Religion, freedom of speech, other mixed goods.

I was raised in a very atheist home. I think I met the first openly Christian person at the tender age of 15, which I guess doesn't happen anywhere near as late in a place like the USA as it does in Denmark. Many in Denmark may profess Christianity around the age of 13 for their confirmation ( Not really sure it's the same expression in English as in Danish -> The kids get baptized and when the priest asks them if they believe in God, they answer yes. Afterwards they get a party  thrown in their favor by their family and gets lots of gifts).

When I was 13, my Mom told me I had a choice of three things:
1. Getting my confirmation
2. Getting a computer
3. Getting a trip with her to Florida.

Already at the age of 13, I knew that I wasn't Christian (and that getting the confirmation would be a fraud, since even if I did say I believed in God, it'd be a lie). I really had to consider whether to get a computer, or taking the trip to Florida. I ended up taking the trip, which turned out to be freakin' awesome.

On a semi-related note, this is when I really started loving the idea of America. During this trip I went to Disneyland (Or World, I always get those mixed up. The one in Florida), Universal Studios and went to the Florida Keys and saw Hemingway's home.

That was kind of a side track...But to get back on the topic of religion:

I'm kind of terrified of people who express religious fervor, whether it be Christians, Muslims or whichever other religion the people in question believe in.  I got my first good taste of that when I commented on an episode of the Penn Point on Youtube about an American cartoonist being taken underground by an American security agency because he / she drew Mohammed drawings, just like that fool here in Denmark did.

The thing about the Mohammed drawings is this: They were brought in a right-wing Danish newspaper, and most likely to just provoke reactions from the Muslim world (And boy did we ever get what that damned newspaper bargained for).

Now, I'm all for freedom of speech, and I don't think that anyone should be punished for expressing that freedom. But the thing is, people have to own their mistakes...And drawing Mohammed in various disrespectful ways (and most importantly as a terrorist figure) is just. plain. stupid!

I posted on the Penn Point video on the subject something along the lines that with freedom of speech comes the responsibility to use it right, and that the American cartoonist was silly for doing it, when the reactions towards the Danish cartoonist has been so negative as it has.

I still occasionally get hateful responses to that comment on youtube, and many of them freak me the hell out. Mostly because I just don't care about religion, as long as people don't try to shove it down my throat. Let people believe what they believe, as long as it doesn't hurt or otherwise adversely affect others. But some people just don't feel that way, I guess.

/rant.