THE SHOCKING SIN OF BLASPHEMY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 465, 10 March 1882, Page 7

THE SHOCKING SIN OF BLASPHEMY.

(From the San Francisco Monitor.) There is no country in the world where the sin of blasphemy is more prevalent than here in America, and we regret to add that the gross insult to God is not confined to infidels, atheists, or even bad Protestants, but is indulged in to a most iniquitous extent by those who, of all others, should hold most 6acred the holy name of God. Yes, alas 1 Catholics commit this horrid crime, and the vice is spreading so rapidly that it seems as if the vengeance of God would yet be turned upon this people m order to punish them for the vile use they make of the name of their Maker, and the degrading manner in which they drag the name of our Blessed Redeemer through their polluted teeth. When infidels or uninstructed people blaspheme the name of God, we can say of them, " Father, forgive them, they know not what they do ;" but when Catholics commit this monstrous mortal sin, they do so with the full knowledge of its enormity, as the Church herself has told them of the penalties which they must pay {or the perpetration of this horrible and disgusting iniquity against Almighty God. Io this connection we desire to cite aa occurrence which recently happened in the South, as related by the Cincinnati Star, and we hope those thoughtless Catholics who are jeopardising their soul's salvation by indulging in this gross iniquity will be warned by the following incident and learn to speak of God with the awe and reverence due to His most exalted and holy name. The Star records 'the following event, and from the details' given, we have no reason to ,dpubt its authenticity :—: — STEUCK DEAD. . Three young men in Union county, Arkansas, were discussing the probabilities of rain from a cloud which was just then rising in the west, a few dayß ago. The youngest of the grpup, John Freeman, referred to the drouth, and remarked that a God who would allow

his people to suffer thus could not amount ti much. Instantly a bolt of lightning flashed from the cloud overhead, and the young man fell dead. Nearly every bone in his body was smashed into jelly, while his boots were torn from his feet and the clothing from his lower extremities. The body presented a horrible appearance, being a blackened and mangled mass of humanity. His companions were stunned and thrown on the ground, but not seriously injured. The funeral of the unfortunate young mau occurred next day, and attracted a large crowd, the larger portion of whom were drawn +v j r y the rumour of the strange ev<>nt preceding the death of the deceased. When the body was deposited in the grave and the loose earth had been thrown in until the aperture was filled, and while the friends of the dead man yet lingered in the cemetery, a bolt of lightning descended from a cloud directly over the burial place and struck the grave, throwing the dirt as if a plough had passed lengthwise through it. No one was injured, but those present scattered almost paralyzed witk terror.