One of the biggest questions of modern life in the age of tolerance is “What is tolerable and what is not?” Some folks would have us believe that everything we say is subject to political and social correctness, an obscure standard which no one can absolutely define. This obscurity lends itself well to convenience, to silencing dissent, knowledgeable opinion, and civil discourse in favor of a false homogeneity where fear of offending becomes more important than facts and evidence. It has been suggested by many on the left and the right that we show respect for religious beliefs, that they should somehow be excluded from criticism, civil discourse, and humor. Somehow, some way, the idea of exclusion of evidence, fact, truth, became convenient, desirable, required. When religion is criticized, when evidence, fact and truth are shown, the religious individual uses this as an excuse to cry personal persecution.
Since when is not being offended a right? What magically excludes religion, and religious individuals from being reproached in civil discourse? What right do they have that excludes them from challenges based on evidence, fact and truth? Where do they get the crazy idea that they should be immune to humor, or even name calling? More importantly, why can they insult my sensibilities and demand that I “be quiet” in disagreement? These are just some of the questions I ponder each and every day. What’s more, there are a few people who don’t believe in a skydaddy that spout this same rhetoric as a matter of course, insisting that I back off on my defense in favor of a more politically correct and tame approach. Why? The old saying “Never discuss religion or politics at the dinner table” shows clearly in this dilemma. Religion has somehow become the end all, be all poster child for Political Correctness, all the while excluding itself from the equation. It thrives on a persecution complex through exclusivity, denying anyone who stands firm, against its political and social blitzkrieg over Constitutional rights, THEIR right to challenge. When they are challenged, beware those who speak from a position of facts and evidence! You are considered politically incorrect and you need to “be quiet”! Political Correctness is a strange phrase for religion, don’t you think? But, then, the two are inseparable nowadays.
The rules of this game are simple. I have a right to not believe, as long as I keep it to myself. As it should be. BUT the religious continue to rain a torrent of propaganda puke on my rights, and all those who don’t subscribe to fictional characters of ancient novels. They have the right to disparage me in any way they choose, calling me immoral, unethical, hateful, evil, and a whole host of other terms. They can condemn me to hell, deny me my Constitutional mandates, and try very hard to isolate me from the processes of a Democratic Republic. As far as they are concerned, I’m a non-citizen whom THEY barely tolerate, and do so grudgingly, until they can make it legal to do otherwise. In the meantime, I am to remain silent. There are those who lack belief, who insist my methods are too severe, that my language is inappropriate and insulting. In my opinion they have fallen into a trap set by religion that encourages silence and capitulation. The religious say they WANT civil dialogue out one side of their mouth, while out the other side, they show and speak intolerance. What better way to fool the masses than to claim love, acceptance, and tolerance, all the while praying for their opponents salvation and/or destruction?
I refuse to accept any form of political correctness. Opinion is a right, and expressing it is paramount to freedom. Moreover, the very idea of censoring myself out of fear of offending someone is counter to my understanding of liberty. While I might not agree with those who, in my opinion, hold outrageous opinions, I most certainly won’t deny them their right to express it however they choose. I will challenge them, point by point, and with evidence, fact and truth to back up my opposition. However, what I DO stand firm against are actionable words that threaten violence, denial of liberty, and freedom for all.
Political Correctness, in my estimation, is a threat to free speech. It is a creation of those who cannot stand to be challenged, while at the same time it becomes a smoke screen from which they can mount an attack with impunity. As long as the religious stack the deck in their favor, as long as the masses buy into the fallacy of religious tolerance from those who do not tolerate, I refuse to yield one iota from my method of defense. It’s the idea that human beings should not be prisoners, subject to mythological memes, supposition and dogma, that drives me. To borrow a phrase from the movie V for Vendetta , “Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof”
