Still more threats to free speech from religion

[dandare]

free speech is hated by the right on left.

[MrMoran]

free speech is hated by the right on left.

 

Ill say this now as i wont get the chance later.

 

[dandare]

 

Strange how religious zealots love the concept of secularism when they are in the minority, and hate it when they are in the majority.

 

how very true

[spooky3]

LOL, wanted to sign, but it's not there!!!

 

"In response to complaints from a number of students, the University College London Union has insisted that the UCLU Atheist, Secularist & Humanist Society remove the following image from a Facebook event advertising a pub social. It has done so on the grounds that it may cause offence to Muslim students.

 

This is a gross infringement on its representatives' right to freedom of expression taken by members of the first secular university in England. All people are free to be offended by any image they view. This does not give them the right to impose their beliefs on others by censoring such images.

 

We the undersigned urge the University College London Union to immediately halt their attempts to censor the UCLU Atheist, Secularist & Humanist Society and uphold its members' right to freedom of expression."

 

http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/2012/01/student-atheist-society-in-censorship.html

[gularscute]

I'm firmly on the side of the atheists when it comes to being disgusted at attacks on free expression by religious organisations. It would be a step backwards. I love Tolkien's writings but even if I thought they were a true account that I should take as a code by which to live my life, I'd still have to accept that it was alright for people to say that Gandalf was a product of someone's imagination and nothing else.

 

At the same time, I don't think anyone should go out of their way to cause unnecessary offence to people who have beliefs that they consider to be the stuff of fairy tales. All beliefs and ideas should be challenged but sensitivitity should be applied where people's lifestyles, sense of being and source of self esteem are inextricably woven into in a harmless set of ideas. Life isn't easy and everyone needs some sort of crutch. It's cruel to just thoughtlessly kick it away. I'd hope that self regulation would be key in that sort of thing.

 

On the subject of free speech, I agree with what many others have said. You either have it or you don't. It's a bit like saying someone is a little bit pregnant or 84% vegetarian. I think there should be full scope for criticising leaders and slating ideas but I'm glad that there are consequences for people who, say, falsely accuse someone of a crime or shout racial abuse at people.

 

Some time ago, I read about a website that offered advice on how to successfully commit rape, the equipment to use and legal advice on how to discredit the victim in court. If that was a true news story, I'm glad the site was taken down and glad the writer was silenced.

 

I can't honestly say I'm in full favour of freedom of speech. There should be a broad spectrum of unproscribed expression but I can think of plenty of things I'd gladly censor.

[mj.scuba]

Great example of Sharia Law being applied in the US:

http://news.yahoo.com/penn-judge-muslims-allowed-attack-people-insulting-mohammad-210000330.html

[EbonyBranch]

That may be so but democracy in it's simplest form is 'the majority wins'. Nothing too difficult about that.

 

If people are actually carrying out what they've read, in a place where the majority don't believe, then the law should come down on them.

 

As mentioned earlier, stop being deliberately provocative and malicious towards them, and there won't be a reaction.

 

Adding all these thoughts of yours together, I can only conclude that if a majority of people don't consider something to be offensive - for example, a picture of Mohammed - then the minority have no grounds to be offended. I think it's probably fair to say that a majority of British people don't consider such an image to be offensive. Likewise, a meeting to discuss secularism, Jesus and Mo, etc.

 

Personally, I believe that all people, whatever proportion of the population they comprise, can be as offended as they want to be by anything short of incitement to violence - there is no right to NOT be offended.

 

If you burn a copy of the Koran (in the wrong way) you'll cause riots. If you burn a copy of the God Delusion, you'll struggle to even attract attention. I might even help you, just prove a point, even though I love that book.