Blasphemy

A number of years ago I read a book on Blasphemy -I've still got it, but I'm not at home at the moment, so I can't remember the name or the proper title.

Even at that stage the writer was protesting the fact that Christian images, symbols and the like can be treated by artists as something they can use alongside sexual images, or other offensive material, and this is apparently okay. When Christians protest about these they immediately branded as non-art people who just don't get it. (The fact that the 'message' is almost always supposed to be a Christian protest in itself is often hard to see.)

But do anything in a similar fashion regarding Muhammad and the Muslim world goes crazy. He's not allowed to be blasphemed in any way, he's not allowed to be depicted in any humorous fashion, he's not allowed to be insulted in the teeniest weeniest degree.

Jesus Christ, on the other hand, is obviously a lot tougher. He can be insulted as much as people like and those who protest will always be demeaned in some way.

Terry Mattingly offers an alternate 'news report' on the topic over on Get Religion.org - the point he makes is perfectly valid, but check out what at least one of the commenters writes; he just can't get what Mattingly is trying to say.

There's one law for them and a different one for us....