The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle is the latest newspaper to publish an op-ed from FFRF Regional Government Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens calling for an end to state-level blasphemy laws.
“Wyoming Statute § 1-29-106 says that the state’s libel laws do not authorize the publication of ‘blasphemous or indecent matter,’ creating potential civil liability for publications that are deemed ‘blasphemous,’” Dollens begins his piece in the Cheyenne newspaper. “Wyoming is one of just six states still having anti-blasphemy laws, alongside Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.”
While Wyoming may be more lenient on blasphemy than the other listed states, Dollens explains that the existence of such a provision still creates problems:
To be clear, Wyoming does not criminalize blasphemy, as some states still do. There’s no jail time, no fines, no active censorship. But the word “blasphemous” remains in the statute code — an outdated law from a time when criticizing religion was seen as dangerous or immoral.
You might assume laws like this aren’t enforced anymore. But in Pennsylvania, it happened as recently as 2010. George Kalman attempted to register a film production company named I Choose Hell Productions. State officials rejected his application because state statute says corporation names were not allowed to be “blasphemous.”
Thankfully, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania stepped in. The court ruled that the state’s enforcement of its blasphemy statute violated the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and religion. And yet, the unconstitutional law remains on the statute books, just like Wyoming’s blasphemy reference remains in the legal code today.
Why? Not because anyone is defending it. Not because it’s needed. But because no one has taken the time to repeal it. Leaving laws like this in place sends the wrong message. It tells Wyoming residents that their rights are conditional, that religious speech is protected, but religious dissent can still be punished. And it leaves open the possibility that someone could misuse the law again, especially since the U.S. Supreme Court has shown a willingness to rewrite constitutional law in favor of religious litigants.
The piece concludes with a call to action, urging states to continue on a path towards progress by rejecting unnecessary laws: “For Wyoming, the solution is clear. Repeal the state’s blasphemy law and bring its statutes in line with established Supreme Court precedent. Doing so costs nothing, harms no one, and reaffirms the state’s commitment to both religious liberty and freedom of expression for all.”
You can read the full op-ed here.
This column is part of FFRF’s initiative to engage with pertinent national and state issues and spread the messages of freethought and nontheism to a broader audience. Dollens has had similar columns recently published in prominent Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Michigan media outlets also calling for the repeal of blasphemy laws in these states.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members nationwide, including members in Wyoming. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
