Stupid Vatican tricks
That place with the old guy wearing the silly hat has something to say:
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican on Saturday condemned the publication of cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammad which have outraged the Muslim world, saying freedom of speech did not mean freedom to offend a person’s religion.
“The freedom of thought and expression, confirmed in the Declaration of Human Rights, can not include the right to offend religious feelings of the faithful. That principle obviously applies to any religion,” the Vatican said.
You are free to say whatever doesn’t offend us. Good to see the Vatican is still pining for the middle ages.
“Any form of excessive criticism or derision of others denotes a lack of human sensitivity and can in some cases constitute an unacceptable provocation,” it said in a statement issued in response to media demands for the Church’s opinion.
And of course, there’s a clear, obvious, and agreed upon definition of “excessive.”
Maybe I haven’t been paying enough attention, but this seems to be the worst response out of Europe so far. Others have condemned the cartoons and called for tolerance, but this is explicitly calling for a significant limitation on freedom of speech. I hope this doesn’t start a trend.
(via Dispatches)
Did you expect anything less from the Pope?
Honestly, I was expecting something along the lines of “free speech is good, but we should use it responsibly.”
You definitely have the right to free speech, but if you offend insane people, they might blow your ass up. Say whatever you want, but be prepared for the consequences.