Religious offense

Religious offense means any action which offends religious sensibilities and arouses serious negative emotions in people with strong belief and which is usually associated with an orthodox response to, or correction of, sin.

At the turn of the 20th century the French sociologist Émile Durkheim considered the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane to be the central characteristic of religion. There is also a dichotomy between religious communities and advocates of multiculturalism

The vocabulary used in such debates may sometimes be either confused or confusing, and the misuse of religiously technical terms as understood in secular societies can, in itself cause religious offence.

Things that are sacred are articles of faith that are beyond question true sources of rapture for believers and followers. Contradiction or misuse is likely to cause religious offense.

Things that are worldly such as technology or professional advice are sometimes separated from things that are holy or sacred for religious people. Some secular activities may be considered profane and so cause religious offense, even though they may be legally permitted. Crime is the secular homologue to religious sin.

Actions that are not religiously permitted 'inside the faith' are often prohibited within religiously dominated jurisdictions. Profanity is not necessarily proscribed within secular jurisdictions and so legally permitted actions under common law may sometimes be considered religiously offensive to people used to religious legal structures.

Different religions are sensitive to different things in different measure, particularly such topics, as sexuality, infancy, society, and warfare. It would be impossible to itemize all specific offences defined in all jurisdictions.

However every religion is essentially a set of beliefs conveyed from generation to generation which are, by religious definition, held to be immutable truths by that religion's believers or followers. Anything that tends to weaken or break that chain of authoritative continuity is likely to be offensive and in some jurisdictions severely punishable.

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