[uwotm8?]

So basically jeremy paxman said that people who believe in genesis literally are stupid people. I think (hope) we can all agree that this statement is not offensive in any way. It is true, no?

http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/jeremy-paxman...-round-up.html

[The Rusty Spork]

The ruling was more offensive than the comment.

[cid]

So a statement that offends a religious group ... is not offensive ... despite offending a rather large group of people ...


Whilst i agree genesis is hogwash, it is still an offensive thing to say.

[Design_Me_A_Tom]

Religion shouldn't have a right to avoid being criticised. Religion is offensive, claiming taking things on faith and no evidence is a virtue. It is offensive to intelligent people that we have to put up with such power given to an invisible man in the sky.

[Design_Me_A_Tom]

[Lady Maleficent]

So, if he said the same about the Communist Manifesto by Marx, it would have been ruled 'offensive'?

[Chief Wiggum]

Well, I'd have thought the statement is quite obviously offensive to people who believe in Genesis.

I don't personally have a problem with his comment, and religion shouldn't be above criticism, but I don't see how someone can argue that it isn't an offensive comment.

[sulpicia]

(Original post by uwotm8?)
So basically jeremy paxman said that people who believe in genesis literally are stupid people.

Genesis is Hogwash. But then Paxman isn't being paid to be Dawkins or Hitchens. Plenty of closely held beliefs are complete and utter piffle, but it isn't the role of a public service broadcast employee to go around stating such things.

You've got to pick your battles, methinks.

[cyfer]

I think people should have a rule that with religion you should not criticise another's beliefs nor make yours public as it will inevitably only lead to being ostracised by some.

Although I'm not sure how this would be upheld in a debate about religion.

[doggyfizzel]

Offensive is meaningless. You can say anything and be sure someone won't be offended.

He's perfectly within his rights to say it, and probably right. With the wealth of evidence again it being true, genesis is hogwash. If you believe that weight of scientific evidence contradicting what is literally presented in the Old Testament is wrong then stupid is a pretty reasoned conclusion.

[SnoochToTheBooch]

At what point is this sort of thing going to stop being called offensive and start being called honest? Any adult that takes anything like that sort of garbage seriously is just a stupid human being, there's nothing more to be said.

[blu tack]

Just because something is true doesn't mean it isn't offensive.

[With an Accent]

(Original post by uwotm8?)
So basically jeremy paxman said that people who believe in genesis literally are stupid people. I think (hope) we can all agree that this statement is not offensive in any way. It is true, no?

http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/jeremy-paxman...-round-up.html

I'm a staunch atheist, and I think the BBC Trust was completely justified in its opinion. There is no way that he couldn't have reasonably thought that his comments about religious beliefs wouldn't offend religious people.

Being right is not the same thing as not being offensive.

[Psyk]

I think we just have to accept that sometimes people's opinions will offend other people. You cannot ban offensiveness without banning free speech.

[With an Accent]

(Original post by blu tack)
Just because something is true doesn't mean it isn't offensive.

Oops, my comment got there four minutes late, you said it first - bingo, this is the flaw in the OP's reasoning in my opinion!

[Manitude]

So what if it's offensive?

[PierceBrosnan]

(Original post by Psyk)
I think we just have to accept that sometimes people's opinions will offend other people. You cannot ban offensiveness without banning free speech.

This, but Genesis is still Hogwash.

[TimmonaPortella]

(Original post by cid)
So a statement that offends a religious group ... is not offensive ... despite offending a rather large group of people ...


Whilst i agree genesis is hogwash, it is still an offensive thing to say.

I kinda agree, state broadcasters shouldn't offend groups of taxpayers. Genesis is hogwash, but the BBC shouldn't say it.

I'm not sure why Paxman should be said to be representing the BBC with his views though.

[Lilahx]

if this comment were on Islam or Mohammad, he'd be sacked immediately.

[mrs_bellamy]

I think it depends entirely on the context in which he said it, which was not available in the link in the OP. If anyone has a link to it, I would be interested to see it. It sounds like what he said may have been offensive to a lot of people. I absolutely think he has the right to say such things if that is his opinion, but it depends on the circumstances, and I am not sure that this was the right occasion for him to state such opinions.