Wow, I’m glad I don’t live in Vatican City, where the whims of one man can dictate everyone’s freedoms. I was warming up to Pope Francis quite nicely, but this is really striking the wrong note. We have to walk on eggshells about people’s religious beliefs, while at the same time religious people judge, throw (figurative) stones at, and claim everyone not of their faith is going to hell? Where’s the tolerance and respect coming from the religious community for those who don’t share their beliefs? There generally isn’t much, frankly. And that’s a double standard, which is hypocrisy. But then, the Catholic Church knows a lot about hypocrisy, don’t they?
Why is it justified to criticize religion? Oh, I don’t know, maybe the Inquisition, the brutality of Sharia, apocalyptic death cults, etc. If nobody is allowed to criticize such practices, they never end, and we’re partly to blame for not challenging them. I believe religion is supposed to make life better, but quite often is seems to make life worse. That needs to be addressed, not silenced.
But I’m not surprised a religious leader would claim there should be limits on free speech: if there’s enough rational expression, they might lose their flocks. But freedom of expression is one of the most important of all human rights, and it should be fiercely guarded as a right. Anyone putting ‘if’s ‘and’s or ‘but’s as qualifiers are really the enemies of freedom. Sure, you shouldn’t use that expression to bully, harass or abuse, but just because someone criticizes your religion does not mean you are being abused; in fact, perhaps you’re being disabused.
People killing each other over something someone said about their religion is just like little kids in school beating each other up because one said something about the other’s mom. Haven’t we matured at all since elementary school? Sometimes it doesn’t seem like it.*
And don’t religious people think God has thicker skin than this? Do they really think God gets His feelings hurt and wants revenge for a comment or a cartoon? No God I would believe in would be so narcissistic, vengeful or immature: those are human traits, and not very good ones at that. Isn’t God above these things? To think not seems to me a much greater blasphemy than any critique or joke.
Here’s a helpful guide to tolerance with free speech as an absolute right: If someone says something that offends you, don’t listen to them. If someone draws something that offends you, don’t look at it. It’s easy to not be bothered by things others draw or say if you simply ignore them. (Threats and intimidation do not fall into this rule of thumb, for they are not legitimate free speech.)
Remember the thing about sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me? The political correctness crowd has been trying to discredit this wisdom in an attempt to muzzle speech they don’t like, using intimidation and bullying to discourage others: this is not much better than religion seeking to stamp out free speech. Please cut it out, all of you: free expression is more important than all of its consequences.
If we cannot be tolerant enough to permit others to express their honest views without seeking to destroy them, then I doubt if even God can save us. And really: why would He even want to?
(BTW: Personally I believe in God, but I think organized religion has largely lost its way.)
* (I am both amused and disappointed to report that Pope Francis himself in the article I read on this subject {link included below} suggested he would beat up anyone who said something bad about his mother. Really? The top guy in the religion that prides itself on forgiveness would actually physically attack someone for saying something? That is simply pathetic. What a great example to us all. And no wonder he thinks there should be limits on free expression: he cannot even control himself, apparently, according to him. How adult.)
Here's the speech-squelching story:
http://news.yahoo.com/pope-charlie-hebdo-limits-free-expression-121639260.html
Here’s a helpful guide to tolerance with free speech as an absolute right: If someone says something that offends you, don’t listen to them. If someone draws something that offends you, don’t look at it. It’s easy to not be bothered by things others draw or say if you simply ignore them. (Threats and intimidation do not fall into this rule of thumb, for they are not legitimate free speech.)
Remember the thing about sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me? The political correctness crowd has been trying to discredit this wisdom in an attempt to muzzle speech they don’t like, using intimidation and bullying to discourage others: this is not much better than religion seeking to stamp out free speech. Please cut it out, all of you: free expression is more important than all of its consequences.
If we cannot be tolerant enough to permit others to express their honest views without seeking to destroy them, then I doubt if even God can save us. And really: why would He even want to?
(BTW: Personally I believe in God, but I think organized religion has largely lost its way.)
* (I am both amused and disappointed to report that Pope Francis himself in the article I read on this subject {link included below} suggested he would beat up anyone who said something bad about his mother. Really? The top guy in the religion that prides itself on forgiveness would actually physically attack someone for saying something? That is simply pathetic. What a great example to us all. And no wonder he thinks there should be limits on free expression: he cannot even control himself, apparently, according to him. How adult.)
Here's the speech-squelching story:
http://news.yahoo.com/pope-charlie-hebdo-limits-free-expression-121639260.html
