...psssst...

[WilliamPitt]

If your God can't take a joke, He's not God.

...pssssst...

If you believe in your God, then you must believe He invented humor, because humor exists.

...pssssst...

Your God is not the problem. You are.

Asshole.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Well I think it's unfortunate for all the folks who had to see the tasteless cartoons.

That a battle was in play between the French publishers and Islamic extremists is one thing.

That they had to publish such shit as cartoons of Muhammed on his knees with his ass in the air and a camera up his rear end causes more harm and insult to a broad number of people than whatever good it did.

Add to that the fact that innocent people were harmed by the inevitable backlash and I'll just say, No, thank you. You can keep your satire.

There are better ways to reach people and build consensus and peace than through insult.

Unrec.

[WilliamPitt]

2. Mark Twain would disagree.

"Humanity has unquestionably one really effective weapon - laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution - these can lift at a colossal humbug - push it a little - weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand."

[MineralMan]

3. While I would never publish such a thing, I will defend to the death

others' right to do so. Apparently you would not. That, it appears, is the difference between you and me. Pity.

Was it a bad idea to publish that image? Perhaps. It wasn't my idea. But they published it, and had every right to do so. They've also published satirical images about just about every religion. Apparently the publishers of that publication don't have a high opinion of religion. I share their opinion. Apparently, others do, as well, and purchase the publication.

Three people did not share the opinion. They took guns to the publication's office and shot up the place, killing a number of people. No published image ever killed anyone. The response was wrong. Publishing the image was just an editorial decision. Not a capital crime, I think.

You're blaming the victim again in this post. I wish you wouldn't do that.

[dawg]

4. People don't really do these terrible things in order to defend God.

They do them because they are unstable, they feel they *they* have been profoundly disrespected, and they are willing to die just to get some revenge.

[dawg]

6. Did I almost get my ass kicked just now?

[hunter]

7. I never got smacked too hard for my own heresies or blasphemies.

My mom, on the other hand, was not welcome in several churches nor the entire nation of Spain.

Religion was to my mom what alcohol is to an alcoholic. She's much calmer now, in her great grandmotherhood, but she's still the sort who could punch a Pope or a Saint, or Christ Himself, in the face. Or castrate a priest, bishop, or cardinal with no more than a glare and a few strong words.

A leering priest destroyed her dreams of religious purity, a life as a nun, so she distanced herself from the church, later met and married my dad, and they had a mess of kids, Catholic style.

My mom did behave herself at My Big Catholic wedding. But before the guests arrived, and as my gay brother-in-law was putting out the flowers, my severely heretical sister-in-law was playing Bohemian Rhapsody on the church organ.

If I'm doomed to hell, at least it's been a wild wonderful ride so far.