It's International Blasphemy Day!



Taken from blasphemyday.com

Today is Blasphemy Day International, a campaign started by the Center
for Inquiry to promote freedom of speech. As stated on its facebook page:

“Blasphemy Day International is a campaign seeking to establish
September 30th as a day to promote free speech and to stand up in a show
of solidarity for the freedom to challenge, criticize, and satirize
religion without fear of murder, litigation, or reprisal. The event was
created as a reaction against those who would seek to take away the
right to satirize and criticize a particular set of beliefs that have
been given a privileged status over other beliefs.”

Such a campaign should not just be championed by atheists alone, but
anyone who has ever spoken out about another religion. We have the right
to challenge ideas and criticize beliefs; no one has the right to not be
offended.

Blasphemy Day International is not only a promotion of free speech but a
protest against the UN Resolution that is attempting to put a ban on
criticisms of Islam. As further stated on the facebook page:

“The UN, rather than standing up for free speech, has given in to
pressure from Islamic nations and has proposed a resolution to
essentially ban criticism of religion. In its pursuit of ‘tolerance’ for
religion, this resolution wants to strip everyone, everywhere, of their
freedom, even their obligation, to criticize what they oppose. Unlike
one’s political affiliation or favorite sports team, religion demands –
and has been granted – unique immunity from criticism since its very
inception. Labeling anything deemed critical ‘blasphemy’, religions have
effectively defined the boundaries for what can and can’t be said about
them. We propose we knock down this barrier and break this spell.
Religion is no more undeserving of criticism than anything else, and if
people’s insecurities are upheld as a reason to stifle the expression of
the equally sincere feelings of others, and indeed, the pursuit of truth
itself, we will have forsaken our ideals in favor of one-sided and
entirely undeserved sympathy.”

September 30th was chosen for Blasphemy Day because it is the
anniversary of the 2005 Danish Cartoons that depicted the Prophet
Muhammad, which is strictly forbidden in the Islamic religion. This
resulted in riots from the Islamic community as well as attacks on
foreign embassies and deaths.

It’s important to recognize that promoting the freedom to criticize and
challenge a religion in no way promotes the idea of persecuting people
for their religious beliefs. It should always be an individual person’s
right to pursue their religion or lack of religion without fear of
repercussions too.

As P.Z. Myers states on Pharyngula, “Every day should be Blasphemy Day.”

For more info: visit the Blaspemy Day International facebook page





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Idiots All