Glib answer: an honest desire to respect other cultures that can unfortunately degenerate into cultural relativism and soft racism.
Actually I hate lots of things in my culture. I'm not sure what you're trying to get at with the question to be honest.
(btw I came back to delete my original comment, because I thought it didn't contribute that much to the discussion and was verging on a flame. From my experience HN commenters seem more able than others to keep it civilised. But I was too late :))
What I'm trying to show is this: It's easy to see the flaws in another person or another culture, but it's much more difficult to see it in your own.
Everybody has their own weird things that are annoying to other people. But when you're going to criticize others, first look at yourself, and see your own flaws. If you cannot see your own flaws, then do you really think it is because you do not have any?
you are walking down the road. you see a women being raped. do you call him evil out of sheer compassion for the woman or do you sit back and think may that's not wrong. i have sexual thoughts sometimes so may be i ought to correct myself first before i comment on the rightness or wrongness of the rapist. lets face it muhammad is not god's prophet. i will not offer any arguments for it other than the quote "mythology is the disease of language". judged purely from his actions he is NOT an example we ought to follow. i think euler or beethoven are a far better candidates for a role model.
I don't think anyone is trying to convert you to Islam, and whatever your thoughts on other religions, I believe that we should all show respect to the believes of other people.
"We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh"
Statements like this do not demonstrate respect for the beliefs of other people - therefore those who subscribe to them do not engender respect.
Are some Muslims really so insecure that they think other peoples' ideas can shake their faith? Isn't that the point of having faith in something, that you believe in it regardless of what anyone else says or does?
@maxklein Well, thanks for making a snap judgement that I'm being a hypocrite, without having the information to suggest that's the case! No doubt I'm a hypocrite in some way or other, but nonetheless I do believe in freedom of speech. And I don't think certain beliefs should be protected from ridicule because they're religious.
Actually I hate lots of things in my culture. I'm not sure what you're trying to get at with the question to be honest.
(btw I came back to delete my original comment, because I thought it didn't contribute that much to the discussion and was verging on a flame. From my experience HN commenters seem more able than others to keep it civilised. But I was too late :))