The last couple of years there have been a lot of stories in Europe, America, Asia, and beyond about the friction between Christians and Muslims. Too often we see the storyline – especially here in America – of people finding the differences in culture (ie. Islamic prayer) being taken as terrorist behavior.
On the flip side, I think a lot of people on the Muslim side of things believe that everyone else has to bend over backwards for them. The idea of a free and open society is that while we all have a right to our own gods (or lack thereof) there is also the right to mock the hell out of sacred cows.
I embrace the idea of a culture that is free to make fun of Jews, Christians, Atheists and yes, Muslims (and any other belief system you can think of). The concept that you’re going to issue a fatwa on anyone who speaks harshly of your culture while also arguing about tolerance is just two-faced.
I don’t think anyone gets a sensitivity exception. In the eyes of a free society nobody’s God (or Allah) gets to beat out anyone else’s.
Atheism is not a belief system in the sense you’re using it.
Well, its a non-belief system, I know. But I lumped it in because I don’t want people thinking only those with religion should be mocked.
You said it Oliver!
I am an atheist. I may feel that religious people are fools.
If I have a job as a cab driver does my atheism give me the right to refuse to bring a person to a church? Of course not! That would be absurd.
If I were a cab driver I couldn’t pick and choose my fares based on my opinion of the destination (with a personal safety exception).
Likewise, a muslim cab driver cannot refuse to bring a fare to a bar or a liquor store, nor can he refuse to drive a woman who he feels is inappropriately dressed.
A christian cab driver has no choice but to drive a fare to a liquor store or abortion clinic.
It just goes with the job. Pharmacists who refuses to dispense birth control because it offends their beliefs should be fired.
Atheists, working in bookstores, who refuses to sell Bibles should be fired, etc.
A person in a free society can believe any fool thing they want. They cannot, however, expect society to cater to their every (or any) whim.
Likewise we should not expect public money be used to facilitate private belief. Muslim cab drivers should not have government use public money to build inclement weather shelters so they can pray 6 times a day. If the government builds shelters then the muslim cab drivers will just have to pray next to a non-muslim cabdriver eating a ham and cheese sandwich out of the rain.
Christians should not have government funds pay for creches unless they are willing to have the government pay for any religious display from any religion which so requests. That could get amazingly expensive and complex. Perhaps it would be best for government to stay out of such things.
Etc.
Amen, brother. Let’s mock the shit out of everybody.
The free marketplace of ideas holds that those ideas with merit will survive the otherwise withering effects of sunshine.
Sunshine – the best disinfectant — especially when served up with a bowl of shit eating grin inducing satire!
Yum. Better than Cheerios!
M
Damn. That’s three in a row I have to agree with you — this one, the Durbin/Obama lovefest, and the CBC. The common elements of all three: maturity, common sense, and a willingness to put principles above partisanship.
Thank heavens you have the Bush piece there to reassure me your site hasn’t been hijacked.
J.
Yes, Jay, I’m nowhere near your editorial standards of just making assertions unsupported by the facts and never correcting them once the information is given to me.
Well, Oliver, if I was a professional blogger, instead of a hobbyist, I’d probably have higher standards. Unfortunately, my day job doesn’t give me the resources others have at their disposal.
Hey, is Soros hiring? And can you put in a good word for me?
J.
If George Soros was paying me to blog I’d be shouting it from the mountains. The only one paying me to blog is Adsense, Blogads, and the occasional dollar from Amazon. And even so, the only tool you needed before writing your smear job was Google (that’s free).
“Well, Oliver, if I was a professional blogger, instead of a hobbyist, I’d probably have higher standards.”
If it wasn’t Jay I’d say this was a stab at humor. But it’s jay so I have no doubt that he actually does think this is a valid excuse for being totally wrong on a regular and consistent basis.
You should try “the late edition” on the BBC. Marcus Brigstock recently satirised a guy called Barot (not Borat) who had been found guilty of planning to bomb UK and US targets: He compared Barot’s knowledge of the Koran to his own attitude to “Lost”; he thinks he likes it, but doesn’t have a fucking clue what it really is about. It was priceless. His interview with a senior muslim cleric was good as well, he points out the humour of the prophet Mohammed (I kid you not).
“The concept that you’re going to issue a fatwa on anyone who speaks harshly of your culture while also arguing about tolerance is just two-faced.”
It’s not about tolerance, it’s about obedience.