[ExI] Atheism again

[Ben Zaiboc]

On 21/04/2020 15:21, Giulio Prisco wrote:
> To those fundamentalists ... who can't live without policing thoughts, my message is: What business of yours is
> policing the belief, or the lack of belief, of others?
> I believe in everyone's right to pursue meaning and happiness in their
> own personal way

Amen to that. As long as it remains a private matter.

The trouble begins when the beliefs or convictions of one person tell 
them that they have the right to dictate the beliefs, convictions, 
behaviour, etc., of others. These don't have to be religious beliefs or 
convictions, of course, but in practice they usually are, to an 
overwhelming extent.

The trouble becomes especially bad when beliefs are wormed into 
legislation, affecting whole populations. I don't need to give examples, 
almost every country in the world suffers from this, but some are a lot 
worse than others.

There's also a big difference between 'policing someones belief' and 
'arguing for or against a viewpoint'. That includes satire and ridicule. 
I think everyone has the right to be offended, but no-one has the right 
to prevent others from giving offence, as many muslims, christians, and 
others are constantly trying to do.

-- 
Ben Zaiboc