[Buddha-l] Return of blasphemy?

[Stefan Detrez]

Hi Pedro, Joy, e.a.

I think the very allowance to believe whatever you wish is the cause of so
much misery. On what premise is someone allowed to belief whatever they
wish? Do you have a right to hold erroneous beliefs? What kind of right is
this? A legal right? A moral right? In scientific circle, you can try to
believe whatever you like, but you'll be laughed away if you do not provide
sufficient reasons to do so. If there is some disagreement on an issue,
it's through dialogue that things are sorted out and any *rahula* is left
for what it was. There are so many public debates which don't spare
sentiments. Why should this be different in the religious sphere? If for
anything a theology or a buddhology has evolved, it is exactly because
people disagreed and advanced more convincing arguments. I see nothing
wrong in demanding justifications for beliefs, especially if based on these
beliefs people are told what to do. In short, it's wrong to believe wrong
things.

Stefan


2011/11/8 Joy Vriens <joy.vriens at gmail.com>

> Hi Pedro,
>
>    "You are allowed to hold whatever absurd, crazy, irrational and
>    inane beliefs your particular flavor of religion holds to be "true",
>    as long as:
>    A) I am not forced to acknowledge them as true or to live by them;
>    B) I am still allowed to call them "absurd, crazy, irrational and
>    inane" and no harm should come to me because of that.
>
>    I understand that part A will anger most fundamentalists of any
>    flavor (christian or muslin) and part B is likely to get individuals
>    and newspaper offices firebombed if they publish the "wrong" cartoon
>    "defaming" some flavor of religion or other (as seen recently in th
>    news). However, I frankly do not see the need for any more respect
>    or deference to religion than shown in the definition above."
>
>
> I understand your reference to the firebombing to be the attack on the
> French satrical magazine "Charlie Hebdo". It was their intention to
> publish a special number called "Charia Hebdo", with the following cover
> http://www.charliehebdo.fr/la-une that caused the firebombing and
> destruction of their office.
>
> They answer this week with the following cover "Love is stronger than
> hate" *http://tinyurl.com/d6glpno* <http://www.charliehebdo.fr/la-une>
> I am not sure the message will be understood, but it's pretty clear.
>
> Joy
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