Are you an Atheist? Do you live in the state of Massachusetts? If you answered 'Yes' to both of these questions, you could be facing up to a one year imprisonment and three hundred dollar fine for your transgression.
File this one under insane, obscure, unconstitutional laws that are probably never enforced.
Chapter 272: Section 36. of the General Laws of Massachusetts states:
"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."
It makes you wonder how laws like this could have ever been passed and why they are not repealed.
I know this law would never be enforced, but I do think that the valuable time of our politicians could be spent better looking through the existing laws and repealing ones like this that are never enforced and are blatantly unconstitutional.
This would be a far more constructive expenditure of their time than their current actions. Declaring the
watermelon the official state vegetable, for example, is just a waste of time.
Being an Atheist is Against the Law in Massachusetts
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