The most recent 20 comments posted to Electrolite by Paul:

"What do you think good-hearted liberals should do when people (ostensibly liberal people, even) do propose that Christians deserve no respect and even less consideration?"

Depends where the "liberals" are proposing that Christians deserve no respect. On comment boards--especially those as unenlightening as KD's has become--I ignore. Among friends I'll dissent (though I'm a pretty firm agnostic). On unfunny radio shows that I can't receive anyway I, well, I won't listen. Should I be doing something I'm not?

(In fact, I'd like to distinguish between "liberalism" and "anti-clericalism." The two may have a history together, but they aren't at all synonomous. Conflating the two necessarily is just sloppy.)

Generally, I agree, though. Mocking religion isn't polite. Ostentatious anti-clericalism is just as annoying as ostentatious piety. Where religious satire is funny, it's usually funny because the mockery is directed at excessive pomposity or hypocrisy, not at, say, the Beatitudes. The chances that blackly humorous or "sick" religious satire will be funny rapidly approach zero, but isn't impossible. YMMV.

there's an undercurrent of rationalism so rough and sharp that it risks becoming, or already is, hatred of Christianity and its adherents

This isn't perfectly obvious to me, but then I live in a fairly religious part of the country. Perhaps you could elaborate?

Or maybe Mr. Bush wants to revisit the Las Casas-Sepúlveda debates of the 16th century. Ginés de Sepúlveda's condescension sounds suspiciously like Mr. Bush's at times.

If that's the case, then Sublimus Dei is way ahead of him

<Robert Plant> ... I don't know, but I've been told--Muqtada al-Sadr ain't got no soul!</Robert Plant>

Maybe that's what he meant.

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