Insulting Religion

POPE FRANCIS maintains that free speech is relative, that one does not have the right to provoke anyone's anger by insulting or ridiculing anyone's religion. Well, so be it. True, deliberately provoking a human being, any human being, is a bad idea, since humans are so very capable of surprising forms of retallation. Doing so by insultig or ridiculing religion seems particularly in bad taste. But in all respect, your holiness, I beg to differ with you. People most assuredly do have THE RIGHT to do this, no matter how bad an idea it is. Any limitations or qualifications placed on free speech, and the slippery slope of incrementalism is begun. We wouldn't want to quality freedom of speech out of existence, after all. You can indeed yell "fire!" in a crowded theatre; very likely you'll experience consequences, up to and including jail time, or physical abuse by angry theatre goers. Our absolute right of free speech is God given, just as surely as are our ears and lips. You do indeed have "the right" to insult someone's religion, which doesn't mean you should. Alas, our human need to control other humans!