Irony Man

Arch-bigot William Donohue, who likes to refer to himself as the Catholic League, yesterday denounced people who make death threats against others for exercising their first amendment rights. I would like to congratulate C. League on taking a small step in the right direction—but I can't. League is not speaking of the death threats from his followers against Dr. P. Z. Myers; no, he is speaking of imaginary death threats he hopes to receive himself from "the King Kong Theory of Creation gang". Now there's a guy with an over-inflated sense of his own importance.

This whole business started when C. League attacked P.Z. Myers for daring to defend a kid who carried off a communion wafer, believed by Roman Catholics to be the actual body of Jesus Christ. Because Myers pointed out the insanity of this whole business, League wrote to the university where he works and demanded that he be fired. League's followers soon were sending death threats to the doctor. Was League concerned about this? No. He was concerned, however, about the possibility that he might end up reaping what he had sowed, so he issued a statement that he would hold Dr. Myers responsible for any death threats that might happen to come his way. (He should be so lucky.)

I would like to suggest to William Donohue, or Catholic League, or whatever he wants to call himself today, that he get over it. Nobody cares what he thinks. If he wants to be taken seriously, maybe he should actually do something with his life, instead of trying for an ersatz fame by linking himself with people who have a track record of accomplishments. His fag buddy the "reverend" Phelps ought to get the same thing through his thick head. You guys keep wondering why you don't get any respect; well, maybe it's because you haven't earned it.

The best post I've seen on this subject, by the by, is Crackers, Cartoons, and Teddy Bears--OH MY! at Living the Scientific Life. She writes:

Not so very long ago, Americans mocked muslim nations for rioting and issuing death threats over the publication of a few cartoons in Danish newspapers. A little over one month ago, Americans once again sat back in a cloud of smug judgmentalism as they laughed at the uproar caused by a teddy bear that was named "Mohammad" by a classroom full of kids. American christians aren't so backward and superstitious as all those muslims, the religious amongst us congratulated themselves arrogantly.

After pointing out the parallel insanity of the present uproar she observes:

Some people accuse atheists of possessing the same militantism as the religious wingnuts, while noting that there is a disproportionate number of atheists in science. But they are conveniently overlooking the fact that atheists/scientists have endured the burning of their books (and their bodies) at the hands of institutionalized religious insanity throughout the ages without rioting and killing people, or even threatening to do so. Don't believe me? As a modern day test, why don't you steal a science book from your local library -- Darwin's "Origin of Species" if you must -- photograph it and include it in a letter to the local newspaper telling the public that you kidnapped this book from the library and plan to burn it on the front steps of your local catholic church. What would happen to you?

And later on:

The real enemy here is the irrational attachment of exceptional emotional value to silly objects like hosts. This irrational belief that some objects are "holy" and therefore deserve more respect and consideration than do mere people should stop -- how many millions of "mere people" have been murdered in senseless wars that began in the name of Christ or Mohammed for the purpose of protecting holy objects and rituals? Who are the real lunatics here?

Read the whole post. It's good, and it's to the point. As for C. League and his imaginary death threats—ignore them. The guy doesn't deserve the media attention he so obviously craves. Let him get his fix somewhere else.