Any statement that denies (in an offensive or insulting way) the truth of Christianity by attacking the Christian religious beliefs, the Bible, the existence of God or the Book of Common Prayer is blasphemous. There is no need to show an intention to insult or shock or even that the maker of the statement knew that it was blasphemous.

Blasphemy is a crime at common law, but prosecutions are very rare. A recent (December 2004) production of Corpus Christi (written by Terrence McNally) again attracted complaints of blasphemy, since Jesus is depicted as having sex with his apostles. However, no action was taken by the local police force.

There is a general debate about freedom of speech and whether one particular set of beliefs should be protected, when other faiths are not. The debate hit the news again in December 2004 following a production of Behzti (written by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti) at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. The production included scenes of violence and sexual abuse in a gudwara. Although talks took place between venue management and representatives of the local Sikh community, protests caused the show to close – on safety grounds. Many feel that freedom of speech was suppressed in an unjustifiable manner.

Jerry Springer – the Opera continues to attract criticism. The musical features Jesus, Mary and God as guests on Springer’s TV show. A version screened by the BBC in 2005 attracted 47,000 complaints before transmission, and 900 complaints after broadcast (500 people made contact with the BBC in support of their decision to broadcast). An organisation called Christian Voice brought a charge of Blasphemy against two BBC executives, but no further action has been taken to date. It continues to campaign against the continuing tour.