UK Atheists told to take of Jesus and Mohammed Tshirts

[Fidel_Castronaut]

If they are wearing the t-shirts purely to offend people, that's unacceptable behaviour. If they're wearing them for any other reason at all, there is no reason to stop them from wearing them, because if a person is offended by the actions of a person not intending to offend, the offended person is in the wrong and needs to take control of their own bloody emotions.

I'd like to chip in and just say I agree with most of what you say except the first bit. Even if they were wearing the shirts purely to offend they should be allowed. They're not being racist, or homophobic, or taking the piss out of something that people can't do anything about (such as race or sexuality etc).

Religion and good ol' Mohammad are in the market place of ideas, vying for the support of people. They're no different to political figures or political parties ultimately. Ridiculing for the sole purpose of offending should be utilised more when it comes to all religions, especially ones that take themselves too seriously like Islam.

Indeed, by rejecting the idea that people can behave in such a way where the sole purpose is to offend we're lending weight to the notion that some things are above ridicule, criticism and humour. I think this might be one slope that could be regarded as slippery, especially when we're talking about de facto national rights.