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Why?
Why shouldn't we respect others beliefs and opinions even if we believe them to be wrong? What is so special about the truth we believe that we have to poke it in the eyes of people who believe truths we think or even know to be falsehoods?
Everyone who wants to draw Muhammed is absolutely free and entitled to, but it doesn't mean I have to like any of you for disrespecting other cultures because you can.
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I just explained the ethics and ideology of it. As for the nature of ideas themselves, if they are evidently wrong, what is there to respect? There is no value in a bad idea. I respect people (in general), not ideas, certainly not those I don't hold. If I respected them, I would agree with them!
It just compounds the ridiculousness when it is an idea itself that demands that we should respect ideas. That's circular on a meta level above and beyond the discussion.
It's not my fault that people hold to bad ideas. That in itself is not a problem, they can be discussed. Generation is ideas, that I respect, if not the ideas themselves. But it's hardly my fault if people are emotionally attached to their ideas, especially if they become so in a society where freedom of speech is valued and (theoretically) protected. That's a recipe for getting offended, and they should have seen that coming. For a good long time, it has been unwritten that ideas should be respected just because they are religious. You ask me why shouldn't we respect such ideas, but I say, why the hell
should we? Because otherwise people get offended?
Well so what? We all have the right to be offended. That right ends at the right to be. Then what? The correct response is to reveal that fact, if you so wish. Two disagreeing parties may agree to avoid such in future, though they may as well end the discussion there if they do. I never would were that cause of offence was something ridiculous like a drawing, or even just the fact that I disagree, which it turns out is an actual thing. I've met people who are offended by my existance as a non-believer, and I found that astonishing.
I'm not talking about setting out to simply insult, though that on occasion is both apt and necessary. I prefer to keep things civil until the other guy has made that impossible by being a lying, evasive, dishonest, fucking moronic cunt. Elsewhere I've been talking to someone just like that. You would not believe his bullshit was genuine if I told you. But that's off topic.
The point is, ideas don't get a free ride just because someone was dim enough to develop an emotional attachment to them. The fact is if an idea has an value at all, it will be able to defend itself. You wouldn't be offended if you have a perfectly sensible counter to round with. Or you might, but that wouldn't matter. One should be able to discuss ideas over a crappy beer and be as candid as you like. I've done that myself with a Christian friend. The topic didn't come up often since we enjoyed our common ground more (I refer you to the "friend" part).
Which is another thing. Just because I say ideas should be fair game, that doesn't mean everyone must go with that. Just that stupid emotional hang-ups and the possibility of offence (or death threats) should not stop you.
South Park writers targeted for attacks
