Blasphemy, Heresy and Religious Offenses

Among the 79 countries that criminalized blasphemy, penalties varied widely, from fines to prison sentences and in some cases lashings and execution

a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts

Blasphemous libel was originally an offence under the common law of England.

Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization.

Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object, site or person.

Blasphemy means irreverence toward God, religion, a religious icon, or something else which is considered sacred.

Apostasy is the formal religious disaffiliation, abandonment, or renunciation of one's religion.