text: areukiddingme: The right and ability to criticize religion is and has been a Western value for a very long time. Those politicians who blithely seek to toss that value overboard lack an understanding of history and in particular seem to be oblivious to the impacts of the Protestant Reformation and the Enlightenment. Some historians believe that the emergence of an ability to challenge all traditional institutions, including religion, was crucial to the advancement of Western civilization over the past few centuries. In other words, it made us what we are. Of course, we should strive to treat all individuals with respect, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be able to criticize religious ideology or practices merely due to a fear that such criticism might offend somebody. In a free and democratic Western society, no religion is or should be exempted from scrutiny, skepticism or criticism.