The Freedom to Say What You Think or Not? Ban on Blasphemy Proposed.

[maikeru]

Muslim countries seek blasphemy ban - United Nations- msnbc.com

One American expert with more than 20 years experience of the U.N. human rights system said the treaty could have far-reaching implications.

"It would, in essence, advance a global blasphemy law," said Felice Gaer, a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The independent, congressionally mandated panel issued a report last week warning that existing laws against blasphemy, including in Pakistan, "often have resulted in gross human rights violations."

In Egypt, blasphemy laws have been used to suppress dissidents, said Moataz el-Fegiery, executive director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies. Abdel Kareem Nabil, a blogger, was sentenced in February 2007 to four years in prison for insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Could be very troubling for atheists, agnostics, and scientists who may be blamed or accused of blasphemy for writing, saying, or working on what they believe.

[Moontanman]

That is just intolerable, religion keeps trying to gain control like a cancer and this is just not acceptable. I'm sorry I can't comment on this any further it pisses me off so bad i am livid.

[maikeru]

Sometimes I wonder if supposed "tolerance" just becomes another kind of intolerance.

[Turtle]

i heard talk that maybe that muslim psychiatrist soldier guy that murdered those people at fort hood texas may have been passed along by superiors inspite of his poor performance reports because he was muslim. political correctness and all ya know. wouldn't want to offend some one over religion now would we?

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by maikeru

Sometimes I wonder if supposed "tolerance" just becomes another kind of intolerance.

maikeru, how can you be tolerant of those who will not tolerate or allow you to even have your own thoughts and words?

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by maikeru

Sometimes I wonder if supposed "tolerance" just becomes another kind of intolerance.

Yep. And it's the law of unintended consequences in action: I wonder what they'd think if they knew that their proposal could outlaw the use of the word "Zionism"....

We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them,
Buffy

[Qfwfq]

What our post-enlightenment tradition should strive against is the abuse of religion for political aims. This is a quite distinct thing from requiring folks to respect each other.

It is possible to criticize a government without lacking respect. It is possible to state one's own belief or lack thereof without offending those of others. The fine line between these things can't be engraved in stone with no ambiguity, there will always be clashes over these distinctions and objectivity is not a natural human trait. It doesn't help to despise an entire category for the shortcomings of some part of it. These problems are not solved by total, unleashed freedom, only mutual respect can avoid clashes.

The real problem to focus on is that of avoiding the instatement of regimes. There is no recipe for this, the only resistance can come from a population that recognizes and doesn't turn a blind eye to signs of one coming on.

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Moontanman

maikeru, how can you be tolerant of those who will not tolerate or allow you to even have your own thoughts and words?

It's a good question, no?

[Janus]

As R. A. Heinlein put it in an excerpt from "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long":

Of all the strange “crimes” that human beings have legislated out of nothing, “blasphemy” is the most amazing--with “obscenity” and “indecent exposure” fighting it out for second and third place.

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by maikeru

It's a good question, no?

Yes it is a good question, I guess it's easier to be tolerant after your head has been chopped off because you didn't agree with the guy who wanted you to tolerate him.