Monday, April 26, 2010

A Free Pass

Here's a question for you: Given our society's penchant to question everything, why is it that the homosexual lobby and Islam are given special status?

You can say anything you want on TV about Jesus Christ and Christianity. You can make accusations against any company, organization, or group. You can decry the Boy Scouts; turn your fathers and fatherhood into a laughingstock; slander politicians and citizens alike.

But no one dares say a word about gays and about Muslims. Heck, even Comedy Central and South Park are afraid to mock Mohammedans. Why?

Because the homosexual lobby has money and the Muslims have bombs?

What's the answer? Discuss.


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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have you seen the South Park episode with Tom Cruse? No shortage of making fun of gays there. Or maybe it's making fun of people who aren't gay but are accused of being gay? If you don't think gays are made fun of, you are wildly mistaken. Stereotypical gay characters abound. And psychopathic gay characters are pretty common too.
You can make fun of Muslims, but making fun of Mohamed, or for that matter even depicting them puts you in the same category as flag burning. Go ahead and do it, at your own peril.
Not too long ago, you would have been killed for doing the same thing to a Christian. Times change.

Jean Michelle Miernik said...

Huh. I don't see the world that way at all. Some people get pissed when Christians are mocked. Some people get pissed when gays are mocked. Some people get pissed when oppressed or marginalized people are mocked, but not the oppressors. Is South Park afraid to mock... anyone? I've watched every episode, and I can't think of anyone or anything they haven't put through the ringer. Comedy Central might be scared of death threats from New York terrorists, but Matt and Trey don't seem to be. Have you not seen "Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants?" Or the opening credits of each episode, which include an image of Mohammad?

I think different people's perspectives on what gets made fun of more is colored by the issues they're sensitive about. Remember how Chef helped make fun of a dozen or more religions on the show and then threw a hissy and quit when they poked at Scientology.

Or maybe the "homosexual lobby" got their hands on Kyle's bag of Jew gold. That could be it.

Anonymous said...

I was just kind of thinking of analogies for what you said, and I came up with "why are retarded kids (oh, excuse me, specially abled) given special status? Like when you make a movie that uses the word (Tropic of Thunder) retarded that there is a groundswell movement to band the movie. Is that a bad thing? To want to stop people from being cruel?
Just a thought. Cant think more now, cat wants food.

Gleno said...

If you ask me, it's open season on Christianity in the media and on TV. Yes, South Park still pokes at gays, but you'd be hard pressed to see anyone do it in daily life these days.

The new "Oh my G__" is "Oh my f__ing G__." (If someone wants a fat lip real quick, just say that in front of me.)

I was just reading an article online about how society as a whole is willing to buckle under the threats of Islam and avoid saying anything that seems at all derogatory against that religion. I guess all it takes to intimidate us is the threat of violence.

In Other News:
Just the other day, while in conversation with someone who was referring to children, the person started to refer to children who were developing and learning at a normal rate, she went to use the word "normal" and stopped herself. She then stammered looking for a more politically correct word.

"Do you mean NORMAL?" Is normal now a bad word too?? We can rlip off God but we can't say "normal"?

God help us.

Gleno said...

Above: "flip off"

Jean Michelle Miernik said...

LOL, Gleno! "(If someone wants a fat lip real quick, just say that in front of me.)" Are you trying to follow the fine example of Muslim intimidation?

Ah, the good old days when it wasn't PC to make fun of gays and mentally challenged people. ???

There is a big difference between poking fun at the dominant religion of the dominant culture and bullying people who are disadvantaged or oppressed. That's why the underdog is the one who tends to get "special" protections... because they NEED them, not because "those" people are more valuable than middle class to wealthy white Christian males.

Modern "persecution of Christians" in America is a myth used to promote jingoistic threats and aggression toward everyone except the minor segment of the population sometimes referred to as "real America."

"Persecution" does NOT mean teasing the ruling class. Persecution means that someone in a position of power is oppressing someone with less power.

Anonymous said...

"Persecution" does NOT mean teasing the ruling class. Persecution means that someone in a position of power is oppressing someone with less power.

Well, yes--this is true. But check this out: If I'm a muslim chick and I need to wear my fancy pants and fancy facemask, my fancy job gets in fancy trouble if they don't let me. Why? Because it's something called for by my religion.

As a Christian, I am directed to share my faith, to live a life that glorifies the Lord, and spread the word---but if I so much as pull out a Bible to read at the office, I'm given the "hate speech" talk by my supervisor and HR that amounts to, "Do it again and find another job," and labeled by the employees as "that guy."

Now, mind you--this isn't standing on the front steps, preaching and frothing and screaming.

This is sitting quietly at a table in the café, enjoying a bagel and some starbucks, reading Romans because it's an awesome freakin' book (can I get an Amen?!)

My problem is the double standard. My problem is that we have a society that thinks it's fine to demonize one religion while stepping all over itself to be "sensitive" and "considerate" and "supportive" of one group of people--a group who FREQUENTLY uses their religion as an excuse for mass murder.

Jean Michelle Miernik said...

I don't know what world y'alls live in where Christianity is more "demonized" than any other religion. Perhaps when one is super-sensitive about Christianity, all instances of people insulting Christianity are felt intensely, while all instances of tolerance toward other religions feels enraging.

"My problem is that we have a society that thinks it's fine to demonize one religion while stepping all over itself to be "sensitive" and "considerate" and "supportive" of one group of people--a group who FREQUENTLY uses their religion as an excuse for mass murder."

If that were true, it would be awful indeed. But it's funny... I work at a church and work with many people at other churches, all kinds of Christians, and I'm not hearing anyone crying about being "demonized." Maybe I'm out of the loop because I don't watch Fox.

Gleno said...

"I don't know what world y'alls live in where Christianity is more "demonized" than any other religion."

I think you need to look around, my friend. The Christian faith is under relentless attack by both our government and segments of our society. Do you realize that there are moves underway right now to criminalize as "hate speech" statements made from the pulpit that decry homosexuality as sin?

Do you know that as long ago as the 1980s, a church in Nebraska was entered by Federal Marshals, the pastor arrested while he stood in the pulpit, and people who were kneeling in prayer in pews were arrested and carried out of the church building? The doors of the church were chained shut. Do you know why? Because the church operated a Christian School that refused -- based on their Constitutional rights -- to allow the state Board of Education to approve their curriculum.

I personally stood attended hearings in the capital building in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in defense of my own church-run school in 1985. Thank God we won the court case that went all the way to the state supreme court and preserved our right to operate a Christian school.

After decades, a court has suddenly decided that a National Day of Prayer is unconstitional? When did the courts gain jurisdiction over religious activity???

I could go on and on and on...

Anonymous said...

There are absolutely examples of Christian persecutions, just as there are examples of persecutions of other religions. Only recently has the US Military allowed pagans their own symbol for government grave plaques (there are dozens of other religions that I have never even heard of that you can choose from, but only now a pagan one), or given their pagan soldiers places to worship in some instances.
I'm sure there are members of every religion that can claim similar instances. You all recall the Quakers being booted out of here don't you? Oh, wait, that was before your time. How many Amish are discriminated against over the years I wonder?
This is America, and in some cases you have to conform. Other cases, we let you do your own thing. Sometimes there is no rational reason for either.
Not allowing someone to read a Bible to themselves is wrong. Fiction is fiction. But I can see not allowing someone to proselytize at work, as it may infringe on someone else's rights not to be bothered.

If a Muslim needs to pray during the day, should his employer be bound by law to let him? Is it discrimination if they don't? Is it special treatment if they do? What if they give smoking breaks or coffee breaks, but not prayer breaks?

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all were nice to each other no matter what we were?
But we are human, and that aint going to happen.
By the way, what are your thoughts on "Goddamn it!"