I read Randy Millholland's note, and my first thought is, why rag on just the Christians? Every sufficiently powerful group has its loudmouthed extremist wing. Of course, Randy says he pokes at everyone in his comic, and I believe him. Well, to an extent.
My next question is why, when someone pokes at extremist Christians, there's a backlash, and when someone pokes at extremist Muslims, there's a backlash, and when someone pokes at extremist Republicans or Democrats, there's a backlash, but if someone pokes at extremist Mennonites, or extremist Jehovah's Witnesses, or extremist Bratz(tm) toy collectors, there's virtually no backlash.
Maybe it's because none of those groups can afford an Internet connection. But I kid.
I'm still wondering about this. There are some groups who I think have strong ties between their extremist wing and their moderate wing, and the moderate wing takes it personally when their extremists are raked around, because they sympathize with their extremists. ("Yes, he was a jerk, but he had a point...") Then there are groups where the moderates take it personally, but don't really sympathize with their extremists so much as they feel the other side is lumping them in unfairly. ("Yes, he was a jerk, but that's because he's taken our party line too far...")
Probably most groups have elements of both, come to think of it.
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Date: 2006-11-01 11:11 pm (UTC)From:My next question is why, when someone pokes at extremist Christians, there's a backlash, and when someone pokes at extremist Muslims, there's a backlash, and when someone pokes at extremist Republicans or Democrats, there's a backlash, but if someone pokes at extremist Mennonites, or extremist Jehovah's Witnesses, or extremist Bratz(tm) toy collectors, there's virtually no backlash.
Maybe it's because none of those groups can afford an Internet connection. But I kid.
I'm still wondering about this. There are some groups who I think have strong ties between their extremist wing and their moderate wing, and the moderate wing takes it personally when their extremists are raked around, because they sympathize with their extremists. ("Yes, he was a jerk, but he had a point...") Then there are groups where the moderates take it personally, but don't really sympathize with their extremists so much as they feel the other side is lumping them in unfairly. ("Yes, he was a jerk, but that's because he's taken our party line too far...")
Probably most groups have elements of both, come to think of it.