{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hres512-116/featured_calling-for-the-global-repeal-of-blasphemy-heresy-and-apostasy-laws-1607558511.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hres512-116/featured_large_calling-for-the-global-repeal-of-blasphemy-heresy-and-apostasy-laws-1607558511.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hres512-116.png"},"introduced_on":"2019-07-23","title_override":"Should the House Call for the Repeal of Blasphemy, Heresy & Apostasy Laws Around the World?","summary_override":"

This resolution would express the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. should call for the repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws around the world through bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relationships.

To this end, this resolution calls on the President and the State Dept. to:

Call for the repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws in U.S. bilateral relationships with other countries;
Designate countries with blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws as countries of particular concern for religious freedom; and
Oppose the United Nations’ efforts to implement an international anti-blasphemy norm.

Finally, it would call on the governments of countries with blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws to amend or repeal them and to release anyone imprisoned pursuant to such laws.

As a simple resolution, this legislation is non-binding and wouldn’t advance beyond the House if passed.

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The resolution also calls on the governments of countries that enfo...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"The State Dept.; the President; U.S. bilateral relationships with countries with blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws; persecuted religious groups around the world; and the United Nations.","argument_for":"Blasphemy, heresy and apostasy laws are tools of religious discrimination and oppression that can pose real risks to religious minorities around the world. In accordance with its tradition of supporting religious freedom at home and abroad, the U.S. should call for these laws’ removal from legal systems around the world. This is a bipartisan issue supported by religious and secular human rights groups alike.","argument_against":"Although it is true that blasphemy, heresy and apostasy laws are used to discriminate against religious minorities in some countries, that is generally not the case. 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Should the House Call for the Repeal of Blasphemy, Heresy & Apostasy Laws Around the World?