New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-12
WHAT IS BLASPHEMY 2

Our attention has been recently called
! to this question by the repeated use of the
| word in the columns of one of our con-
temporaries, on (it seems to u.s. very in
sufficient grounds. For instance. the
Rev. Mr.. Beecher was. not long since,
accused OF biaspheny by the sheet al
luded to, and the following extract from
lecture of his on Christ was quoted as
| justifying the accusation:
Mr. Beecher added that Christ was
| healthy man-emphaticallv a joyful and
active man. He once went to il wedding
| which must have consumed fifteen days.
| and created gallons OF wine TO prOlOng the
| festivities. At this wedding our Savior APP
| pears to have conducted himself simply as
a guest. and mingled with others On terms
OF social equality.
Piety is beautiful, and due reverence
for sacred things unquestionably be-
tokens spiritual culture; but, ii appears
to us, that the uneasy devotion which
can find any approach to blasphemy in
the above quotation is rather akin to
morbidness than to healthy reverence.
For the essential distinction of BIAS
phemy, according to DR.. G. Campbell,
is that it invariably implies an ex-
preston of contempt or detestation, and
desire of producing the same passions
in others Does our pious neighbor in
tend to accuse Mr.. Beecher of econ
tempt or detestation Of Christ, or
desire of producing either of these feel
ings in others Suppose, however, that We
adopt that portion of the legal definition
of this offense las given by Blackstone)
which refers to Christ and the Scriptures,
namely: that it consists in ''contumelious
reproaches Of our Savior, Christ, profane
soothing at the Holy Scriptures, or expos
ing it to contempt and ridicule." Even
under this more restricted description of
blasphemy, it seems to us very difficult
for an unprejudiced mind to find, in the
passage quoted, the least warrant for so
serious a charge. That passage is based
on the Scripture narrative of Christ first
miracle, as recorded in the second chapter
of John; and reference to that account
is the simplest refutation of the injurious
accusation. Christ is there represented
as having furnished, on learning that 1.-The
wine of the marriage was finished"
fresh and very large supply, viz: ''Six
waterpots" containing each two or three
frkins" "a frkin being estimated by the
ablest commentators, to be equal to seven
and half gallons) and that of a very
superior quality. Now, the marriage feast
of the Jews at that time usually lasted
several days, and Judging from the very
large quantity of wine miraculously sup
piled By Jesus, it is fair to infer that the
feast in question was an unusually grand
one, which might have consumed fifteen
days"
As, therefore, both the Scriptures and
the commentators justify Mr.. Beecher in
his statement of the facts, the blasphemy
of which he is accused must be sought
in his differences, namely that Christ was
"a joyful and active man" and that, on the
occasion referred to- he conducted HIM
self simply as guest, and mingled with
others on terms Of social equality" in
ferences SO manifest, that if it be BIAS
phemy to draw them, the reader has to
choose between that and stupidity, or
else adopt the derogatory supposition
that Christ performed this miracle not for
the benefit of the company, but simply
to display his own miraculous power.
This supposition, however, is in direct
contradiction of his whole course of con-
duct with regard to that power every
miracle recorded in the Scriptures with
the exception Of that of the blasted fig
tree) having for its direct object the
benefit of its recipients.
If then the ''blasphemy" which offends