er, any Woody Allen movie makes fun of Judism.

That's just one writer...

Um, not all Jews are Israelis and not all Isrealis are Jews, you knucklehead.

The stronger the religion, the less of a problem with movies making fun of it. The Life of Brian poked fun at both Judiasm and Christianity, but it wasn't in any way hateful or harmful. It was just silly. Satire about religion or religious institutions isn't necessarily criticism of that religion. It's more like it's satire about life, because for many people religion is an important part of life.

I'm Jewish and I have friends who are pretty religious Christians, and we love The Life of Brian. We get the jokes, which we think are made in an affectionate way and sort of take on the general human condition.

I'm not dismissing the argument that some movies and some parts of popular culture do a poor job portraying religion. That is true in many cases. I can see how evangelical Christians and Muslims in particular have some valid complaints. But there are plenty of excellent, sensitive portrayals of regligion, including -- and maybe especially -- comedies.

As for the argument that in "George Bush's increasingly hate-filled America" people will brush off Mel's comments, I just don't think that's true. Bush may be an incompetent boob who has screwed up the country, but I don't think he's caused or enabled any increase in bigotry.

"Look, I get that you are anti-Catholic,"

Actually, I don't give the Catholic church one thought beyond how their political manipulations affect my state's and country's legal systems.

What really gets up my nose are all the Catholics around here whining that *any* story, film, newspaper article, or magazine that depicts any criticism of the Catholic church or that dares to portray some really evil doings that the church was (and is) capable of is "anti-catholic". If the Catholic church is going to try to put itself out there as a meaningful and influential organization, they'd better be willing to take the criticism that comes along with it. Otherwise, pipe down.

You ask: "Why is it that non-Catholics choose to get up in arms over the religious practices of an organization that you must freely join? If you don't like it, don't join it. Simple enough."

What about those of us who were born Catholic - like Kevin Smith - and have a real hard time wrestling with a faith that we both love and find deeply flawed? Why should we have to leave the faith of our fathers because we think that some of its rules are outdated, arbitrary and against the spirit of the Gospel? You go on and on about Vatican II, but you fail to acknowledge that the anti-Vatican II ideologues are on the ascendant in the Church, and that the forces of reaction are stifling any attempts at further reform.

You make it sound like we should all just become Anglicans or something. Do you really think it's that easy to leave the Church? Also, what if you're born a Catholic and gay? What then?

I think you're being entirely too blithe and dismissive about the very real difficulties many American Catholics have with our faith.

Sorry for confusing your gender, but right off the bat I will agree with you that indeed, I lump all religions together, protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc. etc. In my humble opinion, it's all, for lack of a better word, bullshit. Your reply to my posting about supposed anti-catholic bias you said: "I challenge you to name one other religion that has been subject to so much, ahem, "criticism" and "satire" in movies, songs, plays, celebrity rants, etc. as the Catholic Church has." I would say that by the criteria of using all popular culture, Mormons, Scientologists, and Muslims all get a fair amount of "abuse", and righty so. The point of my list was to show that plenty of other religions get made fun of, whether the artists are "equal opportunity" or not still doesn't change the fact that they're mocking your faith. Along those lines, you criticize "Dogma", but how can you ignore the fact that Kevin Smith, easily falls into the "equal opportunity" category? So, now you want 10 films about a specific sect of Christianity and 10 films about Orthodox Jews? portray those faiths in an unfair way? You win, I can't think of 20 films off the top of my head that make of fun of Episcopalians. But then again, Episcopalians are bit more conspicuous about their judgmental side, so they're not quite as ripe to be taken down a peg, as moralizing old queens like Bill Donahue. I now challenge you to name 10 films that--by your own criteria--unfairly single out Catholics for abuse. I think the problem here is we can't agree on a definition of "unfair". What you find "unfair" or "bigoted", are probably films like "Priest" or "The Magadalene Sisters" that accurately portray the kind of institutional bigotry and brutality of the Catholic Church. (Really anything, from a post-enlightenment perspective is rather unfair to all religious dogma, so it's a bit of rigged game.) Here's one for the top of your list, "Amen" it's about how Pope Pious XII looked the other way during the holocaust. Unfair? Why are so many of the screenwriters and directors that make these anti-catholic films, catholic themselves, or at least raised catholic? I could easily rattle off 10 movies that portray the Catholic Church in a positive light, and will if you want. Here's the problem, what are the real world effects of this anti-catholic bigotry that's apparently so rampant and destructive? Shall we list the real-world effects of the Catholic Church's policy on condom use? As compared to say, a Kevin Smith movie?

Funny how when a Catholic celebrity makes racist remarks about the Jews to one Police Officer, and sexist remarks to another Police Officer, suddenly we're talking about how often Catholics are persecuted in the movies. How the hell did this become the topic of conversation?

Seriously, there is nothing more pathetic than a Christian (any sect) who feels persecuted in America.