[Buddha-l] Re: Buddhism and blasphemy

[Benito Carral]

On Wednesday, February 8, 2006, Jim Peavler wrote:

> Can you take a small joke?

   From  another  POV, this is just what I have written
today about replying to Alex.

   Some  people publish a joke about Muhammad and other
people  say,  "I  don't  find  it funny at all," so the
people  who  published  the joke reply, "Can you take a
small joke?"

   The  question  is that those "immature" people don't
think  that  the  joke  is  a  small joke but a serious
offense  (and  I  suppose  that  if  one  is a coherent
Pragmatist, he would find nothing wrong with that). The
question  is  that  the  "mature"  people are trying to
force their worldview to the "immature" one.

   Some  poeple  between  the  "immature"  one  feel so
offended  that  respond physically to "small joke," and
it result in some victims between the "mature" people.

   I'm not defending the physical response, but asking,
"Is  it  wise  to believe that the only way of consider
the 'small joke' is as a 'small joke'?," "Is it wise to
use  the 'right' of expression to tell small jokes that
finally  kill people?", "Is it wise to keep telling the
'small joke' instead of apologizing?"

   In  short,  what  you  call  a  "small  joke" is not
necessarily a "small joke" for everyone, and if someone
interprets  it as an "offense" and you ask him to laugh
at  such  an "offense," you are promoting the same kind
that of conflict that is feeding media these days.

   So  I  think  that it is probably a good idea to use
our  right  of expression to not tell so many jokes (if
we really don't want to hurt other people).

   Best and peaceful wishes,

   Beni