Where do you stand on the following quote, "...may have offended Muslims but none was thereby prevented from practicing their faith. Freedom of religion means the freedom to live and worship according to one's beliefs. Freedom of expression is funtionally meaningless if it does not include the freedom to offend. If it is inoffensive, then it does not need safeguarding."\n\nBasically, in response to the Prophet cartoons, or any other issue where religion was offended... How does that limit your ability to practice your religion?
132506
The Mohammed cartoons did not limit any Muslim person's ability to practice their religion.\n\nMaking images of Mohammed is banned in Islam.  But this prohibition doesn't apply to non-Muslims, even though some Muslims seemed to think it does.\n\nAs a Catholic, I've seen and heard derogatory and offensive things about Catholicism that make the Mohammed cartoons look tame by comparison.  \n\nI think this kind of stuff is highly offensive -- but that's part of living in a society where we have free speech.  It means that occasionally, we have to put up with something offensive.\n\nOffensive anti-Catholic material is, to put it mildly, not what I like to see or read -- but I don't feel it has ever limited my ability to practice my religion.
182623
I thought we were only allowed a certain number of characters with which to spew our idiocy across the proverbial cosmos. Aparently that doesn't apply to those who worship those who steal other peoples "wastes." What was the juxtaposition of the question? Did your "profet" take a hit to the neck region? Or does hitting people in the neck region forcibly convert them from Judaism to Islam. An event similar to the medical event of "fast detoxification under anesthetics" only this ones for your soul. I gift myself two points.
425017
Exactly.  If it's not a Religion, then it can not be protected under  Freedom of Religion.  I can't claim my relationship with my husband is protected under that.  Or any of my Relationships. \n\nThey really should be careful about how they represent their religion, because just as easily as the Christian Politicians have twisted the laws to cover only the mainstream religions in many cases, they may soon find it being done to their own to the same extent.
212317
Free speech is a right. It has limits. You cannot threaten people. But if you believe they are wrong or sinning, they do not have a right to not be offended, as you are neither threatening them or harming them in any way.\n\nYou cannot punish peoples' thoughts and still be a free nation. \n\nYou have no right to deny others' speech merely because you don't like it. It is not harassment. You are equally free to ignore them or refute them. But if you curtail their rights by bringing government force against them, we've all lost.\n\nThat is a path that leads to oppression of all people.
639121
If my history lessons and further study of history are correct the US is a secular nation and its founders believed that no religion should be put above any other religion. Quite the foresight if I might say as they put this provision into the Constitution to protect the country from the various sects of christianity not the various religions in the world. The controversy you state is only a controversy in your head as I could care less about your religion. However, if any religion tries to usurp the US Constitution it is within the rights of any one to question and eventually put a halt to their actions. Christians have no more rights nor less rights than anyone else. So, if you see a problem with someone who doesn't share your religious views you have not read the first amendment properly. Get over it.
136282
Is there ANY way in which that is NOT a violation of the first amendment?  That judge managed to destroy BOTH freedom of religion AND freedom of speech in one sentence!  It's perfectly legal to refuse medical treatment for a dying child because it goes against your religious beliefs, but God forbid you make fun of Christianity when your kid's not even there.  Has Bush tried to appoint this guy to the Supreme Court yet?  And why is it that they don't take away people who teach their children to racism and homophobia (or creationism for that matter) but parents who's religion goes against Christianity can lose their kids?  Or maybe it was the sex toy thing.  Perhaps we should take away the kids of everyone who has had sex.  But wait a second, that might not work so well.
671038
Yes, I think it's a big deal, and I am NOT offended to find those words on our coins.  It is one of the very few places that God is still honored in our country.  Should we invalidate the Declaration of Independence, or the Bill of Rights, because they make reference to God?  No!  This country was founded in Christianity, and although I do firmly believe in freedom from religious persecution, I think we've gone way too far on the other side... it is now the Christians who are persecuted, our prayers are not allowed, the very basic principals that this country was founded on are litigated, and all by people claiming to be offended by it... well, you know what?  In many other countries, being the "wrong" religion can get you jailed and executed.  We allow you the God-given right to disagree, but what right do you have to change  who we are?!?!  This country was founded on Christian principals, and you have the right to live here and not be a Christian (although I pray for those lost souls), but that does not mean that you have the right to interfere with my rights, either.  Keep God in all that we do, to honor our forefathers, and honor our FATHER.
94372
Why does the God you describe have the same "with us or against us" attitude that Bush does? It's this simple. You can practice any given religion, without interference. That is your right. However, your rights stop where the rights of others begin. As everyone else has the same right, to practice any or no religion, you have no right to force your religion on them. God was inserted into our culture at a time when 99% of the people in it were christian. That is simply no longer the case, and equal rights must be upheld. By "erasing" God from our culture, we are not denying his existence, we are simply not affirming it. THAT is the middle ground. We're not saying that we know God doesn't exist, we're saying that we don't know that he does. As a nation. That is, some of us believe, and some of us don't, and some of us aren't sure. You have every right to believe in God, and worship him in any way you choose, within reason. But you do not have the right to demand that our government and our culture support your views over anyone else's. This is equality. The only way you could perceive it as an attack on your beliefs is if you want those beliefs forced on others, or the nation as a whole.
527656
I agree! I'm always confused when someone tries to do that... T_T It just, besides being offensive when one tries to force religious beliefs on another, doesn't make sense. For me, that's something i think is so COOL, is how we all have different beliefs and yet we can be friends! :D
139424
Knowing that Muslims get so angry, I would not do that or condone anyone else doing it.  But this world is not perfect and people can express themselves even if it offends others.  I am Christian and they recently published a cartoon about Jesus that is so bad that I will not even say it here.  There is nothing I can do about it, but I will say one thing, Jesus can take care of himself and he has big shoulders that can take a lot of abuse.  But when he has had enough, people just up and go away.  I do speak up but never take physical action against another, but God does take them off the earth all by himself.
108481
All beliefs should be open to scrutiny, otherwise they just become dogma. Enforced dogma is totalitarianism and repression. It can happen anywhere where free (respectable) speech is stifled. To maintain that one can't ask a respectable question about another religion is simply engendering fear. To maintain that they MY god is above questioning but YOURS isn't, is essentailly a circular argument that takes us nowhere. To maintain that my question insults your god (and that this involves punishment to me) is simply barbaric. I am happy to discuss all of my views with ANYBODY that doesn't intimidate or threaten me.
51935
This link gives more details\nBecause the core of the story is not related to the printing of the orignal and "genuine" 12 cartoons...\n\nAt the end of the link, the dark brown pics are the added cartoons that many say, the Danish Imam added when he wanted to create reactions from the muslim countries (5 months after the incident !).\n\nIf you have, like the Mufti of Marseille would say, maturity in your faith (if you are Muslim) the 12 original Cartoons should not make you react. Like the Mufti of Marseille says, Mr. Benchek, freedom of speech has been an essential aspect of how muslim live in the West. The reactions are proof that Muslims are not strong in their Faith and feel insulted for just a few pics of bad taste (he was reffering to ONLY the original Cartoons and not the Mysteriously 3 added ones...)\n\nMake sure you read throughly to distingish what is said.... Because if you only "look" you will be another one of the manipulated persons, which ever side of the coin you are on.\n\nCiao !
676698
"I disapprove of what you say. I disagree with what you say. And I defend your right to say it."\n\nThis is the essence of free speech in a free society. I am very sad reading the posts here from people born and raised in America who still can't understand this basic concept.
597034
I wouldn't endorse a ban on any religion.  How can we be a country of freedoms if we start banning people who think differently?  It is the extremist (of any religion) that make it hard........not the regular folks.
50536
I don't believe it's a matter of being appropriate or not.But the idea behind the "holocaust" cartoons is to turn the tables on the whole free press argument given by the european newspapers.They've claimed (Le Monde,Die Welt, etc)that freedom of expression justifies their publishing such cartoons.I think they've forgotten there are two concepts there,of which freedom is the more important and it implies respect towards others and their beliefs in this case.\nMy freedom ends where another person's begins.\nI understand the muslims rage but i don't support their violent reactions.Still the course of action taken by some of these european newspapers is not helping.\n( i'm a catholic)
217786
One must remember, that in Islam, unless you are a true believer, you are not consider worthily of any truth.  Therefore you may be lied to, killed and held to a different set of laws.  The freedom of speech that seems to be going around about Islam is only that in which the Mullahs allow you to speak.  There is none to speak of and there is only death to those that commit any type of unkind talk about Mohammad.
387009
There is, and cannot be, true "freedom of religion".  If someone believes that their religion requires them to murder others, this will not be allowed.\n\nInteresting that islamic terrorists fall neatly into that category, but it is not just them.  Christians who bomb abortion clinics, Satanists who believe in human sacrifice, and others will have their freedom of religion curtailed.