I love how the thing about blasphemy is that the people decide what is blasphemous about their all powerful god, and then they try to punish the blasphemer, because I guess the all powerful god can't do it himself?

I wish we had more Bill Mahers.

Remember the “Scarlet Letter”. This was the kind of punishment dealt for those who went against the prevailing regional norm. I heard it asked, if God is so omnipotent why does he have to have so many stupid people fighting for him? Remember the U.S motto: “the squeaking wheel gets the grease”? This means it is about going against prevailing norms and asking question is what a Democracy is all about. Besides, these people are starting to lose the numbers game and they are getting desperate.

One thing I would ask them is: does blasphemy mean not criticizing other religions or sects?

Yeah, let's go back to 1697 with punishments such as public whippings, or red-hot irons through the tongue. What a sick fuck this Tristan Emmanuel is!

Emmanuel references the 1697 Act against Atheism and Blasphemy from the Massachusetts Bay Colony as an example of how America once dealt with the likes of Bill Maher...

The Unites States wasn't even a country at that time. What an idtiot!

Maybe these people ought to move to countries where such laws are still in effect and enforced.

If blasphemy is a real thing, ONly to the idiots is this an issue. Maher speaks logic and truth and that is not blasphemy it is education. But then again when was the last time a christian ever picked up a science book? Probably not since leaving school. Wow not that is blasphemy

Dangerous idiocy! This country is not a theocratic disctatorship. There is NO place for blasphemy laws in our country. Anyone calling for such laws is worse than a damned fool!

And how are they NOT like Islamic extremists?

Pray God strikes him dead, creeps.

"It's an infringement upon our civil rights that we can't jail and publicly torture someone for disagreeing with us!" -Not scary at fundamentalists.

stone him? cut out his tongue? what?

Tough shit, Xians. This is still America, where a man can speak freely. If you don't like it, I suggest Russia, where you can live under Putin's (Trump's boyfriend's) iron rule.

Bill M has always spoke his mind and told the truth.. Not many people get him but those that do, know he's not bullshiting when he says it like it is. Xians can't handle the truth or reality for that matter. I listen to him on HBO every chance I get.

Where there a life lost or a soul lost ? I wonder if words need punishing then start punishing everyone

1697 thats the year Blasphemy laws were written? These people are sick sick sick. Let's ignore such stupidity.

Those ''Christian extremists" can shove their ''blasphemy'' laws into their alimentary canals!

They want to punish anyone who doesn't agree with their world views.

Maher, by far, is not the only one to be so outspoken. If those extremists want punishment, just let them try to enforce such idiocy; they'll find out pretty quickly what real punishment is.

And these assholes have the gall to denounce Islamists who do that very thing. Fucking hypocrites.

"Blasphemy laws are an affront to humanity, and should be repugnant to all good people, even Christian extremists."
See that's where the author goes wrong; the assumption that a religious zealot can also be a good person.
These attitudes have, going by the historical evidence, always lead to atrocity when placed in power.

I want them punished for trying to reject my free speech!

Hear that sound? It's the sound of Bill Maher laughing his ass off.

And, what a surprise. Religious fanatics want to outlaw free speech, punish a man for speaking the truth, and lying about his "crimes".
They are the enemy of all who live.

These so called Christians are so hateful and blasphemous themselves, they wouldn’t know what to do if they saw truth right before them!

People like this are NOT going to stop calling for blasphemy laws.
They must be taken seriously, and they must be stopped.
They cannot be ignored, as some suggest.
They must be confronted, at every opportunity.
No more "live and let live". It's time to take it to them, head on.
Let them know they cannot continue to run roughshod over those
who do not share their delusions.