Penal Code Section 508

508. Whoever voluntarily causes or attempts to cause any person to do anything which that person is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do anything which he is legally entitled to do, by inducing or attempting to induce that person to believe that he, or any person in whom he is interested, will become or will be rendered by some act of the offender an object of Divine displeasure if he does not do the thing which it is the object of the offender to cause him to do, or if he does the thing which it is the object of the offender to cause him to omit, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.

ILLUSTRATIONS

(a) A performs a ceremony at Z’s door with the intention of causing it to be believed that by so doing he renders Z an object of Divine displeasure. A has committed the offence defined in this section.

(b) A threatens Z that unless Z performs a certain act, A will kill one of A’s own children, under such circumstances that the killing would be believed to render Z an object of Divine displeasure. A has committed the offence defined in this section.