@jimmy eat jazz- I'm a little bit curious about your train of thought with your conversation with LogGrad. How is it that he can post a definition that shows that the law defines hate speech as involving religions and then you say, "well, I don't think it involves beliefs and ideas"?
He posted the law. It involves religion. Religious people should be protected. I think you need to change your perspective, be a little more open minded.
I'll make this my last post on the subject. I suspect people are tiring of it, for that I apologize.
Here's the critical portion of the definition he cited
"In law, hate speech is any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence or prejudicial action against or by a protected individual or group, or because it disparages or intimidates a protected individual or group."
Satire, or most of it, does not rise to this level. More my point is that
Ideas' and 'beliefs' are fair game. How does criticism of ideas fit within this definition of hate speech? Can you imagine a truly free society in which criticism of ideas was restricted? Religious ideas have profound consequences for believer and unbeliever alike. Any cursory review of history will make this clear. So by what logic do we then privilege religious ideas from the same scrutiny, criticism, etc we apply to other ideas. In a free society this also allows mocking, it may be deemed tasteless or bad form, but that goes hand in hand with freedom of speech.
As for the people who espouse ideas, they are IMO fair game for same level of scrutiny, criticism, etc. But once such criticism pf people, not ideas, crosses the line above, then I am in full agreement with LogGrad and you. (granted it's not always clear where criticism of ideas ends and inappropriate hate speech toward people begins)
Race, ethnicity, sexual orientation are benign inherent traits that affect no one so they are treated differently.
Ideas affect people, including religious one, so they are fair game.
Sorry for hijacking thread. Its been a slow week basketball wise.