, Revelation 16:21. It denotes also any kind of calumny, or evil-speaking, or abuse (1 Kings 21:10; Acts 13:45; Acts 18:6, etc.). Our Lord was accused of blasphemy when he claimed to be the Son of God (Matthew 26:65; compare Matthew 9:3; Mark 2:7). They who deny his Messiahship blaspheme Jesus (Luke 22:65; John 10:36). Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:31, Matthew 12:32; Mark 3:28, Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10) is regarded by some as a continued and obstinate rejection of the gospel, and hence is an unpardonable sin, simply because as long as a sinner remains in unbelief he voluntarily excludes himself from pardon. Others regard the expression as designating the sin of attributing to the power of Satan those miracles which Christ performed, or generally those works which are the result of the Spirit's agency.