What Counts As Blasphemy?

Dictionaries define blasphemy as the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God; irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable. In other words, blasphemy is a deliberate breach of norms of godliness and a perverted attitude to sacred entities.

Essentially, blasphemy is nothing other than a reflection of de-sacralization of human mind. The latter, in its turn, stems from the growing secularization of modern society. What is secularization? It is an impulse to break free from church influence. That is, the modern society is basically doing everything it takes to exclude God from its life. According to the Holy Fathers, many people want to be liberated from God’s authority because He stands in the way of their preferred libertine and laid-back lifestyle.

In what ways does the Creator encumber those people? First of all, He doesn’t let them sin freely. At any rate, there is a voice of conscience in every person. You can block it temporarily but you can never kill it altogether. When we do everything we can to block the voice of our conscience, that’s blasphemy.

The Man was created in the image of God, so if you flout this image, it is nothing but blasphemy. People who scoff at the sacred image of God inside their souls will gradually begin to disregard the sacred objects around them.

Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds

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