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Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Freedom of Speech? Only if you're a religious nutcase apparently

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apparently, to the very religious, freedom of speech works, but only in one direction.  They have the right to speechify to YOU, you do NOT have the right to reply.    this has become a fundamental problem in the dialogue between the fundamentalist religionists and those of us who are free from religion.

FULL DISCLOSURE:  i am a scientist, i do not believe in a god, any god.    you may believe, and that's just fine with me, i respect that.  all i ask is that you respect my right to disbelieve.  not trying to start a pie fight or disrespect anyone's religious beliefs, just pointing up the fact that some believers do not respect anyone else's rights.  to these people, it's god's will that they thrust their views in my face, but i am not allowed to disagree.  well, here are some professors, one at UCLA and one at Penn State who took their own action.  sorry the videos aren't very good, but listen to the words.    warning:  the word M'f***er is used in one of the videos.  here we go:  

the videos won’t embed using either the old or the new code so, i’m just putting in the links.  if nothing else these are funny as hell!


Categories: General.

/ 40 Comments

40 comments

  1. LabWitch

    as i understand that embeding these links may be a no no, at least it was in the other place.  also, if a moderator thinks this is inappropriate, please delete it for me.  thank you.

  2. LabWitch

    and i replied to the mod ticket with an explanation of why moderation was requested.  it’s up to the MM’s now.  no problem.  they can ignore it, they can delete it, they can laugh at it or whatever.  i just liked the humor of it all.  

  3. LabWitch

    just thought it might be wise to get a ruling on this.  the videos don’t start automatically for me, and none of the FAQ embed directions worked so …  

    thank you for the time you took to look into it.

    everyone has their right to believe what they like, i will respect those beliefs.  no one has the right to shove their beliefs down anyone else’s throat.  harsh?  maybe, but, i tend to push back.  nicely at first.

  5. Abra Crabcakeya

    she knows I’m a sommewhat confused and quiet believer. Also someone who is offended by badgering by religious zealots – i’ve lived all but a couple of years of my life in Alabama , those in about 1981 to 1983. THose folks are unescapable here. But , ya know , LabWitch and I have completely civil discourse over the phone and  intertubes even with this , ehh , fundamental difference.And ABOUT the general subject of religion , with neither of us getting the least bit offended even wwhen teasing one another about it.Not sure what I’m trying to say here , ‘cept I thought the video was funny , illustrative of a nasty form of social badgering , and  also illustrative of the fact that lines drawn between science and religion just ain’t necessary if folks keep their universe in perspective. It’s mostly mystery , and we are not gonna understand much of it. (and I didn’t go to church today , but cruised the dating websites , tra – la – la!)  

  6. Chris Blask

    complete non-theist, I know what you mean.

    As a Christian my freedom of speech was a treasure I understood. I learned very early that this has not been something I knew had not always been guaranteed.

    As a non-theist (“atheist” is so consistently misunderstood I don’t use the word), I have gone around the block on the issue. At first, and still fundamentally, I focused on respecting other people’s beliefs. But at a certain point I came to realize that I was not being as equally honest as theists were to me.

    So now I speak honestly.

    I don’t believe in theisms, of any sort. Religions are quite clearly man-made attempts to understand the universe from a position of ignorance. True, within theisms are many valuable moral lessons and structures to living, but also they come with a requirement to believe things which are infinitely unlikely. They are in almost all cases mutually exclusive, requiring believers to think less of the majority of humanity who do not share their theism.

    This doesn’t make anyone a bad person for believing in one, any more than I am a bad person for not doing so. Inasmuch as people find strength in one without thereby causing pain in someone else a theism can be a net good thing.

    Attempts by anyone to force me or another person to listen to their theistic beliefs are in fact tyranny, as much as my attempt to force anyone not to would be.

  8. LabWitch

    wouldn’t a case make things, um difficult? briefcase? jewelry case? boy, we gotta lotta bad words there.  😀

  9. slksfca

    …is that too many people, believers and non-believers alike, are too defensive and too quick to take offense. (I do NOT get that feeling from you, Labby.) When walls are up, real mutual understanding is impossible.

    Thanks for the diary!

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