Blasphemy - still illegal in the US!

So the professor should be held accountable for violations of the blasphemy law, and the Marine should be held responsible for assault, right?

I don't see how the blasphemy law could be enforceable in any meaningful way given the ambiguity of the story. Is it a state or private university? What was the topic of class? What is the context that is left out?

The marine's actions, however, are clearly assault.
 
If a professor of mine wasted 15 minutes of my time acting like a retarded child instead of educating me I'd knock him out myself.

I only withdrew from one university course in my life; anthropology. It was complete BS, and when I questioned claims, there were students in the class that must be on this forum right now. It was actually more sucking up to the very ideological professor.

No need to punch her out. She was respectful and trying to be a good educator. She was just issuing ideological propaganda.

I took three weeks of it, then withdrew in order to salvage some tuition money.
 
Originally Posted by Huntster
So the professor should be held accountable for violations of the blasphemy law, and the Marine should be held responsible for assault, right?
I don't see how the blasphemy law could be enforceable in any meaningful way given the ambiguity of the story. Is it a state or private university? What was the topic of class? What is the context that is left out?

The marine's actions, however, are clearly assault.

So, back to my original question (remarkable you and I are able to possibly do this, fowl):...........

Example:

A recent military combat veteran, after his discharge from the Marines, decided to go to college. One of his classes was in Political Science. The day he showed up and sat down in class, the professor got up and declared he was an atheist...he then shouted: "God if you are real, then you have 15 minutes to knock me off this podium."

He then proceeded to denying, cursing, and contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, final judging of the world, cursing and contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, cursing and contumeliously reproaching and exposing to contempt and ridicule the holy word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures for 14 minutes. At this time, the Marine got up, walked up to the professor, and cold-cocked him, knocking him out and lying flat on the floor. After a minute or two, the professor woke up, got up , and ask the Marine what in the world he thought he was doing. The Marine calmly stated, "God was busy, so He sent me."

Now I suppose you'd demand the arrest and criminal prosecution of the Marine?

......you "demand the arrest and criminal prosecution of the Marine", and the professor?...............................

I don't see how the blasphemy law could be enforceable in any meaningful way given the ambiguity of the story."....

"Ambiguous":

adjective
1. open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; equivocal: an ambiguous answer.
2. Linguistics. (of an expression) exhibiting constructional homonymity; having two or more structural descriptions, as the sequence Flying planes can be dangerous.
3. of doubtful or uncertain nature; difficult to comprehend, distinguish, or classify: a rock of ambiguous character.
4. lacking clearness or definiteness; obscure; indistinct: an ambiguous shape; an ambiguous future.

"Ambiguous"?:

....the professor got up and declared he was an atheist...he then shouted: "God if you are real, then you have 15 minutes to knock me off this podium."

He then proceeded to denying, cursing, and contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, final judging of the world, cursing and contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, cursing and contumeliously reproaching and exposing to contempt and ridicule the holy word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures for 14 minutes.....
 
So the professor should be held accountable for violations of the blasphemy law, and the Marine should be held responsible for assault, right?

No, and yes. The blasphemy law is unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable, while laws against assault are constitutional and enforceable.
 
It's the religious meddling in politics that resulted in that Massachusetts law?

Erm, yes? Are you familiar with the history of Massachusetts? "Religion meddling in politics" is about the best description I can come up with for the first 150 years of MA history....
 
without knowing more about the class and the subject "professional misconduct" isn't a viable logical leap to make given this story. but within the context of the story, I don't know if it is professional misconduct at all and neither do you. is it rude? yea. Is it misconduct? depends on more context we are not given.

Let me put it to you this way.

I cannot imagine a set of circumstances outside of a scripted theatrical performance where such behavior would not constitute "professional misconduct." Even if the professor was carrying out a psychological experiment, it would constitute experimentation on subjects without their informed consent (since obviously the Marine didn't now what was going on), and therefore misconduct.

I have no problem making that particular logical leap.
 
Originally Posted by Huntster
It's the religious meddling in politics that resulted in that Massachusetts law?
Erm, yes?

Yes with a question mark?

I asked first.

Are you familiar with the history of Massachusetts?

Not nearly as familiar as with the history of California or Alaska.

"Religion meddling in politics" is about the best description I can come up with for the first 150 years of MA history....

Was it the "reliegion meddling in politics", or was it vice versa?

Perhaps "a Marine" long ago punched out a foolish "professor" which prompted lawmakers to pass laws which were an attempt to protect a bunch of fools on both sides from each other?

After all, the title of the law is:

CRIMES AGAINST CHASTITY, MORALITY, DECENCY AND GOOD ORDER
 
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So, back to my original question (remarkable you and I are able to possibly do this, fowl):...........



......you "demand the arrest and criminal prosecution of the Marine", and the professor?...............................



"Ambiguous":



"Ambiguous"?:

Huntster I have clearly stated my position and fail to see where your going back to your original question is relevant.

As for ambiguous, yes lacking clear details is ambiguous in the context of your little story.
 
Let me put it to you this way.

I cannot imagine a set of circumstances outside of a scripted theatrical performance where such behavior would not constitute "professional misconduct." Even if the professor was carrying out a psychological experiment, it would constitute experimentation on subjects without their informed consent (since obviously the Marine didn't now what was going on), and therefore misconduct.

I have no problem making that particular logical leap.


Given that the entire thing is folklore, fair enough. however nothing the professor has done is illegal, bad actions or not, in that story. Also given lack of details there is no telling what the professor would answer for to the university.
 
......As for ambiguous, yes lacking clear details is ambiguous in the context of your little story.

The cited law:

Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior.

My example:

A recent military combat veteran, after his discharge from the Marines, decided to go to college. One of his classes was in Political Science. The day he showed up and sat down in class, the professor got up and declared he was an atheist...he then shouted: "God if you are real, then you have 15 minutes to knock me off this podium."

He then proceeded to denying, cursing, and contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, final judging of the world, cursing and contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, cursing and contumeliously reproaching and exposing to contempt and ridicule the holy word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures for 14 minutes. At this time, the Marine got up, walked up to the professor, and cold-cocked him, knocking him out and lying flat on the floor. After a minute or two, the professor woke up, got up , and ask the Marine what in the world he thought he was doing. The Marine calmly stated, "God was busy, so He sent me."

(Key words emboldened for the reading impaired)

Still "ambiguous"?
 
however nothing the professor has done is illegal, bad actions or not, in that story.

.... which is why the grounds for rescintion of tenure would be "incompetance," and not "incompentance and moral turpitude." I'm not sure where you got the idea that only illegal actions can be grounds for removal of a professor from a tenured position, but that's far from the truth. As a simple example, failure to maintain professional accreditation/licensure through continuing education can be "incompetence" and grounds for removal of tenure. It's not illegal for a professor to stop reading the journals, but it can cost her her job.
 
Was it the "reliegion meddling in politics", or was it vice versa?

No, it was religion meddling in politics.

Perhaps "a Marine" long ago punched out a foolish "professor" which prompted lawmakers to pass laws which were an attempt to protect a bunch of fools on both sides from each other?

No, that didn't happen.

At least, not in "real life" or anything close to it. What color is the sky in your world?
 
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....Still "ambiguous"?
Yet I have clearly stated which points were left out in your story. Are you just going to repost your same comments over and over with added insults, or do you have anything new to add?

The professors words and acts were worded with the exact same words used to describe the violations made illegal under the Massachussets law, which is the subject of this thread.

Still ambiguous?
 
.... which is why the grounds for rescintion of tenure would be "incompetance," and not "incompentance and moral turpitude." I'm not sure where you got the idea that only illegal actions can be grounds for removal of a professor from a tenured position, but that's far from the truth. As a simple example, failure to maintain professional accreditation/licensure through continuing education can be "incompetence" and grounds for removal of tenure. It's not illegal for a professor to stop reading the journals, but it can cost her her job.

Hey strawman, I didn't say doing something illegal was the only grounds for rescintion of tenure. I was discussing the legality as is pounded at by huntster. I also repeatedly have said there aren't enough details in that story to detrmine what, if any, action would be taken by the university.
 
The professors words and acts were worded with the exact same words used to describe the violations made illegal under the Massachussets law, which is the subject of this thread.

Still ambiguous?

Yes. I don't see where the university is in massechusetts, I don't see the relevance, if any, to the topic of the class that day, and I have repeatedly been clear with you about my position, yet you have repeatedly asked the same question.

Your story is still a moot argument. The only thing prosecutable is the marine's assault. Why this is so has been clearly explained to you in this thread.
 
Got a reference?

Yeah. Amendment 1. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." By singling out "God, " "Jesus Christ," and "the Holy Ghost" for special protection, the law establishes Christianity in violation of the First Amendment. From the relevant case law, "the test may be stated as follows: what are the purpose and the primary effect of the enactment? If either is the advancement or inhibition of religion then the enactment exceeds the scope of legislative power as circumscribed by the Constitution. That is to say that to withstand the strictures of the Establishment Clause there must be a secular legislative purpose and a primary effect that neither advances nor inhibits religion."

Since it's a state law, this wouldn't have actually been a constitutional violation (and therefore unenforceable) until the Fourteenth amendment made the Federal Bill of Right applicable to the States : "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States."
 

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