Cohenite.
I wonder if the author has asked a person of Dayak or West Papuan heritage what happens when one's homeland is flooded with Muslim immigrants?
I've only been to Java and Lombok and I didn't really get out into the sticks but there seems to be precious little in the way of "culture" in either locale, contrast that with Bali where out in the hinterland I ran into several elaborate looking processions of locals all dressed up and carrying great garlands of flowers to the temples for some festival or other.

Jay; the Balinese seem to be one of the few cultures which have not been smothered by the Islamic cult. They are a bit like Hong Kong; Bali makes too much tourist dollar perhaps to have islam enforced there?

I enjoyed the life of Brian! Particularly where his naked lover places her body between Brian and his endlessly dictatorial bug-eyed confronted Mother.
But then, All Jewish Mothers are like that aren't they, starting with enforced circumcision; that means that the men, are more or less in the hands of a woman, for all their sexual satisfaction?
And if that isn't ultimate almost absolute control, what else could it be, where we have water on demand and daily hygiene? [Maybe that was responsible for all the frustration and the riot? Led by young men, at the height of their sexual prowess/virility?]
I also enjoyed the end scene and the ironic humour, of always looking on the bright side of life, even when nailed to a cross!
Where to from there, particularly for the incorrigible recidivist criminal?
And yes, I do so enjoy taking the hiss out of and winding up those, who take themselves and a completely unproven and unprovable belief system, and the words of a serially revised and endlessly edited book, far too seriously?
Rhrosty.

Yes, you're right, Rhosty,

All religions make a virtue out of ignorance ('wonder', 'awe', etc.), and should be laughed at, just as Monty Python did with the Life of Brian.

In many ways, though, this situation has gone far beyond all that - from religion to politics - to conflicting views on freedom of expression, on free speech, on the notion of equality before the law, and law on a national level, equality of men and women, the right to question received authority (which the Left used to be good at, but has got a bit out of practice), the acceptance of change and progress and the realisation that humans make their own life-purpose, it's not laid out for them.

On the one hand, I'm full of foreboding at what might be a coming cataclysm, of ignorance sweeping the world and converting the rest of us to its reactionary cause by force - but on the other, I'm excited by the possibility that, at last, a couple of billion people may, just may, have the opportunity to open their eyes and, no doubt after much painful struggle, throw off their chains and join the rest of the world in the constant pursuit of truth and knowledge. A lot of it will be up to them to sort out - which path to take ?

I hope you can be part of that awakening, Rhosty :)

All the Muslims need to do is make a stupid movie about our fable. Even ! Bingo !
No thrashing things, no violence etc.

Individual,

OR just watch some of 'our' own films and videos, poking fun at outmoded Christian beliefs and sanctimoniousness, etc.

Maybe that's part of the problem - that people raised in authoritarian countries, with authoritarian religions which mandate 'submission', expect all governments to come down hard on ANY films or videos that ridicule ANY religion, especially their own. People may not be clamouring to watch anti-Christian films so much as wanting authorities to ban ANY ridicule of religions.

Still, the Enlightenment cat is out of the bag and is cutting its swathe through the pigeons of reaction, and their useful idiots.

Interesting times !

Joe