Why mocking belief IS an attack on the person [View all]

The latest Islamophobia in Texas and DU's general reaction with regards to Free Speech has brought this subject back to my mind. I don't know if we've ever addressed my subject directly, so I'd like to now, and perhaps develop a good definition of why.

First, here's how I define why mocking someone's beliefs can can at least hurt, and at most, inflame to the point of violent reactions. That is, those that have strongly-held beliefs are attached to them as any one of us might be attached to a loved one/significant other. The Love we have for our beliefs (and the content thereof) is as strong as the Love we have for a friend, relative, offspring, sibling, and/or spouse/SO. Attacking, mocking, ridiculing, and all of the other negative means of laying into someone's belief is akin to doing exactly the same to a loved-one. Our reactions will be the same, yet most will acknowledge that mocking a loved-one is assholish behavior. And yet, mocking a strongly-held belief is not considered the same.

My analysis for why a belief is interpreted differently between the two (beliefs and loved-ones) is that a belief isn't defined in the same terms by those that would willingly mock us. It's considered to be an abstract thing and can't be interpreted as anything physical. We have to define our beliefs as we would a loved-one, and hold to that definition. It could have the effect of diminishing the mocking, save for those few that are jerks and would have as little remorse about insulting a loved-one, too.

~~~

I think my distillation here may need some refining. Partly because I want it to be crystal-clear, yet also because the mockers will attack it because of their Free Speech right to do so, and so they can twist our words around against us. I'd like to avoid as much of the tedium from their "gotcha" style of arguing a point so that there can't be any confusion on why a belief is akin to a loved-one, emotionally and mentally.

Thanks, y'all