Hypertext Webster Gateway: "blasphemy"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Blasphemy
In the sense of speaking evil of God this word is found in Ps.
74:18; Isa. 52:5; Rom. 2:24; Rev. 13:1, 6; 16:9, 11, 21. It
denotes also any kind of calumny, or evil-speaking, or abuse (1
Kings 21:10; Acts 13:45; 18:6, etc.). Our Lord was accused of
blasphemy when he claimed to be the Son of God (Matt. 26:65;
comp. Matt. 9:3; Mark 2:7). They who deny his Messiahship
blaspheme Jesus (Luke 22:65; John 10:36).
Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Matt. 12:31, 32; Mark 3:28,
29; Luke 12:10) is regarded by some as a continued and obstinate
rejection of the gospel, and hence is an unpardonable sin,
simply because as long as a sinner remains in unbelief he
voluntarily excludes himself from pardon. Others regard the
expression as designating the sin of attributing to the power of
Satan those miracles which Christ performed, or generally those
works which are the result of the Spirit's agency.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Blasphemy \Blas"phe*my\, n. [L. blasphemia, Gr. ?: cf. OF.
blasphemie.]
1. An indignity offered to God in words, writing, or signs;
impiously irreverent words or signs addressed to, or used
in reference to, God; speaking evil of God; also, the act
of claiming the attributes or prerogatives of deity.
Note: When used generally in statutes or at common law,
blasphemy is the use of irreverent words or signs in
reference to the Supreme Being in such a way as to
produce scandal or provoke violence.
2. Figuratively, of things held in high honor: Calumny;
abuse; vilification.
Punished for his blasphemy against learning.
--Bacon.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
blasphemy
n 1: blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for
something sacred)
2: blasphemous behavior [syn: {profanation}, {desecration}, {sacrilege}]
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