Is it OK to make fun of religions?

[McBell]

What culture is that?

Your blatant avoidance of answering the question is most revealing.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What culture is that?

How about a sexist culture? There are plenty of those.

 

[sojourner]

The person poking fun, critiquing, scrutinizing, and or holding the contempt.

It is then up to others to agree with or disagree with the person poking fun, critiquing, scrutinizing, and or holding the contempt.

Anarchy. Without a shred of respect or social responsibility.

 

[sojourner]

He has a valid point, so if you can't answer the question then we're left with no choice but to dismiss your statement.

He has yet to name the culture.

 

[sojourner]

How about a sexist culture? There are plenty of those.

"Sexist" isn't a culture. It's an attitude. So are "racist" and "supremacist."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

"Sexist" isn't a culture. It's an attitude. So are "racist" and "supremacist."

"Sexist" is a descriptor that sometimes applies to cultures.

 

[Sunstone]

"Sexist" isn't a culture. It's an attitude. So are "racist" and "supremacist."

With respect, that seems to me to be a stretch. Sexism involves ideologies, views, and behaviors that seem demonstrably part of some society's cultural heritage. After all, in anthropological terms, "culture" is learned behavior passed down from one generation to the next. Sexism very much seems to be, at least in part, learned behavior passed down from one generation to the next.

 

[McBell]

Anarchy. Without a shred of respect or social responsibility.

Bull ****.

 

[cottage]

So, what are your feelings about making fun of religions?

I never attempt to disguise my religious scepticism, but I acknowledge religious arguments that I believe to have merit even if they cannot be taken as conclusive evidence or a final proof for supernatural deities. There is no deliberate intention on my part to cause offence to those of religious faith and my purpose here is only to examine the arguments.

But no beliefs or ideologies are beyond criticism, particularly those that are unfalisfiable and otherworldly, and they may even be satirised or lampooned in the same way we treat any other fantastic or doubtful assertions, especially where they presume to inform us that something is the case and ought to be accepted as such.

And I have to speak candidly to say in my view some of the arguments put forward in defence of God and evil discredit the advocates’ case, such as when the existence of suffering is said (variously) to be necessary, deserved or imaginary, in order to shield a supposedly benevolent and omnipotent God from blame. In such cases mockery is invited, in my view.

 

[sojourner]

Bull ****.

Right back at ya.

 

[sojourner]

With respect, that seems to me to be a stretch. Sexism involves ideologies, views, and behaviors that seem demonstrably part of some society's cultural heritage. After all, in anthropological terms, "culture" is learned behavior passed down from one generation to the next. Sexism very much seems to be, at least in part, learned behavior passed down from one generation to the next.

Sexism may be a cultural value, but it's not a culture in and of itself.

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

Sexism may be a cultural value, but it's not a culture in and of itself.

Can you give an example of a culture in and of itself?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Sexism may be a cultural value, but it's not a culture in and of itself.

I get the impression that you've forgotten what you were arguing. Is it your position that it's wrong to make fun of a sexist culture because of its sexism?

 

[Sunstone]

Sexism may be a cultural value, but it's not a culture in and of itself.

"Value"? Sexism can be legitimately seen as a set of behaviors that are largely cultural. Go back to the anthropological definition of culture, please: "Any learned behavior passed down from one generation to the next." Are you really prepared to argue that sexism cannot be not cultural? Or that it's only a "value"?

 

[sojourner]

Can you give an example of a culture in and of itself?

Sure. British culture, Navajo culture, Japanese culture.

 

[sojourner]

I get the impression that you've forgotten what you were arguing. Is it your position that it's wrong to make fun of a sexist culture because of its sexism?

I don't think "making fun" accomplishes anything particularly productive. But if you must, make fun of the sexism, but not the culture in which sexism is found. Otherwise, you'd be making fun of most every culture -- including your own.

 

[sojourner]

"Value"? Sexism can be legitimately seen as a set of behaviors that are largely cultural. Go back to the anthropological definition of culture, please: "Any learned behavior passed down from one generation to the next." Are you really prepared to argue that sexism cannot be not cultural? Or that it's only a "value"?

But the isolated behaviors, themselves, do not constitute the culture in the broader sense. "Having tea" is a learned behavior of the British culture. But the British culture is larger than simply "having tea."

 

[Musty]

It seems that in some societies it's ok to make fun of religions while it is not ok in other societies. So, what are your feelings about making fun of religions? Would a legal or informal prohibition on making fun of religions in your society amount to according religions a special status that few, if any, other institutions in your society are accorded? Would a legal or informal prohibition be a good thing? Why or why not?

Should there by any limits -- legal or informal -- on how much or what kind of fun can be made of religions?

I don't see why religion should be afforded any protected status in regards to comedy and satire. We're all free to believe what we want but that doesn't mean everyone else should be required to take your beliefs seriously or refrain from taking the **** from time to time.

I remember years ago someone I knew telling me that they believed in all this supernatural nonsense while in the pub and I couldn't help but start laughing because their beliefs were so ridiculous.

That I could potentially end up with a criminal record for that if they made making fun of peoples beliefs illegal is worrying.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I don't think "making fun" accomplishes anything particularly productive. But if you must, make fun of the sexism, but not the culture in which sexism is found. Otherwise, you'd be making fun of most every culture -- including your own.

What's wrong with that? The sexist aspects of my own culture ought to be riduculed, IMO.

Making fun is just criticism with humour. If the criticism is deserved, why would it be wrong?

 

[Sunstone]

But the isolated behaviors, themselves, do not constitute the culture in the broader sense. "Having tea" is a learned behavior of the British culture. But the British culture is larger than simply "having tea."

Of course, but I fail to see how that fact would in some way prohibit us from ridiculing sexism?