The concept of “blasphemy” has its roots in the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, and in the Quran as well. The United States no longer punishes people for blasphemy, but many other countries continue to do so. Salmon Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses,” the Danish cartoons, the Charlie Hebdo caricatures of Muhammad – these are examples of “blasphemy in modern times.”
Prince Lobel’s Joseph D. Steinfield will be speaking, accompanied by slides, at The Monadnock Center in Peterboroug, New Hampshire May 24th at 7:00pm. He will address the question of how these and other instances of “defamation of religion” have affected our society, and how we should balance freedom of speech with respect for religious beliefs.
Click on Monadnock Center for more information about this free event.