Warning: Free Speech Zone
Ideas are offensive. Every idea is offensive to someone somewhere. Whenever you express an idea publicly be prepared to be offended. Be prepared to defend your idea or walk away. You do not have the right not to be offended. All ideas must be open to criticism no matter how sacred if we are to live in a free society. Also, when someone criticizes your idea they are not disrespecting your rights, and they are not necessarily criticizing you. Calling an idea absurd, stupid, bad, idiotic, etc. is not the same as calling the person who expresses it those things. Good, smart people can have bad ideas. Vice versa.
Note: There are places where this is generally not appropriate; the workplace, and in some limited sense, public school where a free exchange of ideas is only acceptable as long as it is not threatening, hateful, or disruptive of the learning process.
... and because for me no Blasphemy day is complete without a little Sagan:
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