Offending for the Sake of Offending
August 26, 2015
Posted by Jack Vance
I support the free expression of ideas. This includes ideas with which I disagree, and it certainly includes ideas which many people consider to be offensive. In fact, I'd suggest that the free expression of ideas has little value if it does not include the freedom to express ideas which many people find offensive (e.g., the criticism of cherished religious beliefs). If we allow fear of causing offense to limit the expression of ideas, we are not sufficiently free and are doing a poor job of protecting our right to free expression.
At the same time, I acknowledge that there is a difference between expressing ideas which many people regard as offensive and deliberately trying to offend merely for the sake of offending. Admittedly, this is not always an easy difference to detect. For that reason, I'm inclined to err on the side of free expression even when confronted with cases where it appears that the only goal is to offend. That is, even if I'm not sure that the person expressing himself or herself is trying to do anything more than offend others, I support his or her right to do so.
None of this prevents us from concluding that some ideas are more worthwhile than others. Clever cartoons satirizing Islam are probably more valuable than deliberate attempts to upset Muslims merely for the sake of causing offense. Contrast an insightful critique of Islam or the Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad with some drunk moron who decides to wipe his ass with the Koran and post it on YouTube. I have a difficult time concluding that these approaches are equally valuable even though I'd defend them both as forms of free expression.
We all know that there are people out there who are going to take offense at practically anything you or I might say. And when we do what we do (e.g., criticize religious and other irrational beliefs, promote reality-based alternatives, work to advance the separation of church and state), we cannot be overly concerned with offending them. We cannot allow concerns about offending others to stifle our creativity, our activism, our quest for civil rights, or anything else we are doing. The cartoonist depicting Muhammad is trying to communicate something through satire. We cannot let fear of causing offense to inhibit this.
http://www.atheistrev.com/2015/08/offending-for-sake-of-offending.html