[extropy-chat] Tyranny in place

[Olga Bourlin]

From: "spike" <spike66 at comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 8:35 PM
> This is a paradox that we cannot solve with our usual tools.  Logic simply 
> fails.  What happens when a society of religious freedom is confronted by 
> a religion that does not allow religious freedom?  Does universal 
> tolerance mean we tolerate intolerance?

Freedom of religion in the USA only guarantees that one can believe in a 
religion of one's choosing or one's ethnic background - that is not to say 
that the religions themselves are necessarily very "free" (as their devotees 
may voluntarily subject themselves to a host of privations - sexual 
abstinence, fasts, prohibition on eating certain foods, etc.).

It is our freedom of speech that allows for tolerating intolerance, e.g.:

http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/strwhe.html

However, respecting one's right to a particular view does not mean we 
necessarily must respect that - or any particular - view.

Olga