--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In England, under the Blasphemy Laws, it…" description: "\"“In England, under the Blasphemy Laws, it is illegal to express disbelief in the Christian religion, though in practice the law is not set in motion ag..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/bertrand-russell-69_christian-religion_in-england-under-the-blasphemy-laws-it-i_79772.jpg" --- # In England, under the Blasphemy Laws, it is illegal to… ![“In England, under the Blasphemy Laws, it is illegal to express disbelief in the Christian religion, though in practice the law is not set in motion against the well-to-do. It is also illegal to teach what Christ taught on the subject of non-resistance. Therefore, whoever wishes to avoid becoming a…” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/bertrand-russell-69_christian-religion_in-england-under-the-blasphemy-laws-it-i_79772.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/bertrand-russell-69_christian-religion_in-england-under-the-blasphemy-laws-it-i_79772.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/bertrand-russell-69_christian-religion_in-england-under-the-blasphemy-laws-it-i_79772.jpg) > ““In England, under the Blasphemy Laws, it is illegal to express disbelief in the Christian religion, though in practice the law is not set in motion against the well-to-do. It is also illegal to teach what Christ taught on the subject of non-resistance. Therefore, whoever wishes to avoid becoming a criminal must profess to agree with Christ’s teaching, but must avoid saying what that teaching was.”” [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The law criminalizes dissenting belief while allowing the elite to evade enforcement, forcing conformity in speech without genuine belief. **In simple terms:** Legal hypocrisy forces outward conformity. Key Takeaway Law can compel false profession of faith. Themes freedom of expression legal hypocrisy religious intolerance social conformity class disparity Mood irritated skeptical defiant Type political philosophical When to use this quote - public debate on religion - academic curricula design - political activism - legal reform advocacy Key Concepts blasphemy law non-resistance doctrine civil liberties enforcement bias Practical Applications - human rights advocacy - policy analysis Questions to Reflect On - How does selective enforcement affect public trust? - What alternatives exist to protect both belief and free speech? A Different Perspective Some argue that such laws protect social cohesion, but they suppress individual conscience and critical discourse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-religion/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“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 have no blasphemy laws these days but with that freedom comes the responsibility which should always attend the exercise of free speech: truth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/we-have-no-blasphemy-laws-these-days-but-with-that-freedom-comes-the/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [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 > [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 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/) > [I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its Churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-say-quite-deliberately-that-the-christian-religion-as-organized-in/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand-in-hand. 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