tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065406139986258489.post2199483420262885000..comments2023-07-27T05:49:05.756-07:00Comments on C. Orthodoxy: Islam, Christianity and the Freedom to InsultKen Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08014885672703727636noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065406139986258489.post-56851781442318645862008-07-21T21:43:00.000-07:002008-07-21T21:43:00.000-07:00Yes, that's true, and it's too often ignored by Ch...Yes, that's true, and it's too often ignored by Christian apologists. But it's completely at odds with the Christian scriptures. I'm not sure you can say the same of Islam, and you can certainly say that Islam has always been this way. Christianity has only sometimes been this way. I think the reasons for that have to do with a difference in the ethical assumptions of the two scriptural bodies.Jeremy Piercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441308872350317672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065406139986258489.post-56296468103235946312008-07-21T21:33:00.000-07:002008-07-21T21:33:00.000-07:00Very true. My only caution is a cultural-historica...Very true. My only caution is a cultural-historical one: a few hundred years ago, most Christians would have been just as comfortable with 3. and 4. as many Muslims are today.Ken Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08014885672703727636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065406139986258489.post-71094194420185197472008-07-21T20:58:00.000-07:002008-07-21T20:58:00.000-07:00Nevertheless, we need to distinguish between the f...Nevertheless, we need to distinguish between the following things:<BR/><BR/>1. Thinking his employer morally ought to fire him.<BR/>2. Thinking the U.S. government has a legal right to enforce such a call for his firing.<BR/>3. Issuing a call for someone's death.<BR/>4. Thinking secular governments ought to oblige you when you do #3.<BR/><BR/>Prominent, top leaders in Islam have done 3 (and I think 4 too). I've seen very few Christians saying such things about anyone besides real terrorists and oppressive leaders.<BR/><BR/>2 certainly is too far. 1 depends on his job, and I don't see how this is related to Myers' job. It might be justifiable to fire him because of his ironic lack of peer-reviewed scientific research (given his repeated claims that intelligent design proponents never do what he never does). But there's no grounds for firing a biologist for this sort of thing. Nevertheless, my point was that there's a big difference between things like 1 and 2 and things like 3 and 4, and I think what explains the difference is an underlying difference between Christianity and Islam.Jeremy Piercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441308872350317672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065406139986258489.post-59185728164877572032008-07-20T15:21:00.000-07:002008-07-20T15:21:00.000-07:00Jeremy,Though it would be nice if the majority of ...Jeremy,<BR/>Though it would be nice if the majority of Christians thought that, in fact quite a few people <I>do</I> seem to think Myers should face more than mere social condemnation. Calls for his job (or worse) have been regrettably common, which is part of why I wrote this post--to challege that mindset as unbiblical.Ken Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08014885672703727636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065406139986258489.post-22400352158197915822008-07-20T04:21:00.000-07:002008-07-20T04:21:00.000-07:00I think there's another difference. Those complain...I think there's another difference. Those complaining about the Muhammad cartoons are asking for punishment. They think it should be illegal, and those who do such things should face the consequences. Christians who don't want sacred or sacred-like things desecrated don't generally go that far. They just insist that someone who does such things is morally despicable, not that they should be punished.Jeremy Piercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441308872350317672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065406139986258489.post-23378351726692889372008-07-16T01:08:00.000-07:002008-07-16T01:08:00.000-07:00Thank you for this insightful post; this is includ...Thank you for this insightful post; this is included in the Christian Carnival, up later today at <A HREF="http://www.diaryof1.com" REL="nofollow">Diary of 1</A>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com