Quote:
Originally Posted by bungalow
the first amendment is not a law, it is a declaration of your natural right, as one of god's children, to uninhibitedly express yourself in whatever way you may choose. a law is stop at traffic lights illuminated red. the first amendment is not a law but a recognition of and assurance that your natural rights as a human being will never be infringed upon by the government.
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One of god's children? Have you been reading the same copy of the constitution that I have? The first amendment makes
no mention of God. In fact the founding documents make pointed little reference to any deity let alone a specific one.
More so, the claim of "natural rights" is heavily debatable. While the intention may have been to state what the founding fathers believed to be inherent to all human beings; it remains that any enforcement of the document must go through legal processes. Id est, regardless of the rhetoric you surround the bill of rights with they are still functionally nothing other than laws that the Government agrees to abide by, which is why there are still provisions for Government to amend these "natural rights".
Quote:
Originally Posted by bungalow
one does not, i should note, have a natural right to NOT BE offended. therefore my right to express myself (which IS a natural right) trumps whatever obligation you think i have to respect you or your belief system. and that applies to anyone. so it should be clear that this man's symbolic expression (and anyone trying to argue that this is not symbolic expression is lying through their teeth, not least to themselves) is more important to protect than the feelings of muslims who are upset over this.
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Non sequitur based on regress arguments. I do not accept your claim to the distinction of what is and is not a natural right. I do not accept your claim to a substantive existence of natural rights. I do not accept your claim that this is a matter of a right to not be offended. The act of burning the Koran is a flagrant incitement to encourage feelings of hatred and a mentality of action against Muslims. It is Islamophobic persecution under the reasoning and cognitive function with which the act is being carried out. Rev Jones is breaking the rights of Muslims to their own freedom of religion using a warped perception of the importance of his own freedom of expression.
What I never manage to understand about you, Bill, is how you're always so arrogantly ego- and ethnocentric towards the importance of your own opinions, and how condescendingly smug you are that anyone should disagree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bungalow
(and anyone trying to argue that this is not symbolic expression is lying through their teeth, not least to themselves)
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Do grow up.