"Offending" People

Vis-a-vis yesterday's FGB post, I noticed again this comment by Andrew Sullivan:

I don't want to offend anyone's religious convictions or in any way intrude on anyone's right to regard me and my civil marriage as an abomination and to stay as far away from it as possible.

I have no trouble with the second part of that. With the understanding that all rights have limits, I agree. But -- and I'm picking nits here -- "offending" someone covers a lot of territory, and if there's anything that represents a slippery slope, it's the concept of offense as something unthinkable. (And please, can we note how the religious right has co-opted offensiveness as something that's impermissible? At least, for those who don't agree with them.)

Excuse me?

Anyone's religious convictions are their responsibility, not mine -- I'm not a babysitter. My very existence offends some people's religious convictions. Too bad. Odds on that their convictions offend my sense of decency at least as much as mine do theirs.

They can maintain their right to think I'm scum. I will maintain my right to think they're assholes. But "offend"?

Sorry, Andrew, but that's part of the deal in a democracy -- you're going to be offended. Cope.