Quote:From an argumentative standpoint, you're making the mistake of lumping all Muslims into the terrorist stereotype, which is exactly what makes so many hate America. Muslims make up 1/5 of the world's population. You seem to be arguing that 1/5 of the global population are closet terrorists. I know you're not doing it on purpose and it should seem obvious to people, but to most, it won't. This distinction is important.

What the cartoonist woman did just added up to the daily bias and misconceptions Muslims get about their faith. Even the most moderate people have their boiling points, and actions like this do nothing to help it. If anything, it only preaches to the crowd and gives fuel to actual terrorists to initiate the less educated into their brand of Islam. I get your line of reasoning, I see it repeated by mass media pundits on a daily basis and to date, no one's ever given a clear plan towards how to actually resolve this issue with the Muslim world.

Quote:On free speech, try to see it as a normative structure, separate from very human and real world considerations. All ideas seem noble at first but turn ugly when put into practice. It's quite easy for someone sitting behind a keyboard to argue on the importance of the principle of free speech, but in practice it's extremely difficult to draw workable guidelines without offending anyone because occasionally, there are idiots like this woman that abuse the principle and then hide behind the law as if she did nothing wrong. To put it in a more extreme context; the Muslims who called for her death could argue in court that they were simply exercising their right to free speech as well, at least until someone actually kills her.

Quote:You need to see the bigger picture and realize that some people will never be able to think the same as you, and make considerations for that. Intellectual criticism/Logically destroying their arguments might make you satisfied for a little while but it won't change the way they think. It's simply not the best way to engage others.

Quote: And in the same way, non-Muslims should just realize that unless they fully understand it, they should just shut the fuck up.

Quote:A religion that reacts in such a way does not deserve respect or politeness. People have every right to believe whatever nonsense they want, but they do not have the right to force those beliefs on others. Muslims should not expect everyone to refrain from drawing Mohammed just because they don't want to. Hindus should not expect everyone to stop eating beef. Jews should not expect people to stop working on the sabbath. Catholics should not expect people to treat their crackers like they're the body of Jesus.

Now, I don't go out looking to start confrontations, so I'm polite to an extent. If my Jewish friend is coming over for dinner, I'll take their dietary needs into consideration. But the second Jews start threatening and murdering human beings for eating pork, I will not blink an eye before organizing a national Bacon Week.

Quote:Benedict was more explicit in his condemnation of militant atheism, noting that Britain had fought the atheistic evil embodied by Adolf Hitler.

"Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live," he said.

His pronouncements brought immediate condemnation from humanists and secularists, and some other religious groups. Terry Sanderson, the president of the National Secular Society, said the pope had hardly waited to get off the plane before attacking secularism.

Quote:Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord

Quote:http://www.gmanews.tv/story/202328/tour-...ide-church

Carlos Celdran Detained for Protesting Inside Church

Quote:Art. 132. Interruption of religious worship. — The penalty of prision correccional in its minimum period shall be imposed upon any public officer or employee who shall prevent or disturb the ceremonies or manifestations of any religion.

Quote:Art. 133. Offending the religious feelings. — The penalty of arresto mayor in its maximum period to prision correccional in its minimum period shall be imposed upon anyone who, in a place devoted to religious worship or during the celebration of any religious ceremony shall perform acts notoriously offensive to the feelings of the faithful.

(10-01-2010, 10:09 AM)Goat Wrote: Hahahah we're starting to be like a Muslim country, only this one's dominated by catholics.

If this happened, I'd protest against it.

(10-01-2010, 10:46 PM)HayWire Wrote: Did somebody say holy war?