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

[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.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

He has no authority over you, aside from preventing you doing things that it's already against your religion to do. So -- essentially none whatsoever.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

Except, if he is incompetent and idiotic in his authority over the library, I am the one who has to pick up the pieces. Despite how I am insulted by him.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

I for one do not intend to take any of his missives seriously. The library is a community resource and is not meant to be the charge of any single person. It would be better for all persons who go there to unite in that respect and collectively ignore him.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

I cannot ignore an insult upon my people, no matter how lightly it is intended. It is not a light matter, and I shall not suffer idiots in silence.

Trolls are dumb, but this does not mean I would tolerate them insulting Dwarfs. And he is human. He knows better than a Troll.

[impure-tale.livejournal.com]

"Troll" might actually be the perfect word for him, actually.

[deepdowndark.livejournal.com]

I may not like him, but I would never stoop so low as to call a human such a thing.