South Park creators hate virgins, paradise

Of all the dumb moves guaranteed to provoke dumb responses, inciting nut-job Muslims to attack the creators of South Park has to rank right up there.

.
To the idiot running Revolutionmuslim.com: these are Americans you’re talking about. In the Middle East, perhaps theocratic dipwads can use the threat of violence to scare people into believing/behaving. But over here, it just makes them violent right back.

.
In fact, over there it just makes them violent right back, too. The difference is that, thanks to a myriad of concurrent freedoms, people in the U.S. have the right to bear arms. So, look for a nutty Christian to go after a nutty Muslim if the threat ever turns into reality. In fact, I’d say the dude who wrote the post, Abu Talhah al Amrikee, might wanna up his home insurance, because the nuts on the Christian side are just as nutty as he is.

.
What these sheep took offense to was a broad parody during South Park’s weekend episode in which major religious “prophets” are lampooned, including Mohammed (peace be upon everyone and all that.) Noting that using his image has led to murders in the past from said orthodox nutjobs, creators Trey Parker (left) and Matt Stone had Mohammed dress up in a mascot-style bear outfit.

.
Look, we know you believe in raptures and virgins and one-world caliphates that prepare everyone for some mystical, magical paradise beyond the stars….but you’re a bunch of fruitcakes. There’s no proof other than blind faith behind any of the major religions, and you can deny that until you’re blue in the face, while rational people look on and wonder why anyone would want to become blue in the face.

.
The vast majority of South Park’s targets deserve it (including Richard Dawkins, whose sociological ideas we often agree with, but who has the graceful approach of a lame rhinocerous in a glass-blowing factory). Few deserve is at much as Mormons and the Scientologists, because they proselytize more than most. But pretty much all religions get the same treatment, including atheists (really? Creation from nothingness? Physical impossibility. Something had to come first, so call it ‘God’ whether you anthropomorphize the image or not, and get over yourselves.)

.
So rather than waste precious air pointing out once again the foibles of orthodox religion, I’ll leave the last few words on this to the unusually astute commentators who posted after a CNN story on the issue:

.

From poster Neil: you watch media in the US and in other countries which allow freedom of expression, you will see numerous examples of comments and cartoons (including South Park) wherein the author treats Jesus in a way that the most devout christains would find offensive. That is exactly what was contemplated by the First Amendment to the US Constitutition, which Revolutionmuslim. com seeks the protection of when spewing its hate and thinly-veiled threats but abhors when someone says something that offends.

.

From poster Evan:
This was a joke on extremists who use anything as a reason for violence. “You made fun of me, therefore I’ll kill you.” This is not a rational thought process and needs to stop. And I see these same people are asking about how we would feel if they made fun of Jesus. You obviously have not seen the show. They do make fun of Jesus, and every single group you can imagine. That is their point, and you missed it entirely.

.

From DaveC:
Mohamed was as insane as was Jesus. Dudes, there is NO GOD. Grow up; this is the year 2010 and it’s time to stop believing there is a magic man in the sky who reads your minds 24/7 and will give you goodies after you die. You have one life to live and it’s on the earth and it’s now. Now run along and live a true life and not the fairy tale of the Bible, or Qu’ran, or The Book of Mormon.

.

And the last word, from Bruce Roll:

Personal beliefs are not public facts. All followers of every religion should spend less time memorizing their respective sacred texts and more time studying their religion’s actual history. A religious devotion is no basis for murdering and/or maiming fellow human beings.
.

I have had enough of devout extremists threatening everyone’s safety, because a non-believer had the audacity to question their religious beliefs. To me, the three most repulsive words in the English language are Evangelical, Orthodox, and Fundamentalist.

.

The United States of America is a democratic republic, not a theocracy. We should stand by our constitutional freedoms and not bow to the will of ignorant religious zealots

Big breasts, Jessica Alba and the existence of God

Belief is a strange thing. I’ve spent a lot of time lately wondering why so many famous, young, beautiful women believe they need plastic surgery to remove the “unusual” features which, in my opinion, are what made them beautiful in the first place. Slightly crooked noses are being straightened. Cheekbones are moved up. The lips are inflated. Suddenly, they look just like everyone else.

And that’s exactly what they want.

I should confess at this point that I like slightly odd-looking women. I’d take Christina Ricci over Jessica Alba any day. I’ve always thought Sandra Bernhardt was kind of hot, and I never bothered to take a second look at Britney Spears until I’d heard she’d put on a few pounds. Many of my male friends admit to having unusual tastes, too. Sitting around with them — particularly now that we’re older and less concerned about how our tastes will be judged — is a lot of fun because we find out how truly different our perceptions of beauty are.

Am I creeping you out yet? Probably. What has this got to do with religion? I’ll get there.

I’ve been reading a book by Naomi Wolf published in the 1990 called “The Beauty Myth” that claims standards of female beauty have only emerged in the past two centuries as a means of patriarchial social control. In the last few decades, Wolfe asserts, these standards have supplanted religion, which was the previous system that preserved male dominance. The argument goes that beauty standards are in place to make women feel unworthy of promotions, raises and the recognition that would put them on an equal footing with men. Just like religion, Wolf argues that we accept the beauty myth without question.

I don’t really buy the idea that there’s a Learjet up above us with men in $2,000 suits concocting ways to make make women miserable so that they can continue to preserve a power structure. They just want them to fear their yellowing teeth so they can sell whitening strips. Ditto for the Pope — he just wants more Catholics.

Still, the desire to conform is powerful. I learned in childhood that not owning the right brand of sneakers or listening to Duran Duran risked ridicule. I wasn’t a stupid kid — I knew there wasn’t any rhyme or reason as to why Nike shoes were cool and Lotto shoes weren’t. I just knew I had to have the Nike ones to survive. So I bought into the game that made me cool for wearing Jordache, and I joined my peers in mocking the kids who didn’t. As an adult, I know that the magazines I’m reading are supported by advertizers that would have nothing to sell if I was completely comfortable with my looks. But I need to get by in the world, so I rationalize fashion necessities and blot out the fact it’s all a heap of crap. It’s no fun being righteous and lonely.

Religion offers a similar trade in return for comfort. How many times have you heard a religious message phrased in the form, “Is there something missing in your life?” or been told our lives must be “empty” without a faith in God? Church offers friends and social activities. Who can blame people for not wishing to scrutinize the existence of God too closely?

When I was younger, I was afraid to contradict society’s standards of beatuty and even tried to convince myself that the “beauties” that men’s magazines showed me were attractive. I wanted to fit in. Sadly, women want to fit in as well, and many are willing to surgically alter their bodies to do it.

Rational thought loses out to rationalizing. And it’s such a shame.