156 - Text

[impure_tale]

Fellow denizens of the barge, I pose to you a question: 

What is your definition of blasphemy? 

I have a book here which defines it, rather simply, as irreverence toward the deities, artifacts, customs and tenets of a given religion. Which I suppose is a perfectly fair and universal explanation. But "irreverent" behavior -- don't you have to belong to that particular religion, or at least to the society that sanctions it, for it to count as blasphemy? 

For instance, most religions that use the Bible or some form of it hold to the notion that "taking God's name in vain" is a sin. Does this not apply merely to followers of that faith? If, say, I were to not be a member of the church (can you imagine?), I would therefore have no reason to hold the teachings of the Bible as sacred. Oui? By that logic, then, if someone were to, say, drop something particularly heavy on my foot, enough to induce extreme pain, then for me to exclaim "Jesus Christ!" should be perfectly acceptable. In turn -- because it's not just about teasing the Christians -- the same would be assumed if I were to say "Sweet fucking Tak!" instead, no? 

Is there a difference, aside from the fact that the religious whining is for once issuing the most loudly from a non-Christian?

This is not about respecting the differences of others -- I'm well aware that I could have made my point without such coarse language. I'm also well aware that if it were simply about respecting differing cultures, a Warden would not have been physically attacked today for "blaspheming" -- over Audio, where anyone could hear it, no less.

Has anything been done about this, by the way? Or were the lot of you simply having a laugh over it? 

Comments

or he's just fucked up atm and CANNOT DEAL.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

He was not ignorant. He might act it, but he was not. He's worked with me long enough to know that is an offence.

It is within my rights to defend my faith. I did not cause him lasting damage, or attempt to.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

If your faith is weak enough that it requires defending with violence against one middle-aged simpleton with too much time on his hands, then you should abandon it and find a stronger one.

When someone tries to stop you worshipping -- if someone physically punishes you for it, THEN you are within your rights to defend it.

Gods profess themselves to be all powerful; they do not require protection from the devout.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

And you misunderstand the nature of my religion entirely.

The only way I 'worship' (which is a human concept) my God is by revering His words, and showing them respect. We do not actively worship. In tolerating an insult to His name, I would have been accepting an insult to my only way of respecting my God.

Which is the equivalent to punishing me worshipping my God.

And this is still none of your business.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

But no one else worships your God. You respect and revere his words. No one else is obligated to do the same.

I could very easily make it my business.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

But part of that is making sure that others respect Tak. The Watch in Ankh-Morpork would not strike out a word in a Dwarf's presence. As a matter of respect for our beliefs on words.

It is between me and Narvin. Perhaps we have already discussed this. You have no knowledge of that.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

I don't. You are right about that.

And see, the point is that I respect words as well. But I also respect the right of people to go about their lives as they choose when they are doing no real harm. In that light, I could also just as easily wait for it to happen again, and burn a book in public view in response.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

But you assume that showing a text disrespect is not doing harm.

I believe that act is the equivalent of destroying the world. That is not a light act in my eyes. That is not an act without harm. And if you do that, whilst knowing I believe this, you are doing it with intent to harm. And I cannot tolerate that.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

And I cannot tolerate the use of words excusing violent behavior. Fight words with words. Fist with fist.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

And the desecration of words, to me, is a greater sin than a differing of opinion. Desecrating the name of my God is as good as destroying it, and that is as good as destroying the world. Which is the equivalent of an act of violence.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

If it were as good as destroying it then your god would no longer exist after the act.

Does Tak still exist?

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

No.

He does not. Tak is an absent God.

All we have of Him is His words.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

...Then the equivalent -- if Tak were truly destroyed you would not even remember the name.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

But to destroy His name, to change His name, is to imply that it may be possible to erase all memory of Him.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

It implies to me, sir, that the solution to your problem is to learn when not to honor and empower certain words with your fury. If you are able to turn away from the person insulting you, then they no longer have the power to harm you or your faith.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

Words cannot simply be dismissed, for any reason. By saying, or writing them, you give them weight.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

The reader and the listener has the right to decide what has more weight than others. The words may exist, but I can choose to close a book. I can choose to shun the company of those that do not respect me.

I am a writer, Monsieur Ardent. Before I came here the core of my existence centered around the efforts of others to stop words from existing, to stop me from writing because some did not like the words. Or used them inappropriately. Believe me when I say that in my own way I understand and admire your devotion to the written word.

But on the other hand if you regulate some, then there is nothing stopping anyone from forbidding more. Either all is permitted or nothing is permitted. It is the readers and the listeners that must change, not the words themselves.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

And my concern is not what is written, but the desecration of Tak's name.

You can write what you like about Tak, but use the correct name. Anything else is an insult. This is my point.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

And you could have made your point just as well without the use of violence.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

And you could have made your point to Narvin instead of to everyone.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

There's a difference between opening a public discussion and physically attacking someone.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

You hold physical violence as something more devastating than the use of words.

So much for a man who believes in the power of words.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

If it has such power then you must learn to wield them more effectively, firstly, and secondly, learn to better guard yourself against them. Especially when they're used by someone too clumsy to fully comprehend their worth.

As such I was not aware when I asked that you and Monsieur Graves have had repeated altercations. So one must at least congratulate you for keeping your temper for as long as you have.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

It's not as if they weren't outrageously public, his slurs on my race.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

He is an idiot.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

It does not make it any less insulting. Especially when he has, in theory, authority over me.