Pope gets it half right

Like many public figures, Pope Francis spoke out last week about the massacre in Paris.

The Pope stressed that there was no justification for the killing of 17 people in three separate incidents, including a massacre in and around the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The assailants were reportedly Islamist extremists, some of whom called out "Allahu akbar," which is Arabic for "God is great," as they singled out the magazine, French authorities and Jewish people.

"One cannot make war (or) kill in the name of one's own religion," Francis said on his way to the Philippines. "... To kill in the name of God is an aberration."  Link

That's absolutely true. It's absolutely hypocritical to say you believe in a god, then destroy his creations. Way to go, Pope. 

But then he went too far.

"One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people's faith, one cannot make fun of faith."

Sorry, Pope, but that's 100% untrue. Religion is fair game for satire. 

If you say that the Universe was created by one guy who sees and knows everything and sits in judgement over us, poor humans, ready to sentence us to eternal torture, then you are fair game for questioning, provocation and insult. One should be respectful of other people, but ideas are fair game.

I've never understood this. If you really believe in an omnipotent, omniscient guy who controls the universe, then why do you think he can't stand being questioned or made fun of? I'm pretty sure that if such a being existed, he wouldn't give two craps about some puny human making fun of him.

The fact that you're offended on his behalf, says more about you then it does about him.