Organized Religion Discussion Thread

[HayWire]

[quote]
Just because one does not agree with something does not necessarily make it wrong.

Under the laws of free speech, there is no blasphemy? It's all black and white? There are no consequences? Or, we can say/write anything we want about anyone without thinking about libel, or slander? I refuse to believe in that. Free speech comes with responsibilities for wise usage, not a free reign to anything and everything.

Free speech doesn't equal lying. And furthermore, the principle of free speech means that if somebody is lying to you, you have every right to call them out. But that right does not extend to resorting to threat of physical violence. If somebody makes up bullshit, shoot it down with facts.

The situation you are positing is different. Mohammed belongs only to the Muslim religion. Burgers and cows on the other hand encompass something outside Hinduism. Why attack something that doesn't concern you?

The concept of the prophet may belong to Muslims, but that does not mean that it's not a valid target for ANY sort of criticism. it's an idea, and just like any idea or belief, the reality is that it will be criticized.

The point of the Draw a Muhammad Day event was to point out that fact. And if the Muslim community decided to retaliate with criticism, petitions, and other more civil means of protest, then there wouldn't be a problem. The problem is that they resorted to the cowardly tactic of trying to threaten somebody with death.

The worst enemy of any form of free speech isn't angry rhetoric or a rebutal. It's censorship, and that's exactly why this story pisses me off.

I think Westerners (Americans and Europeans, but Americans mostly) should stop trying to look at the entire world through their point of view exclusively. Yes, there's natural law and human rights are an intrinsically good thing because it promotes libertarianism which I'm a proponent of, but offending an entire religion just to try and get their more extremist components to adhere to a Western norm of society is bigoted.

And I think that a religion that does nothing about - if not outright supports - death threats from its constituents against anybody they don't like is atrocious and should be criticized for its draconic policies, regardless of where one is from.