Heres somethign for those who claim christianity is so much farther than islam.

[Elrohir]

Both these guys are tossers.

The guy did not steal anything. He was given the wafer. He kept the wafer. He is a tosser because he kept his wafer specifically to taunt the Catholics. The Dutch fella is a tosser because he drew mohamed specifically to taunt the Muslims. Same sin in my eyes.

But at least there's some conceivable political or social reason for publishing pictures of Mohammad - in the Dutch case, to reveal the level of intimidation that a certain religious community has over the press. I'm not saying they did it solely for good reasons (I'm quite sure there was an element of "Hey, let's screw with the Muslims!") but at least there's some small justifiable basis.

But there's no parallel here. The Roman Catholic Church doesn't control the press, or the bread making industry, or anything. It's just one guy ticking of Catholics because he's a jerk.

 

[GinandTonic]

His point was that shown a level of deliberate disrespect the Catholics who thought the rag 'eds were having a childish hissy-fit would have a childish hissy-fit. As much as the man is an idiot he has proved his point elequently.

Just as he is as much of an idiot as the cartoonist, his point is just as valid.

Hell, there was a call in this thread for him to be sent down from his uni, and I dont recall said poster calling for any action against the artist.

 

[Lillefix]

It's getting more and more obvious that the world would be a better place without religion.

 

[Elrohir]

His point was that shown a level of deliberate disrespect the Catholics who thought the rag 'eds were having a childish hissy-fit would have a childish hissy-fit. As much as the man is an idiot he has proved his point elequently.

Just as he is as much of an idiot as the cartoonist, his point is just as valid.

Hell, there was a call in this thread for him to be sent down from his uni, and I dont recall said poster calling for any action against the artist.

"I can make people mad" isn't a valid point. I can do that by hitting people in the face with a golf club. "People are afraid of radical Muslims" is a valid point, "The government is corrupt and needs reform" is a valid point. "I can make people mad when I mock their sacred traditions" isn't a valid point, it's a statement about how big a jerk you are.

Making people angry for the sake of making them angry provides no useful social benefit whatsoever. There has to be an overriding reason behind doing so for it to be even remotely justifiable. "For kicks" doesn't qualify.

 

[GinandTonic]

"I can make people mad" isn't a valid point. I can do that by hitting people in the face with a golf club. "People are afraid of radical Muslims" is a valid point, "The government is corrupt and needs reform" is a valid point. "I can make people mad when I mock their sacred traditions" isn't a valid point, it's a statement about how big a jerk you are.

Making people angry for the sake of making them angry provides no useful social benefit whatsoever. There has to be an overriding reason behind doing so for it to be even remotely justifiable. "For kicks" doesn't qualify.

I couldnt agree more.

The dutchman pointed out that the muslims were mentalists and this fella ponts out that many of those most condemnatory of the reaction to that publication were hypocrites.

They are equally tossers. Their points are equally selfevident. There is no difference between their douchbaggrery.

 

[Holycannoli]

The big difference here is, will these death threats actually be carried out? Are there mobs of people out in the streets in protest, burning effigies and such? Or is it just a few people issuing meaningless threats?

This situation is not similiar to the muslim outrage over the cartooons. The magnitude of the latter is far greater.

 

[El_Machinae]

"I can make people mad when I mock their sacred traditions" isn't a valid point, it's a statement about how big a jerk you are.

It's not just making people mad. It's moving a small piece of bread, and making people perform evil actions. It's proving that, really, the differences between us are a lot smaller than we think.

Seriously, death threats over a piece of bread, we should applaud the man for uncovering such ignorance in our own society.

 

[Aegis]

Alert me when Christians begin performing mass suicide bombings on civilians. .

 

[El_Machinae]

Alert me when Christians begin performing mass suicide bombings on civilians. .

Does it have to be suicide bombings, or is the atrocity (hypocrisy) mostly involving the words "civilian" and "bombing"?

 

[Aegis]

Does it have to be suicide bombings, or is the atrocity (hypocrisy) mostly involving the words "civilian" and "bombing"?

You missed the key word, here: "Mass" suicide bombings. As in, commonplace, happens three times a day for years at a time.

 

[JollyRoger]

When was the last time someone was killed for insulting Christians?

Happens quite a bit in Texas if you count Christians who perceived that they were insulted.

 

[El_Machinae]

Fair 'nuff. I just don't think that 'suicide' is the key word there. I did skip over 'mass', though, honestly. I suspect I was distracted

 

[Berzerker]

The guy said he took it to show a friend unfamiliar with the cracker or the practice, so what? How is that mocking Jesus or Christianity?

 

[Berzerker]

Bill Donohue embracing the concept of hate speech

what a fraud

 

[a_propagandist]

"I can make people mad" isn't a valid point. I can do that by hitting people in the face with a golf club. "People are afraid of radical Muslims" is a valid point, "The government is corrupt and needs reform" is a valid point. "I can make people mad when I mock their sacred traditions" isn't a valid point, it's a statement about how big a jerk you are.

Making people angry for the sake of making them angry provides no useful social benefit whatsoever. There has to be an overriding reason behind doing so for it to be even remotely justifiable. "For kicks" doesn't qualify.

It could very well show the mob mentality of Catholics, no? Their unified voice of condemnation could be said to parallel their bloc-style voting which does affect how the United States is run (see: faith-based initiatives etc.)

Fair 'nuff. I just don't think that 'suicide' is the key word there. I did skip over 'mass', though, honestly. I suspect I was distracted

Was there a joke here referencing Mass = Communion?

 

[Mise]

What I'm hearing from Christians is that Catholic beliefs are more important than Islamic beliefs.

I'm not surprised that Christians are saying this, nor that Atheists think that both groups are absolutely crackers. No pun intended.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[CheScott]

rebuilding a human with just flesh and blood could be hard though.
we'd need some organs, bones, muscles and a brain. i suggest we get those from the cemetery, igor.

Jesus of Nazareth. The Christ. A man once resurrected. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the crackers. We have the capability to make the world's first Bionic Messiah. Jesus of Nazareth will be that man.

 

[holy king]

The big difference here is, will these death threats actually be carried out? Are there mobs of people out in the streets in protest, burning effigies and such? Or is it just a few people issuing meaningless threats?

This situation is not similiar to the muslim outrage over the cartooons. The magnitude of the latter is far greater.

the people being outraged in this case are far too content to actually go out on the streets, shoot in the air and burn things.

"I can make people mad" isn't a valid point. I can do that by hitting people in the face with a golf club. "People are afraid of radical Muslims" is a valid point, "The government is corrupt and needs reform" is a valid point. "I can make people mad when I mock their sacred traditions" isn't a valid point, it's a statement about how big a jerk you are.

Making people angry for the sake of making them angry provides no useful social benefit whatsoever. There has to be an overriding reason behind doing so for it to be even remotely justifiable. "For kicks" doesn't qualify.

well, he was a jerk. he has every right to be one.

he goes to church, insults christians, christians throw him out of church.
that's where the story should end.

 

[brennan]

Irreverance is an important part of our culture, we have parodied and mocked our monarchs and political leaders for centuries.

Why is it wrong to do the same to religion?