Editing Blasphemy (section)

====Church history====

In the early history of the Church, blasphemy "was considered to show active disrespect to God and to involve the use of profane cursing or mockery of his powers".<ref name="Nash2007"/>

In ''[[The Whole Duty of Man]]'', sometimes attributed to [[Richard Allestree]] or [[John Fell (bishop)|John Fell]], blasphemy is described as "speaking any evil Thing of God", and as "the highest Degree whereof is cursing him; or if we do not speak it with our Mouths, yet if we do it in our Hearts, by thinking any unworthy Thing of him, it is look'd on by God, who sees the Heart, as the vilest Dishonour."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Allestree |first1=Richard |title=The whole duty of man, laid down in a plain and familiar way |url=https://archive.org/details/wholedutyofmanla00alle |date=1658}}</ref>

* [[Thomas Aquinas]] says that "[if] we compare murder and blasphemy as regards the objects of those sins, it is clear that blasphemy, which is a sin committed directly against God, is more grave than murder, which is a sin against one's neighbor. On the other hand, if we compare them in respect of the harm wrought by them, murder is the graver sin, for murder does more harm to one's neighbor, than blasphemy does to God".<ref>Thomas Aquinas: [http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3013.htm#article3 ''Summa Theologica''] 2:2, q. 13.</ref>
* The ''[[Book of Concord]]'' calls blasphemy "the greatest sin that can be outwardly committed".<ref>[http://www.bookofconcord.org/lc-3-tencommandments.php ''The Book of Concord''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090315051445/http://bookofconcord.org/lc-3-tencommandments.php |date=15 March 2009 }} ''The Large Catechism,'' §55.</ref>
* The ''[[Baptist Confession of Faith]]'' says: "Therefore, to swear vainly or rashly by the glorious and awesome name of God…is sinful, and to be regarded with disgust and detestation. …For by rash, false, and vain oaths, the Lord is provoked and because of them this land mourns".<ref>[http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm#part23 The Baptist Confession of Faith] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407070838/http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm |date= 7 April 2010 }} Ch. 23, §2–3.</ref>
* ''The [[Heidelberg Catechism]]'' answers question 100 about blasphemy by stating that "no sin is greater or provokes God's wrath more than the blaspheming of His Name".<ref>[http://www.wts.edu/resources/heidelberg.html The Heidelberg Catechism] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090613033525/http://www.wts.edu/resources/heidelberg.html |date=13 June 2009 }} Q. 100.</ref>
* The ''[[Westminster Confession of Faith|Westminster Larger Catechism]]'' explains that "The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the abuse of it in an ignorant, vain, irreverent, profane...mentioning...by blasphemy...to profane jests, ...vain janglings, ...to charms or sinful lusts and practices".<ref>[http://www.reformed.org/documents/wlc_w_proofs/WLC_091-150.html Westminster Larger Catechism] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120911195148/http://www.reformed.org/documents/wlc_w_proofs/WLC_091-150.html |date=11 September 2012 }} Q. 113.</ref>
* [[Jean Calvin|Calvin]] found it intolerable "when a person is accused of blasphemy, to lay the blame on the [[wikt:ebullition|ebullition]] of passion, as if God were to endure the penalty whenever we are provoked".<ref>Jean Calvin: ''[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom06.ii.xvii.html Harmony of the Law]'' vol. 4. Lev. 24:10.</ref>