[Buddha-l] Return of blasphemy?

[Jo]

'What constitutes a case of denigration of one's religion? How would that
right be properly defended?'

Good questions, Joy. 
This declaration is flawed indeed. In the first place, denigrating other
religions is orthopraxy for some, such as various evangelical Christian
sects,  Muslim theology (based on the denigrations found in the Koran),
various Buddhist beliefs (based on denigrations of 'Hinayana' found in some
Mahayana texts) --for a start.

With no agreed-upon definition of 'denigration' this leaves the world's
peoples (whom they presume to address) in several quandaries if they want to
take this document seriously. Without considering the definitional problem
and the concept of denigration, the authors of this declaration appear to
want to entirely eliminate critical thinking about various religions, or any
religion, or religion in general. Utterly ridiculous, and sorry to see HHDL
as a part of this nonsense; he himself often has proffered critical views on
aspects of his own religion. Is critique denigration? How the hell would
anyone know on the basis of this statement?

Joanna