"Public blasphemy or other public insult is a violation of rights unless the receiver of the message had consented to it. It would be fine in an environment which one enters knowingly, such as this forum. It is not fine on the public square if it violates the decency norm. Your comment is mild enough so it is not violative, and in fact the public square in the United States has deteriorated to such extent that it is hard to imagine anything to be below the pale. Nevertheless if some punk on the street, for example, yells at people that their wifes are ugly sluts and their children are cretins, such punk will be hauled away. The offence of plasphemy in justice should be treated no differently. "
I'm sorry, but that's utter nonsense. Blasphemy, in itself, is not illegal, nor should it be. Indeed, your example fo the street punk is wrong, as well. He can freely do what you said and, while he might face retribution from the hearer, will not be arrested.
Blasphemy is a simple thing and may be directed at any deity you wish. I might say that Kali is a lying, thieving, murderous bitch. That is blasphemy. I could say, as has been said on this forum that Allah is a false diety and that its followers are criminals. That is blasphemy. Such an utterance would engender only amusement in this country, while it would create anger elsewhere.
What you're referring to is blasphemy only against the locally popular deity in the USA. That is not illegal, and should never be illegal.
When we lose the freedom to declare that there is no God, or that the popular God is a bully, we lose all of our freedom of speech. That is an opinion, and opinions are protected in the USA.
I would not say those things, nor would I put an anti-religious bumpersticker on my vehicle. I would, however, reserve my right to do so if I chose to. That right is one which I served in our nation's military to protect, and the oath I affirmed at that time is still in effect.
> Blasphemy, in itself, is not illegal, nor should it be.
Ah, but jsut consider the utter chaos that would ensue if it were made illegal. Since so many hereabotus claim that atheism is a religion... any denigration of atheism would thus become a crime. If it becomes illegal for soemone to have a bumpersticker reading "there is no God" because it's blasphemous to Christians, it would be equally illegal to post one saying "There is a God" because it's blasphemous to atheists.
Trial lawyers would have a field day.
Well, if you two are of the mind that rude insults are not actionable, then you are simply advocating a social breakdown. It is not then of consequence where exactly blasphemy fits in the category of rude insults.
You do not understand whart freedom of speech is, or what rights the first Amendment protects. It is really off-topic here, but, again, censorship was a part of American system when there still was a constitution in effect, and so were local decency laws. Despite that, this country had real political debate and real culture, right till the liberals got they grubby hands on the courts.