Comments on: Tolerance and Religion http://www.cloudsoup.com/weblog/2006/11/16/tolerance-and-religion/ no soup, no clouds Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:08:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Joe http://www.cloudsoup.com/weblog/2006/11/16/tolerance-and-religion/#comment-59 Joe Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 1897275195#comment-59 He's smug and intolerant, He's smug and intolerant, whenever people disagree with *him*. Thinks he's always got the superior understanding. Check this out, for ranting hostility and ignorance over one of his pet subjects: http://www.plasticbag.org/archives/2005/01/is_antigay_sentiment_on_the_rise/ He’s smug and intolerant, He’s smug and intolerant, whenever people disagree with *him*. Thinks he’s always got the superior understanding. Check this out, for ranting hostility and ignorance over one of his pet subjects:

http://www.plasticbag.org/archives/2005/01/is_antigay_sentiment_on_the_rise/

]]> By: David http://www.cloudsoup.com/weblog/2006/11/16/tolerance-and-religion/#comment-60 David Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 1897275195#comment-60 I read the post and the I read the post and the comments. The threat he very clearly made in referring to the supposed employer of 'yeahright' shows me where he stands on freedom of expression. He supports it as long as he isn't offended, beyond which point he's ready to make unpleasant and weasily threats. But as Kenan Malik said, <em>Free speech for everyone except bigots is not free speech at all. The right to free speech only has political bite when we are forced to defend the rights of people whose views we despise...It's time we recognised that giving offence is a normal part of a plural society</em>. I don't suppose Coates was serious when he wrote that he was sympathetic to 'banning' religion. I suppose he was trying to say, in his histrionic way, that he wasn't disposed to support religion. But he does consistently seem a tad intolerant of basic liberal principles, I agree. I read the post and the I read the post and the comments. The threat he very clearly made in referring to the supposed employer of ‘yeahright’ shows me where he stands on freedom of expression. He supports it as long as he isn’t offended, beyond which point he’s ready to make unpleasant and weasily threats.

But as Kenan Malik said, Free speech for everyone except bigots is not free speech at all. The right to free speech only has political bite when we are forced to defend the rights of people whose views we despise…It’s time we recognised that giving offence is a normal part of a plural society.

I don’t suppose Coates was serious when he wrote that he was sympathetic to ‘banning’ religion. I suppose he was trying to say, in his histrionic way, that he wasn’t disposed to support religion. But he does consistently seem a tad intolerant of basic liberal principles, I agree.

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