Insulted? Why yes, yes I am

[kriadydragon]

Because of this.

It's not so much the poking fun as it is the mondo-sized misinformation going on. This is the kind of crap people tend to latch onto as fact without doing any research behind it. There is the LDS church (Mormons) and the FLDS church (Fundamentalist LDS: who are so totally not Mormons it is to laugh that we are even compared. Their beliefs are pretty much an insult to our beliefs). What is being implied in that picture is not Mormonism. Not even close.

Ignorance is not bliss, it just makes you look like an idiot.

Comments

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

**nods**
:-/
An irate friend sent me the following yesterday:
http://history.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/02/03/funny-pictures-history-dad/#comments

I left a comment at the site, but sadly it is the times we live in.
As I said at the site, if it were directed at other faiths, it would be
unacceptable, but since it is Christianity.................
We have had 42 instances of vandalism directed at churches in this area, some of them fairly significant, and the authorities have deemed them simple vandalism, but when there was an incident in Eugene involving a mosque, it was entirely different. It was deemed a 'hate crime' and multitudes of people turned out for a candlelight vigil.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

It's an incredibly messed up situation. I'm surprised, sometimes, the things that are posted. With the picture I linked to, there's poking fun and then there's slander, and that picture is complete slander. And yet they leave it up. Would they have left it up had it implied that all Muslims are terrorists? I doubt it.

On the plus side, the picture has not been well received at all. No one finds it funny. The site should take the hint and take the pic down.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

There is so much now on the net that is detestable.
I just feel it is the times we live in..
So much is acceptable, which used to be unacceptable
IMO it boils down to decency and morality, but if you say anything YOU are a host of nasty names. You are denying them their freedom of expression etc............and I suppose they are right, but...........

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

BTW, our church was among the 42 which were smeared and burned.
I saw the story on the news and was shocked to see the filth scrawled all over the outside walls.......fortunately we were not burned etc. as others were. By Sunday they had managed to cover the scrawled garbage, but....

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

IMO it boils down to decency and morality, but if you say anything YOU are a host of nasty names. You are denying them their freedom of expression etc............and I suppose they are right, but...........

Very true. I always say that it's important to figure out when you should draw the line. There's expressing yourself, and then there's being an ignorant jerk. You can't really call the linked picture an "expression" because it's a lie, one easily refuted if one actually looked into the matter.

There's very little respect in the world, I think. People get so caught up in doing what ever they want that they don't consider the consequences, let alone other people's feelings.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Ugh, that's horrible :P Like I said above, very little respect in the world.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

YES little respect for others is the keyword here...........and unfortunately rears its UGLY head in so many ways now, some almost unbelievable.
I sometimes wonder what it will be like in the future and don't even want to go there.....

[sholio]

I'm so sorry. That's awful.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think that this one (unlike the mormone one) is funny...(and I'm a believing christ, too). But I totally get where you come from. People simply don't understand that racism and intolerance is a two way street. Just because someone happens to be part or a perceived mayority, it doesn't mean that he can't be a victim of either one.

I think I know why this picture doesn't disturbs me: Unlike the other one, the joke is not based on misinformation or paints a negative picture of christs. It just pokes a little bit fun on the Jesus-story, which is okay in my book (because it's always dangerous to take the bible to serious - that can be the first step fanatism). But I can totally understand that some people may feel otherwise.

I'm sorry about your church. I hope, the vandalism stops soon.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

I guess I am just unable to accept why it is perfectly okay to vandalize churches but when it happens to a mosque it suddenly becomes a 'hate crime' and everybody and their brother turns out for a candlelight vigil......some driving MILES to show their support.
I fail to understand that kind of mentality.
Our graffiti was nothing compared to some of the damage done to
some churches
At least we were able to take care of it with some paint and elbow grease but for some congregations it meant a lot of $$$$$$.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

I'm totally with you there. If someone makes fun of an arabic woman because of the clothing she wears, it's rassism. If an arabic man talks down to a european woman because she shows to much skin in his opinion, he is a jerk at best. (And I totally not subscripe to the nonsense called "polical correctness").

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

People and their stupidity amaze me, sometimes. There are people replying that everyone should lighten up, that it's just a joke. Yeah *sarcasm* because your religion being accused of pedophilia is so darn funny *sarcasm*

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

It just pokes a little bit fun on the Jesus-story, which is okay in my book (because it's always dangerous to take the bible to serious - that can be the first step fanatism)

I can't really agree with this. I mean, it is a good idea not to take things too seriously but there's having fun and being disrespectful and many people don't know when to draw the line. I was iffy on the Jesus caption, myself. It may not have been outright insulting but neither was I really comfortable with it, metaphorical or not (though, yes, I've seen way worse that could definitely be labeled as disrespectful, so didn't think this one too bad).

I really don't get people. Everyone talks about being respectful and understanding and considerate, but all you see is lot of hate-mongering and false information.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

Well, the thing is that everyone would draw the line at a different place, right? I mean, I'm christian and not offended at all...you are slightly offended...and someone else may be really offended. So what do you want to do, forbit making jokes about religions at all?

My personal solution is: It's okay to make fun of the stories, but not of the people believing in it. And yes, I realize that other people may see it different. But I have the same rule for political cartoons: It's okay to make a joke about the work a politican does, but not about, let's say, his size or what he looks like.

Yes, false information are bad...an I totally get why you were offended by the mormone cartoon, because it fails in three ways at the same time. It's inaccurate, it's pointless and it's not funny at all. But there are also some things which you shouldn't overthink. I mean, today you can't even watch Disney's Peter Pan without someone griping that the portrayal of the indians (and yes, I deliberatly say indians and not native american in this case) is stereotype. Well, guess what, it's suppose to. Those are not supposed to be real native americans, those are supposed to be the indians from childrens "Cowboy and Indians" games. Nobody asks if the portrayal of the Pirates is accurate, or is griping about a violent crocodile.

Sorry, small rant there...my point is that sometimes people get overly sensitive over perceived tolerance (or the lack of it). People put to much stock into it in my opinion. It actually makes no difference how I call something but what I really think about it. I have rather someone making a bible joke but respects me for what I am than someone who doesn't touch the subject at all but in reality looks down on me for being uncool because I happen to believe in Christ and not making a secret out of it.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

So what do you want to do, forbit making jokes about religions at all?

You have no control over what other people do and say but you have control over yourself. If you think, even for a second, that something you're about to say and do may offend someone else, then you should make the choice not to do it. Self-control and consideration for others was what I was talking about.

I will grant that it's hard to know when to draw the line. I completely agree that people get oversensitive, and that makes it difficult to know when to proceed and when to back off. But there's no excuse for doing or saying something that you know, for a fact, is an offense to someone else. For example, I'll happily talk about whatever I feel like in my journal, and if others don't like it they don't have to read it. But no way would I post a comment on someone else' journal that I know they would either feel uncomfortable with or be offended by. And even the stuff I post on my own journal I'll put under a cut or lock the post if I feel others might be bothered by it.

It all comes down to common courtesy, which a lot of people don't seem to have. I'm iffy about the Christ picture but I can't say I'm outright offended since I've seen worse, but the Mormon picture is a blatant insult. Whoever posted it can say otherwise all they want, they posted it to be offensive and there was no reason for it.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

I think, we basically agree...I'm just very laid back about this sort of things. Being German, I have to be (if I would go onto the barricade every time someone makes a stupid Nazi-joke or an US-show mispresented something related to that part of our history, I would get no peace at all).