impiety

Impolicy? No, impiety. Impiety is the disposition or action of showing disrespect for the sacred, religious duties, or divine beings. Etymologically it derives from Latin impietas, from impius meaning not pious, with the sense of a lack of reverence toward the sacred. In classical and later religious contexts, impiety functions as a judgment about proper relationship to the divine.

Historically, the concept appears across civilizations. In ancient Greece, asebeia (impiety) designated offenses against the gods or neglect of pious duties, often tied to social or political order. Roman usage adapted the term as impietas. In Christian Europe, impiety became a charged term for deviations from orthodoxy, sacrilege, or blasphemy, sometimes used to police doctrinal and moral conformity. Over time, the charge broadened to encompass irreverence toward sacred objects, rites, or institutions.

In contemporary discourse, impiety can refer to irreverence toward religion in general, or to criticism of religious beliefs framed as impious by believers. Legal and ethical discussions around impiety intersect with debates on blasphemy, religious toleration, and freedom of expression; many jurisdictions have reduced or repealed impiety or blasphemy laws in favor of broader protections for speech.

Impiety is often contrasted with related concepts such as atheism, sacrilege, and blasphemy. Atheism concerns belief about the existence of deities, while impiety concerns attitudes or actions toward the sacred. Sacrilege and blasphemy emphasize violation of sacred objects or speech; impiety emphasizes a perceived deficiency of reverence toward the divine or the sacred order.