3 ms·

I don't see how that's possible. It's not reasonable to get offended because of a harmless cartoon; anyone who does is by definition unreasonable.

by Kadin 17y ago

JabavuAdams 17y ago
Suppose we're talking in person. In the middle of the conversation, I fart. Then I pick my nose and eat it. Finally I reach into my pants and scratch my crotch. All of these things are harmless to you, but I would not be surprised if you were offended by some of them. Disgust is cultural. It's important to recognize that large numbers of people can as a result of their culture be disgusted by things we consider normal. It's unreasonable to say "you shouldn't be disgusted". The best we can say is that the value of free speech outweighs the value of pandering to various groups' definitions of good taste.
- Kadin 17y ago
  Disgust and offense are very different things. There are many things that I find disgusting, yet I am not offended by them since they don't affect me. I can think of a lot of sexual practices that strike me as really disgusting. Eating shit, for instance. Yet the fact that people out there do it doesn't offend me; being forced (or tricked) into watching it would be, but the act itself is merely disgusting. It becomes offensive when it's forced. To be offended, particularly to the point of violent action, over something that doesn't affect you (or any other person, or even an animal) strikes me as unreasonable. Of course, since you've opened up the rabbit hole of cultural constructs I'll admit that "reasonableness" is cultural as well -- but I think the Western, Enlightenment-inspired idea of "reason" and "reasonableness" is worth fighting for. If that makes me a cultural imperialist, so be it.
- sigzero 17y ago
  I am 100% sure that I would not threaten to kill you for any of those things.
  - ErrantX 17y ago
    No and neither would the vast majority of Muslims. (bearing in mind that this was a discussion about why Muslims take offence at the cartoons and their response. I may have misread but the above poster seems to suggest that Muslims generally give death threats over this offence - which is untrue. The extremist is giving the threats not the Muslim :-))

I don't see how that's possible. It's not reasonable to get offended because of a harmless cartoon; anyone who does is by definition unreasonable.

by Kadin 17y ago

I don't see how that's possible. It's not reasonable to get offended because of a harmless cartoon; anyone who does is by definition unreasonable.

JabavuAdams 17y ago

Suppose we're talking in person. In the middle of the conversation, I fart. Then I pick my nose and eat it. Finally I reach into my pants and scratch my crotch. All of these things are harmless to you, but I would not be surprised if you were offended by some of them. Disgust is cultural. It's important to recognize that large numbers of people can as a result of their culture be disgusted by things we consider normal. It's unreasonable to say "you shouldn't be disgusted". The best we can say is that the value of free speech outweighs the value of pandering to various groups' definitions of good taste.

Kadin 17y ago
Disgust and offense are very different things. There are many things that I find disgusting, yet I am not offended by them since they don't affect me. I can think of a lot of sexual practices that strike me as really disgusting. Eating shit, for instance. Yet the fact that people out there do it doesn't offend me; being forced (or tricked) into watching it would be, but the act itself is merely disgusting. It becomes offensive when it's forced. To be offended, particularly to the point of violent action, over something that doesn't affect you (or any other person, or even an animal) strikes me as unreasonable. Of course, since you've opened up the rabbit hole of cultural constructs I'll admit that "reasonableness" is cultural as well -- but I think the Western, Enlightenment-inspired idea of "reason" and "reasonableness" is worth fighting for. If that makes me a cultural imperialist, so be it.
sigzero 17y ago
I am 100% sure that I would not threaten to kill you for any of those things.
- ErrantX 17y ago
  No and neither would the vast majority of Muslims. (bearing in mind that this was a discussion about why Muslims take offence at the cartoons and their response. I may have misread but the above poster seems to suggest that Muslims generally give death threats over this offence - which is untrue. The extremist is giving the threats not the Muslim :-))