Were you personally offended by Charlie Hebdo's anti-religious satire?

[Antonio the Sixth]

No, and no one should.

[Antonio the Sixth]

No, and no one should.

Why not? All good satire should offend at least a few people.

Well, I guess it depends how you define offense. I certainly don't expect anyone to like their style (hell, even I don't like all of their cartoons). What I meant is that no one should feel personally offended by a cartoon mocking their religion.

[Antonio the Sixth]

What I meant is that no one should feel personally offended by a cartoon mocking their religion.

Why not? If there's a right to offend then surely there must also be a right to be offended. Which is, needless to say, completely different from a right to firebomb offices and/or gun down people at an editorial meeting.

I can't control other people's feelings, obviously. The point was that I strongly dislike the ideological ramifications of such feeling.

[Antonio the Sixth]

What I meant is that no one should feel personally offended by a cartoon mocking their religion.

Why not? If there's a right to offend then surely there must also be a right to be offended. Which is, needless to say, completely different from a right to firebomb offices and/or gun down people at an editorial meeting.

I can't control other people's feelings, obviously. The point was that I strongly dislike the ideological ramifications of such feeling.

Such feeling is a natural outflow of feeling personally attached to one's religion, rather than just giving it some sort of dry intellectual assent.

OK, I'm not religious, so my knowledge of this is somewhat limited, but I'm pretty sure that there are many Catholics who take their faith seriously and yet don't give a damn about Charlie Hebdo's cartoons making fun of Jesus or the Pope. How would the fact that someone is making fun or your faith diminish it in any way? At most, your reaction could be one of pity toward the cartoonists if you believe God will punish them eventually.

[Antonio the Sixth]

What I meant is that no one should feel personally offended by a cartoon mocking their religion.

Why not? If there's a right to offend then surely there must also be a right to be offended. Which is, needless to say, completely different from a right to firebomb offices and/or gun down people at an editorial meeting.

I can't control other people's feelings, obviously. The point was that I strongly dislike the ideological ramifications of such feeling.

Such feeling is a natural outflow of feeling personally attached to one's religion, rather than just giving it some sort of dry intellectual assent.

OK, I'm not religious, so my knowledge of this is somewhat limited, but I'm pretty sure that there are many Catholics who take their faith seriously and yet don't give a damn about Charlie Hebdo's cartoons making fun of Jesus or the Pope. How would the fact that someone is making fun or your faith diminish it in any way? At most, your reaction could be one of pity toward the cartoonists if you believe God will punish them eventually.

I think you are missing the point. It's not about diminishing faith. It's about insulting something you care deeply about.

But do people take it as a personal offense every time an idea or a value they care deeply about is attacked? I understand why you feel religion is particular, but you have to agree that it's not the only thing that can elicit a strong personal commitment.

[Antonio the Sixth]

What I meant is that no one should feel personally offended by a cartoon mocking their religion.

Why not? If there's a right to offend then surely there must also be a right to be offended. Which is, needless to say, completely different from a right to firebomb offices and/or gun down people at an editorial meeting.

I can't control other people's feelings, obviously. The point was that I strongly dislike the ideological ramifications of such feeling.

Such feeling is a natural outflow of feeling personally attached to one's religion, rather than just giving it some sort of dry intellectual assent.

OK, I'm not religious, so my knowledge of this is somewhat limited, but I'm pretty sure that there are many Catholics who take their faith seriously and yet don't give a damn about Charlie Hebdo's cartoons making fun of Jesus or the Pope. How would the fact that someone is making fun or your faith diminish it in any way? At most, your reaction could be one of pity toward the cartoonists if you believe God will punish them eventually.

If someone jokes about a person's mom, some people will take offense, others will laugh it off. Some might be a little offended but still think it's a little funny.  It's the same thing.  God, Jesus, Mohammed - these are people who mean a lot to those who are religious.

There is a fundamental difference between persons and ideas. Ideas, by virtue of being ideas (and from the point where we accept to live in a free society) are inherently subject to the possibility of rebuttal and mockery.

[Antonio the Sixth]

What I meant is that no one should feel personally offended by a cartoon mocking their religion.

Why not? If there's a right to offend then surely there must also be a right to be offended. Which is, needless to say, completely different from a right to firebomb offices and/or gun down people at an editorial meeting.

I can't control other people's feelings, obviously. The point was that I strongly dislike the ideological ramifications of such feeling.

Such feeling is a natural outflow of feeling personally attached to one's religion, rather than just giving it some sort of dry intellectual assent.

OK, I'm not religious, so my knowledge of this is somewhat limited, but I'm pretty sure that there are many Catholics who take their faith seriously and yet don't give a damn about Charlie Hebdo's cartoons making fun of Jesus or the Pope. How would the fact that someone is making fun or your faith diminish it in any way? At most, your reaction could be one of pity toward the cartoonists if you believe God will punish them eventually.

If someone jokes about a person's mom, some people will take offense, others will laugh it off. Some might be a little offended but still think it's a little funny.  It's the same thing.  God, Jesus, Mohammed - these are people who mean a lot to those who are religious.

There is a fundamental difference between persons and ideas. Ideas, by virtue of being ideas (and from the point where we accept to live in a free society) are inherently subject to the possibility of rebuttal and mockery.

Is Muhammad not a person?

Muslims don't get offended by cartoons of Muhammad because they mock the person, but because they defy the ban on depictions of the Prophet and thus mock the beliefs of Islam.

[Antonio the Sixth]

What I meant is that no one should feel personally offended by a cartoon mocking their religion.

Why not? If there's a right to offend then surely there must also be a right to be offended. Which is, needless to say, completely different from a right to firebomb offices and/or gun down people at an editorial meeting.

I can't control other people's feelings, obviously. The point was that I strongly dislike the ideological ramifications of such feeling.

Such feeling is a natural outflow of feeling personally attached to one's religion, rather than just giving it some sort of dry intellectual assent.

OK, I'm not religious, so my knowledge of this is somewhat limited, but I'm pretty sure that there are many Catholics who take their faith seriously and yet don't give a damn about Charlie Hebdo's cartoons making fun of Jesus or the Pope. How would the fact that someone is making fun or your faith diminish it in any way? At most, your reaction could be one of pity toward the cartoonists if you believe God will punish them eventually.

If someone jokes about a person's mom, some people will take offense, others will laugh it off. Some might be a little offended but still think it's a little funny.  It's the same thing.  God, Jesus, Mohammed - these are people who mean a lot to those who are religious.

There is a fundamental difference between persons and ideas. Ideas, by virtue of being ideas (and from the point where we accept to live in a free society) are inherently subject to the possibility of rebuttal and mockery.

Is Muhammad not a person?

Muslims don't get offended by cartoons of Muhammad because they mock the person, but because they defy the ban on depictions of the Prophet and thus mock the beliefs of Islam.

i'm glad you're here to tell us what muslims think

I've got to admit, that's a pretty good burn.