The latest Jesus and Mo strip, “Glad,” is an essay on both Islamic offense and the Charlie Hebdo-critics who cry “Islamophobia.” More on Charlie Hebdo later today.
Jesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’
August 5, 2015 • 6:49 am
Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
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UK WEIT readers & those able to get internet radio, may be interested in tonight’s Moral Maze on Radio 4. You may recall, Jerry was on a few years ago as a ‘witness’.
The 666th programme, on Evil & Free Will
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qk11
8pm BST
Setting the “deranged idiot” to “record”.
Sorry, not the “deranged idiot” – that’s the SatNav. I’ve forgotten how we denigrate the PVR in my weekend away. I’ll have to make up something new.
I’m all for free speech, but I do wonder whether it’s actually true that “good ideas drive out the bad”. Doesn’t that assume that most people are rational?
Probably more accurate to say that there’s a better chance of that happening with free speech than without.
I’d buy that.
“drive” may be too strong (I’m pretty cynical too). But it is almost a constant of psychology that bad ideas (and the people who benefit from them) really strongly object to people knowing of the existence of good ideas, or indeed, of any ideas other than the one from which the people talking benefit.
Rationalism has a good press in much (but by no means all) of the world, and that makes it the enemy of many people who do not want their existing power systems to be changed.
Yessss! Bad ones die.
How timely. Elements of the Religious Studies Dept at my university are about to have a public panel discussion on “Should there be religious limits to absolute media freedom of expression? ” to deal with questions such as “Should media be allowed to deliberately offend minority communities?” (I am guessing the correct answers are ‘yes’ to the first and ‘no’ to the second)
Media should be allowed to to whatever the fuck it wants — and it most especially should be given not merely free reign but outright encouragement to offend anybody and everybody. That’s the whole point! Nobody cares much about the little league scores and marriage announcements…but the President’s men caught red-handed spying on the opposition party in a local hotel? Now you’ve got a story!
If your superstition is idiotic enough that parroting back your fantasies is perceived as being offensive, then why should your membership in a minority class of some sort qualify you for special treatment? You’re not suggesting that minorities are inferior and unable to deal with criticism, are you?
b&
I think Gordon meant the answers are what the panel discussers are aiming at — not that he thinks those are the correct answers.
Indeed, that is what I meant.
“More on Charlie Hebdo later today.”
Or… not.