Start me up

Good morning all, hope your weekend was a good one. I’ve much to talk about today but will start my morning off with a bit of a rant. Just a bit. I copied the following from Russ’ blog because I wanted to carry it further, and to do so in his comments section would just be rude. I don’t want to be rude because Russ is a great guy and I enjoy his blog thoroughly, and as I’m prone to drone my blog space is a bit more spacious than a comment section. See there, that one small thought took me almost an entire paragraph. Anyway, here’s the article:

The following is from this week's edition of
Flagpole.

Daniel v. Mohammed

I can certainly understand why many Americans are shaking their heads at the storm of controversy that erupted in the Muslim world when several European newspapers ran cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed wearing a turban that doubles as a bomb. While the cartoons were deliberately and heavy-handedly provocative, the fanatically violent response and the resulting loss of life stretches even my rather elastic respect for legitimate cultural and religious differences very nearly to the snapping point.

Before we go overboard in congratulating ourselves on our own vaunted reputation for religious tolerance, however, we might note the storm of self-righteous zealotry that cowed NBC into pulling its controversial series, “The Book of Daniel”, after just three episodes. So far as I know, this conflict did not result in bloodshed, although it did produce death threats against some station managers who aired the show over the strenuous protests of some local viewers.

Although some objected to “Daniel” because of its portrayal of a severely flawed Episcopal priest and his equally flawed family and flock, the show's most egregious offense was its characterization of Jesus Christ as a decidedly laid-back but constant and caring presence in the everyday lives of even the sinful and whacked-out. Such sacrilege! The producers might as well have depicted the focal figure of the Christian faith as a terrorist.

James C. Cobb
cobby@cobbloviate.com


I understand what he’s trying to say (though he did a better job of it here).

The argument in this particular piece is a bit ham fisted for my taste, too slippery slope.

While I agree that there are some way too uptight individuals in this country, I fail to see the logic in lumping them in with a group, nay, a religion whose tenants include annihilating non-believers (or enslaving them), treating women like cattle, and dubbing murder-suicide “Martyring”.

I would imagine that there are many in Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, and other parts east who would gladly enlighten Mr. Cobb on the difference between an angry, letter writing Christian and a walking Muslim murder machine about to take out 30 women and children in a pizza parlor.

Anyway, I just felt the need to air that out. I’ve read several of Mr. Cobb’s blogs and actually enjoy his writing style. He’s often insightful and brings up many good points. Unfortunately sometimes his conclusions are a bit misguided.

I’d like to again thank Russ for providing this morning’s rant fuel.

More to come,

Captain.