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The text outlines the law’s restrictions on speech and the potential penalties, alongside Budd’s plan to seek dismissal on constitutional grounds. It also covers related legal actions in court prayer controversies and a UK appeal involving an erotic video tied to St. Teresa of Avila, including broader reactions from filmmakers and supporters.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":45,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/religion-spirituality/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/blasphemy-charged-against-boston-humanist-london-film-makers-news-report/419501/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/blasphemy-charged-against-boston-humanist-london-film-makers-news-report/419501.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Maya Linwood","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-16","2026-09-28",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":29},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is Eric Budd accused of, and why?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Eric Budd faces blasphemy charges after giving a talk at Harvard University that violated Massachusetts’ blasphemy law, according to his own admission.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What penalties does the Massachusetts blasphemy law carry?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"If convicted, Budd could face up to a year in jail or a fine up to $300.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How did courts in the UK and the US become involved in blasphemy or related censorship issues?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"In the UK, makers of an erotic video about St. Teresa of Avila lost an appeal against a ban on blasphemy grounds. In the US, public defenders and the ACLU sued to stop a judge from opening court sessions with a composed prayer.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},419501,1790936351,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":44,"category_name":45,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":29,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":44,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},962084928432,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","It's Ba-a-a-ack!  \n# Blasphemy Charged Against Boston Humanist,London Film-makers\n\nJust when you thought it was safe in themarketplace of ideas,prosecution forblasphemy is back.A Boston-area secularhumanist faces blasphemy charges for a talkgiven at Harvard University.Eric Budd isactivism coordinator of DASH,the Bostonhumanist group affiliated with CODESH.Addressing another group at Harvard—ironically,under the sponsorship of a liberalchaplain there—Budd gave a talk oncreationist writer Josh MacDowell thatBudd freely admits violated Massachusetts'sblasphemy law.  \nIt is easy to blaspheme in Massachusetts.The law prohibits speech that“willfullyblasphemes”or treats “contumeliously”the\"holy name of God,\"the person of Jesus,or the“word of God,”among other things.Someone at the public meeting at whichBudd spoke taped him,and took the tapeto prosecutors.Now Budd faces prosecutionunder a blasphemy law that last saw anenforcement attempt in 1977.If convicted,Budd could face up to a year in jail or afine up to $300.But he plans to move fordismissal of the charges on constitutionalgrounds.  \n“The last time enforcement of the law wasattempted,there was a move to repeal it inthe state legislature the next year,\"Buddexplains.“But the repeal bill failed the firsttime around,and was never re-introduced.\"  \n# Five Public Defenders Seek End to Court Prayer\n\nFive attorneys from the Charlotte,N.C.,public defender's office joined the AmericanCivil Liberties Union in suing to stop adistrict judge from opening his court sessionswith a 67-word prayer of—apparently—hisown composition.“Judges are importantsymbols,\"an ACLU lawyer told the press.  \nBudd plans to push for repeal of theblasphemy law—either with the sponsorshipof one or more legislators,or using aprovision of state law that allows bills tobe introduced to the legislature by petition.\"If it doesn't pass the first time,we'llreintroduce it next year,\"Budd pledges.“Ifit takes 17 years or 77 yearswe're goingto keep pushing.\"  \nMeanwhile,in London,England,themakers of a 20-minute erotic video aboutSt.Teresa of Avila lost their appeal againsta ban on the grounds of blasphemy.It isthe first time in 77 years that Britain's boardof censors has rejected any kind of motionpicture under the blasphemy law.Visions ofEcstasy contains intense sexual imagery,including a sequence that intercuts betweenChrist crucified and a lesbian love scene.Film-makers and novelists told the appealsboard that the video was a legitimateexploration of the lurid imagery of Teresa,who went into trances and had visions—often erotically charged—of Jesus,angels,and devils.(In spite of that,Teresa was oneof the first two women to be declared“doctors of the church”by Rome.)  \nCondemning the appeals board decisionas a \"disgraceful act of censorship,\"producerJohn Stephenson told the press he isconsidering an appeal to Britain's HighCourt.  \n# The Secular Humanist Bulletin\n\n“We expect them to give equal justice to thebeliever and the nonbeliever alike.\"  \nIt won't mean the end of“Godsave thenation and this honorable court,\"thetraditional opening prayer uttered by courtcriers in every federal courtroom,but it'sa start.  \n\n| The Secular Humanist Bulletin¹990 is edited by Tom Flynn,Tom Franczyk,and Andrea Szalanski as a supplement to FREE INQUIRY magazine and is published by  \u003Cbr>the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism(CODESH,Ine.),a nonprofit corporation,3159 Bailey Aveniue,Bufalo,NY 142150005.Phone (716)834-2921.Paul  \u003Cbr>Kurtz,editor,and Tim Madigan,executive editor,FREE INQUIRY.Letters and editorial inquiries should be addressed to:The Editors,Secular Humanist Bulletin,Buffalo,  \u003Cbr>NY 14215-0005.   |\n| --- |\n\nCenter for Inquiry BringsHumanism to Radio,TV  \nA new organization has been foundedto bring the humanist,skeptical,andscientific points of view more forcefullyinto the electronic media.The Centerfor Inquiry has been co-founded by theCouncil for Democratic and SecularHumanism(CODESH)—publishers ofFREE INQUIRY and the Sec","cbCaiiH5hw3wI9J5","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiH5hw3wI9J5","pdf",2484746,"English","# Blasphemy Charged Against Boston Humanist, London Film-makers\n# Five Public Defenders Seek End to Court Prayer\n# The Secular Humanist Bulletin\n## Center for Inquiry Brings Humanism to Radio, TV","[{\"question\":\"What is Eric Budd accused of, and why?\",\"answer\":\"Eric Budd faces blasphemy charges after giving a talk at Harvard University that violated Massachusetts’ blasphemy law, according to his own admission.\"},{\"question\":\"What penalties does the Massachusetts blasphemy law carry?\",\"answer\":\"If convicted, Budd could face up to a year in jail or a fine up to $300.\"},{\"question\":\"How did courts in the UK and the US become involved in blasphemy or related censorship issues?\",\"answer\":\"In the UK, makers of an erotic video about St. Teresa of Avila lost an appeal against a ban on blasphemy grounds. In the US, public defenders and the ACLU sued to stop a judge from opening court sessions with a composed prayer.\"}]","Blasphemy Charged Against Boston Humanist - London Film-makers - News Report | PDF",1790617303,23]