--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have no blasphemy laws these days but…" description: "\"We have no blasphemy laws these days but with that freedom comes the responsibility which should always attend the exercise of free speech: truth, cour..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/ann-widdecombe-4586_awareness_we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but_2450362.png" --- # We have no blasphemy laws these days but with that freedom… ![“We have no blasphemy laws these days but with that freedom comes the responsibility which should always attend the exercise of free speech: truth, courtesy and an awareness of impact. It is the last of these which is so neglected by so much modern comedy.” quote by Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/ann-widdecombe-4586_awareness_we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but_2450362.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/ann-widdecombe-4586_awareness_we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but_2450362.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/ann-widdecombe-4586_awareness_we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but_2450362.png) > “We have no blasphemy laws these days but with that freedom comes the responsibility which should always attend the exercise of free speech: truth, courtesy and an awareness of impact. It is the last of these which is so neglected by so much modern comedy.” [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom of speech carries duties: honesty, respect, and understanding its effects, especially in comedy. **In simple terms:** Free speech needs truth, courtesy, impact awareness. Key Takeaway Speak responsibly. Themes speech responsibility media humor ethics Mood reflective critical serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - Comedy writing - public speaking - media regulation - online discourse - stand‑up performance Key Concepts Civic duty social impact communication ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can comedians balance humor with responsibility? - What impact does careless speech have on audiences? A Different Perspective Humor often ignores impact, risking harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Blasphemy Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blasphemy-laws-307080/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-speech/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Modern Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-comedy-564787/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Courtesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-courtesy-564788/) ## Related quotes > [When you talk about modern comedy I think there's a big three right now, and that's Louis C.K., Bill Burr, and Jim Jefferies. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-williams/when-you-talk-about-modern-comedy-i-think-there-s-a-big-three-right/) [Brad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-williams/) > [I see myself as a performer and that applies to a Greek drama or a modern comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-coyle/i-see-myself-as-a-performer-and-that-applies-to-a-greek-drama-or-a/) [Brendan Coyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-coyle/) > [Most modern comedy is crap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-modern-comedy-is-crap/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think great humor lies in playing the truth of a situation. I see myself as a performer and that applies to a Greek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-coyle/i-think-great-humor-lies-in-playing-the-truth-of-a-situation-i-see/) [Brendan Coyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-coyle/) > [Blasphemy laws are...an outdated Orwellian thought-policing species of law that force people into psychological submission by making it a crime to question, criticise and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-sherlock/blasphemy-laws-are-an-outdated-orwellian-thought-policing-species-of/) [John Michael Sherlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-sherlock/) > [In 1979, you had the revolution in Iran. You had the Hudood Ordinances in Pakistan, which are the laws that are notoriously used against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/in-1979-you-had-the-revolution-in-iran-you-had-the-hudood-ordinances/) [Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/) > [“Every culture has blasphemy laws. They are not always called that, but no society allows citizens to rail against the reigning deity. In our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/every-culture-has-blasphemy-laws-they-are-not-always-called-that-but/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [We don't have blasphemy laws in England and Wales, and it's not the police's job to enforce non-existent religious blasphemy laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suella-braverman/we-don-t-have-blasphemy-laws-in-england-and-wales-and-it-s-not-the/) [Suella Braverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suella-braverman/) > [“In England, under the Blasphemy Laws, it is illegal to express disbelief in the Christian religion, though in practice the law is not set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/in-england-under-the-blasphemy-laws-it-is-illegal-to-express/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“It struck me that there is a reason James Madison put freedom of speech and freedom of the press in the very first amendment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-karl/it-struck-me-that-there-is-a-reason-james-madison-put-freedom-of/) [Jonathan Karl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-karl/) > [The right to free speech is important but it isn't as important as 'we're all human beings together, let's find solutions together.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-right-to-free-speech-is-important-but-it-isn-t-as-important-as-we/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [“When Lehman Brothers collapsed on September 15, 2008, and inaugurated the biggest crisis since the 1930s, there were no real alternatives to hand. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/when-lehman-brothers-collapsed-on-september-15-2008-and-inaugurated/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Any kind of restrictions put on free speech would have worse consequences than bullying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-starlight/any-kind-of-restrictions-put-on-free-speech-would-have-worse/) [Lady Starlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-starlight/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) ## More by Ann Widdecombe > [It is quite wrong that one group of people should regularly and deliberately flout the law, boast about it and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/it-is-quite-wrong-that-one-group-of-people-should-regularly-and/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [In the 1990s, while the Maastricht debate was raging, I was a minister in the Major government. Every single piece of legislation we proposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/in-the-1990s-while-the-maastricht-debate-was-raging-i-was-a-minister/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [I cannot bear the language TV chefs use - they don't seem able to look at a plate of vegetables without accusing it of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/i-cannot-bear-the-language-tv-chefs-use-they-don-t-seem-able-to-look/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [I am not an enthusiast when it comes to cities, preferring rolling scenery, wildlife and stars to museums, monuments, architecture and traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/i-am-not-an-enthusiast-when-it-comes-to-cities-preferring-rolling/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [Believing in God was something I took as much for granted as the air I breathed. Religion wasn't something that came out of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/believing-in-god-was-something-i-took-as-much-for-granted-as-the-air/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [I think the rest of the world will think we're made, and indeed we are. We've turned out the greatest Prime Minister in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/i-think-the-rest-of-the-world-will-think-we-re-made-and-indeed-we-are/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [In 1999 my father died and my mother was coming to live with me. So I left my Kennington flat and bought a house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/in-1999-my-father-died-and-my-mother-was-coming-to-live-with-me-so-i/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [Cats are ideal for politicians. I had two when I arrived at Westminster, Sooty and Sweep, who had come with a flat I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/cats-are-ideal-for-politicians-i-had-two-when-i-arrived-at/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [If I were queen for a day, every city would have to spend one hour in utter silence: no music in shops and restaurants,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/if-i-were-queen-for-a-day-every-city-would-have-to-spend-one-hour-in/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [The postcode lottery means that the level of care you get differs hugely around the country, and the health service simply cannot meet every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/the-postcode-lottery-means-that-the-level-of-care-you-get-differs/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [Almost anybody from the past will hold views discordant with the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/almost-anybody-from-the-past-will-hold-views-discordant-with-the/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [The Arctic has huge glaciers, frozen waterfalls and floating ice. This is scenery on which man has left no mark, which has stayed unchanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/the-arctic-has-huge-glaciers-frozen-waterfalls-and-floating-ice-this/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [Always carry a handkerchief. Especially in television studios.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/always-carry-a-handkerchief-especially-in-television-studios/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [I suspect my own journey to Brexit has closely followed that of Britain's. I had doubts, then I decided we should stay in, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/i-suspect-my-own-journey-to-brexit-has-closely-followed-that-of/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [I am a Conservative: I'm never going to be anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/i-am-a-conservative-i-m-never-going-to-be-anything-else/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) [Explore all 109 Ann Widdecombe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-intoxication-of-the-ego-of-i-am/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [I know the importance of highly trained awareness of the “moment” and the immediate and intuitive response of the photographer. It should be obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/i-know-the-importance-of-highly-trained-awareness-of-the-moment-and/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [I'm part of a team that raises millions of dollars and raises awareness of HIV and AIDS all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-m-part-of-a-team-that-raises-millions-of-dollars-and-raises/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vashti-quiroz-vega/don-t-turn-your-face-away-once-you-ve-seen-you-can-no-longer-act-like/) [Vashti Quiroz-Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vashti-quiroz-vega/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeking-means-to-have-a-goal-but-finding-means-to-be-free-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) [Browse all 4,768 Awareness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have no blasphemy laws these days but with that freedom comes the responsibility which should always attend the exercise of free speech: truth, courtesy and an awareness of impact. It is the last of these which is so neglected by so much modern comedy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ann Widdecombe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but-with-that-freedom-comes-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Awareness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but-with-that-freedom-comes-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/ann-widdecombe-4586_awareness_we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but_2450362.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/ann-widdecombe-4586_awareness_we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but_2450362.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/ann-widdecombe-4586_awareness_we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but_2450362.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have no blasphemy laws these days but with that freedom comes the responsibility which should always…” — Ann Widdecombe", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ann Widdecombe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have no blasphemy laws these...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but-with-that-freedom-comes-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but-with-that-freedom-comes-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```