Evilman, on 12 January 2015 - 05:15 PM, said:
This is the reason why they've been killed, because they used blasphemic references in a funny way about Islam. They were fighting against every form of fanatism, and pressure from fanatics, not against religions in any way. They tried to show that they were not intimidated by fanatics, that's pretty much everything there is to understand.
I appreciate your opposition to the absurd notion that the murdered Charlie Hebdo personnel are responsible for the fate bestowed upon them, but I disagree with any (perceived) insinuation that religion should be free from criticism or even ridicule.
Violent assaults carried out by muslim terrorists (all over the world) are examples of religious dogmatism taken to the extreme, a dogmatism that starts with the attitude expressed by The Real Slim Flibble and others that feel religion is a sacred flower that should be exempt from any form of negative approach.
Those are usually the same people that believe any 'attack' on religion is de facto also an affront towards anyone practising it.
IMO this is a supremely arrogant position to take and one that is potentially very dangerous, as recent events have shown once more.
In all the media discussion I have come across this week, I wonder why no one has thought of hypothetically comparing the attitude towards organised religion to that regarding humanism, which to me seems valid as an alternative philosophy of life and how to live it.
Would the world care if anyone criticises, satirises, ridicules, vehemently despises or in other forms opposes this movement/idea, would people regarding themselves humanist take mass offence to it, going so far as to call for censorship, legal action, violence, death?
I find that hard to believe.
To make a more concise and general point: dogmatism sucks.