Abstract
In this article, we inquire the merits of criminalizing blasphemy. We argue that religious views do not warrant a separate treatment compared to nonreligious ones. In addition, freedom of speech must be balanced against the interest of those who may be aggrieved by blasphemous remarks. We conclude that penalizing blasphemy is undesirable. It is fortunate, in that light, that acts of blasphemy have recently been decriminalized in The Netherlands by removing blasphemy as an offense from the Criminal Code. Still, other provisions appear to leave enough room to reach the same result, making the removal a possibly virtually aesthetic change. In the international context, it would be regrettable for The Netherlands to forgo the opportunity to take a leading role
| Translated title of the contribution | Blasphemy in the current context |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 47-61 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Netherlands Journal of Legal Philosophy |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Cite this
Doomen, J., & van Schaik, M. (2015). Blasfemie in de huidige context. Netherlands Journal of Legal Philosophy, 44(1), 47-61. https://doi.org/10.5553/NJLP/.000016