What an interesting thread! Here I was talking about clams, and now it has migrated into discussions about the legitimacy of religions and freedom of expression. I will try to keep with the flow.
The way I look at things, you might ask yourself, what is it that makes mankind different from the rest of the animals on Earth? Is it love, self-sacrifice, empathy? Anyone with a beloved dog would probably attest to those qualities in their pet. And intelligence is really just a matter of scale. But I can think of one thing that appears unique to humans, which is that we form religions, and we worship. I am aware of no other animal doing so.
Mark Twain made a famous quote that went something like the following: "Mankind is the only animal on earth capable of blushing. He's also the only one who has a reason to."
