Doc is this an acceptable form of "free speech" ?

[_moksha]

One thing I should point out in case you don't know: Jeremy Irons is a movie star. Guy Sajer is using a picture of the actor, Jeremy Irons, as his avatar, which he jokingly tried to pass off as himself. I'm a married woman who thinks an actor is handsome. I think lots of actors are handsome. What's the big deal about that?

KA

We all know what a picture of Jessica Alba or Terryl Givens would do for the guys.

[_Sam Harris]

The point I'm making is that while insults are flung liberally here, no one likes to be insulted, nor to have their religious beliefs insulted. It may be "fun" to you to mock Mormons, or the Mormon religion. Many others do not find it funny at all. It may be "therapeutic" for you, but it insults and offends others. You'll be amazed at how thin-skinned some become when the tables are turned, and they understand what it feels like to be insulted.

The problem occurs when some believers are so enmeshed with their belief system that any criticism of that belief system feels like a personal insult or "mocking". Then they feel justified in personally attacking the critic, who actually did not insult or attack the believer at all.

If criticism of one's beliefs feels like a personal attack which warrants personal attacks in return, then I would suggest that person stay away from boards that are specifically designed to allow criticisms of their beliefs. Unless, of course, they actually enjoy personally attacking people who reject their religious beliefs, and MAD is merely a guise to allow for that sort of venting, in a way that circumvents the natural guilt that usually results from personally attacking other people. (hey, another RfM similarity!)

Beastie, don't give yourself an anyeurism (sp) trying to explain the obvious.

Jersey Girl, you're one of my daily doses of common sense. If you leave the board, I'll walk around naked in protest, and that will definitely diminish the membership here!