The Bishop of Oxford has warned that the abolition of the laws on blasphemy could "send out the wrong signal" to society.

His intervention came after an amendment to anti-terror legislation aimed at scrapping the ancient law was tabled by the former health secretary Frank Dobson.

The Bishop of Oxford, the Right Reverend Richard Harries, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that repealing the law could reinforce the view that religion no longer mattered.

"Certainly members of the Church of England do not need this law to protect their feelings nor does the divine mystery at the heart of the universe need the law to protect that mystery," he said. "But I think we have to ask as a society, a society that is somewhat jaded and cynical now, is there nothing left that is sacred? Could the abolition of the blasphemy law send the wrong signal?"

Defending his decision to amend the legislation, Dobson said: "If we are going to have a law that makes incitement to religious hatred a crime, and that covers every religion, it is perfectly consistent to get rid of the blasphemy law, which after all only offers protection to the Church of England."

Harries said, however, that the church would support a change in the law providing a new law encompassing all religions was put in place.

"The Church of England has always made it clear that if the law on blasphemy could be replaced by a workable law that protects all religions it would not oppose it," he said. "But I do find it very strange that this amendment is trying to piggy-back on the anti-terrorism legislation. It would be far more appropriate to bring it up at another time when context allows for a far more reflective debate."