Dear runner,

Certainly there are no contemporary examples of death as an alternate to conversion to Christianity. That is because the secular state prevents such atrocities. The Inquisition and other Christian practices of the past are no longer possible because of the civilising influence of the secular state.

From the hate and contempt you have displayed for those who do not accept your mumbojumbo I am glad that you do not have the power to put your views on others.

May you live in peace.

Dear George,

This may be of interest to you.

It's taken from the New York Post:

"French Prime Minister declares war on Islam..."

Manuel Valls, the French PM stated -

"We are at war - not a war against religion - not
a war against a civilization - but to defend our
values, which are universal."

"It is a war against terrorism, and radical Islamism -
against everything that would break our solidarity,
our liberty, our fraternity."

"The French people need to stand for freedom of speech
and faith - which in France means keeping religion
separate from government."

"We need standards, values, and authority.
There must be a firm message about the values of the
Republic and secularism."

There's more at the following -

http://nypost.com/2015/01/10/french-prime-minister-declares-war-on-radical-islam/

Its strange that in the light of these appalling murders our govt is thinking about reintroducing legislation so the Australian media can also vilify and humiliate minority groups in this country.

No sane person condones these murders but why are the reasons for provoking these psychopaths not being debated in the media?

Its also interesting that western leaders are pretty much ignoring the daily carnage caused by terrorist groups in Africa and the Middle East but go to jelly when a few westerners are targeted.
How about we treat every victim equally

Crowie, "..why are the reasons for provoking these psychopaths not being debated in the media?"

Maybe for the same reasons that victims of rape are not blamed for encouraging their rapist. Women should dress as they like without fear of rape. They are not meat left out for cats.

Cartoonists should be able to offend without being butchered.

The offenders are not 'psychopaths' either. They are Islamic fundamentalists.

The world need more courageous men and women to speak up and oppose tyranny.

Crowie,

France, in particular, has a long tradition of strident free speech, much of it satirical.

Why, when fundamentalists decide to react with a massacre, do people suddenly jump up waving the "provocation" caveat?

Which other religion, politician or cultural icon targeted by the magazine has reacted to Charlie Hebdo's satire by staging a massacre - and if they did, would that also be analysed as a half-deserved by-product of the magazine's provocation?

I posed this on another thread regarding the satire of Irish Catholic clerical life in Father Ted:

"For instance, in one episode of Father Ted, a Bishop ends up with Holy Stone of Clonrichert - (being upgraded to a "class two relic" by the Vatican) inserted in his nether regions...another Bishop is inadvertenly convinced by Dougal that Christianity is a load of tosh, and promptly heads off to India in a Kombi, puffing on a joint - and a third Bishop is killed by a heart attack when a drain spurts out water after someone flushes the loo....all is irreverence, produced in a country that takes its Catholism very seriously...

[In the case of a team of fanatics targeting them] would we for a minute put a caveat on a massacre of the production team of Father Ted on the grounds that it insulted Catholism?"