ePub Enterprise: America's Fightingest Ship and the Men Who Helped Win World War II by Barrett Tillman in History

Description

In the days of Moses; blasphemy was the mortal offence of failing to respect the divine. In an age of human rights; blasphemy is understood as a failure to respect persons; as insult; defamation; or "advocacy of religious hatred." The criminalisation of this personal blasphemy has been advanced at the United Nations and upheld by the European Court of Human Rights; which has asserted a universal "right to respect for religious feelings."The Future of Blasphemy turns respect on its head. Respect demands that we grant each other equal standing in the moral community; not that we never offend. Politically; respect for citizens requires a public discourse that is open to all viewpoints. Going beyond the question of free speech versus religion; The Future of Blasphemy defends an ethical model of blasphemy. Controversies surrounding sacrilege are contests over what counts as sacred; disagreements about what has central; inviolable; and incommensurable value. In such public contestation of the sacred; each of usâ€"secular and religious alikeâ€"has equal right to speak on its behalf.