I think I might have opened up a pandora's box on the topic of religion. For a while we had a discussion going but now it's turning to arguments for and against evolution and religion and frankly I am losing interest in the topic all togather.
The point I was trying to make with my initial post is that in a truely democratic state freedom of speech should prevail even if that speech that is perceived to be blasphemous or demeaning. And it's not just because in this day and age it's useless to supress any speech because of the advent of internet. I feel if we ban any and all other differing school of thoughts we run into the danger of creating a puritanical version of a religion where everything that is interpreted by the religious leaders is the rule of law and perceived as the actual will of God. The classic example is the Wahabi teachings in the Middle East. In certain countries in the reagion (not mentioning names) hatred for the people of other religion and even other sects of Islam is indoctrinated not only in the Madrasas (religious school) but the overall education system itself. This coupled with the overall xenophobic attitudes of the inhabitants creates an ideal breading ground for deciples who are taught to correct all the wrong in the world and bring back the glory days! To see the latest result click on the link below:
Bombing in Jakarta
Some may argue that if we are to believe that Islam is the divine religion, we have a duty to protect it (as It asks us to do). My answer to them to what is this supposed threat? Is the threat seen by the rational minds of our society or the "trusted" religious leaders. And what lengths are you willing to go to protect your religion? Does it include killing innocent people?
The sentiment that is shared by Islamic extremists about the people from the West is the same sentiment that I hear so often from the underprivileged in the US about white people: they are all rich, corrupt and racist. My question to them is: have you met all the white people in the US?