If Only The Romans

[Minimalist]

Censoring those who disagree with you is not a mark of your own strength; it's a mark of your weakness.

If you study the humiliation of China by the West in the 19th century I think you will see why they would strenuously disagree. Not every nation is going to draw the lessons from history that we would like them to draw.

[Lek]

I'm happy that some of you think so highly of China which, in spite of persecution and suppression, has the fastest growing christian population in the world.

I'm not sure why you think I was writing about the Chinese population as a whole. Perhaps you'd quote with a link where I opined about them as a group?

Sorry. I meant to post that as a general reply rather than a reply to your specific comment. Actually, I agree with some of what you've said here.

[Anomalocaris]

I don't think democracy has attraction to everyone.

I was espousing my own valuation of freedom of speech in the marketplace of ideas.

Some people, based on their historical experience, also see the damage uncontrolled freedom of speech does to reliability of speech in general in the long run, and see the market of ideas, just like the financial market, is efficient in theory and inefficient in practice in clearing itself and settling on a valuation of what is offered that can be reconciled with fundamental benefit each offering might actually bring.

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I don't think democracy has attraction to everyone.

I was espousing my own valuation of freedom of speech in the marketplace of ideas.

I'm happy that some of you think so highly of China which, in spite of persecution and suppression, has the fastest growing christian population in the world.

Don't worry, They are a smart and decisive people in their better days, and now it appears to be one of their better days. They will yet relegate your pet religion to a cage of its own in an educational zoo of historical predatory antisocial cults.

Incidentally, they have already successfully suppressed several historical instances of christians spreading the word, starting in 4th century AD. Each time Christianity attempted to exploit period of weakened central government, but each time it wasn't alone and was not competitive with native chinese apocalyptic cults which the central government also successfully suppressed. They basically follow the principle that any cult which puts more focus on afterlife than this life is corrupt and evil. So The notion you have things they haven't seen is rather, wishful?

[Lek]

I'm happy that some of you think so highly of China which, in spite of persecution and suppression, has the fastest growing christian population in the world.

Don't worry, They are a smart and decisive people in their better days, and now it appears to be one of their better days. They will yet relegate your pet religion to a cage of its own in an educational zoo of historical predatory antisocial cults.

Well, I'll agree with you that it is one of their better days.

[Elskidor]

You don't need a history book to figure out how potentially dangerous organized religion is. It must be regulated and kept a close eye on, unless people just like shooting themselves in the foot.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Chuck, you never did answer my questions as to whom you'd assign such power, or the basis on which it would be exercised. You're repeating your earlier objection without answering my points embodied in those questions.

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Censoring those who disagree with you is not a mark of your own strength; it's a mark of your weakness.

If you study the humiliation of China by the West in the 19th century I think you will see why they would strenuously disagree. Not every nation is going to draw the lessons from history that we would like them to draw.

I should have been more specific. The strength to which I referred was not national strength, but ideological strength. A coherent ideology with a robust rationale need not censor opposing views.

My apologies for not being clear.

[Minimalist]

Got ya.

The strength to which I referred was not national strength, but ideological strength.

I wonder if they could understand that nuance, though.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The Chinese government, or their Christians? Ours certainly don't, for the most part.

[Mudhammam]

We are satisfied that there can be but little liberty on earth while men worship a tyrant in heaven.
-- Robert Green Ingersoll

So, uh, we should instead want a tyrant on earth who instructs us on which beliefs are allowed and which are not?

[Elskidor]

It's a bloody virus that shouldn't be spreading, and if it is it should be looked after with caution. Maybe virus is a strong word, but so is tyrant. Meh, it's China. It's been around this long so they're doing something right, and better than many.