It is so easy to sympathise with christians who feel that they are "disrespected" by non-believers.

Who get inscensed when someone mentions that they are less than rational.

Who point out that it is just a fringe of fundies that are looney, not the great majority of believers.

Then something like this happens.

Someone took Jesus hostage !!!

Naturally Catholics worldwide were furious, complete with deat threats

Some of these Christians are so easily offended there is no point in even listening to their complaints anymore.

Some of these Christians are so easily offended there is no point in even listening to their complaints anymore.

Well, it was rude. It was an action which seems calculated to offend, and it succeeded.

But that's all it was. The Catholic League wrote:

It is hard to think of anything more vile than to intentionally desecrate the Body of Christ.

Actually, it's not. It's pretty easy, in fact.

It was an action which seems calculated to offend, and it succeeded.

Maybe so. But it wouldn't have succeeded had the offended group not been so calculated to take offense. They should have simply asked the guy to leave and to never come back -- easy end of controversy -- and then they could have resumed devouring the Holy Body in peace and quiet.

anxiousmofo:

But that's all it was. The Catholic League wrote:

It is hard to think of anything more vile than to intentionally desecrate the Body of Christ.

Actually, it's not. It's pretty easy, in fact.

Here...I'll try, let me know how I'm doing and if it is more or less vile:

Skull fucking a statue of the virgin Mary

Giving the blessed Virgin a Dirty Sanchez

Giving the Pope a golden shower during mass

Re-enacting Deliverance with Nano as the piggy on video, posting it to youtube as the background to the Colbert McCain green screen challenge.

(I'm just warming up here...but how am I doing so far)

That will do, Spike.

They should have simply asked the guy to leave and to never come back -- easy end of controversy -- and then they could have resumed devouring the Holy Body in peace and quiet.

Yeah. There's a huge overreaction going on: the Catholic League appears to be advocating the expulsion of the student, and, in the press release I linked to earlier, is advocating disciplinary action against the professor and blogger PZ Myers for a post in which he put out a request for people to score him some consecrated communion wafers.

It's reasonable to expect people to be polite when entering into another's house of worship. I think that the belief that communion wafers become the Body of Christ when a priest performs certain actions is more than a little ridiculous, and I'll gladly tell JV-12 that on this board. But I don't go into Catholic churches and harangue people from the pulpit; that's just rude.

But it's not reasonable to demand actions up to, presumably, firing and expulsion. Rudeness might merit a stern talking to, but not much more.

anxiousmofo:

But it's not reasonable to demand actions up to, presumably, firing and expulsion. Rudeness might merit a stern talking to, but not much more.

That's part of my 'point' if you will in coming up with things that would indeed be far more vile. And goes along with what I said in the other thread, that kind of ridiculous hyperbole doesn't help anything.

I don't run about advocating extreme punishments for Catholics who don't respect my beliefs in individual freedoms regardless of how rude or polite they may be.

If a service is open to the public, then it's open and that means there is a chance for dickheadish behavior. Just as the public park is, well, public and I have to put up with all manner of petty tyrants and dickheads on their little soap boxes (or in my face, grabbing hold of me, etc...) telling me that I am the source of all evil and I need to repent in addition to the rather polite older gentleman handing out the pamplets and nicely offering to pray for my poor damned soul, etc...

Though on the whole I would say I'm far more respectful of the freedoms of the religious than they have shown they are willing to be of mine.

With or without returning the Host?

NFP Guy:

With or without returning the Host?

I would think if it was politely asked for, and the person refused then they are escorted out and the 'burden or stain' is upon the person for their own actions.

That or don't allow people who aren't members of the formal congregation into the service and have those who are members pledge to follow church rules regarding such things, and to allow the church authority to intervene when they don't, etc... then they can have the nun whack the heck out of them, the altar boys can gang tackle then the Priest does the little choke-hold ala COPS and the nun fishes the host from the persons mouth...problem solved

<contemplates the visual>

<asks Spike the inevitable question>

Wrenn:

<contemplates the visual>

<asks Spike the inevitable question>

Which question..if I have issues? Am I seriously that twisted? Would I tie you up and give you a spanking? You can't leave these things open ended (so to speak) for me..it just encourages me....

For the curious, PZ Myers has provided us with a sample of the email he received as a result of this incident:

Link.

Whatcha gettin' so mad about? They're just words.

And the symbolism aint too bad either.

LOL

G