A gratuitous assault on a religious symbol, courtesy of the NY Times.

Hopefully, ALL the remaining Christian subscribers will cancel this vile, cowardly rag.

Firstly, I can't find the word "childish" anywhere in the editorial you linked to. "Juvenile" is in there, but it's not used in the way you said above (it actually said The paper that first published them did so as an experiment to see whether political satirists were capable of being as harsh to Islam as they are to other organized religions. If that sounds juvenile, Americans still recognize it as within the speech protected by our First Amendment. Seems to be like a fairly solid defence of their right to publish the cartoons, while at the same time criticising their actions.)

Overall, it seems fairly balanced, though I prefer the Guardian's take on it (link in a previous comment). The last two paragraphs of the NYT editorial are especially critical of the way it's been handled in the Muslim world.

Secondly, I agree with you in a sense that printing that painting does jar with the fourth paragraph of the editorial. But at the same time I think that there is a difference between offending Christians and Muslims. As that article with the painting says, "the Muslim world has no tradition of, or tolerance for, religious irony in its art" - that was the reason for including that picture. Islam has yet to go through its Enlightenment, and although there are liberal elements beginning to emerge, I don't think this should be a forced process as it's going to lead people to draw back behind their religion. I'm sure it'll come about eventually though.

You got me, Mark. They said "juvenile," not "childish."

Juvenile, Childish, insane goat fuckers who also diddle little boys, whatever...

Mark's argument, condensed: Muslims are an inferior race, incapable of behaving in a civilized manner like us good, upstanding descendants. We should not expect any better behavior from mud people.

Setting aside that the whole cartoon imbroglio is a political stunt engineered by radicals in Saudi Arabia and Iran to provide a PR distraction just as Iran's nuclear program was coming up at the UN security council. The cartoons were published last September, and the controversy is just breaking out now. Coincidence?

Methinks the mud people be needin' a canin'.

Of course Muslims aren't "an inferior race". I didn't say anything of the sort. What I did say was that they haven't had any experience of critically viewing their religion in the past, and thus they're not used to this sort of thing - which is why they're so offended by these cartoons. And I commented on your second paragraph (VtheK) in a previous post.

Ok Mark, they're an inferior religious cult. Does that help? What with being insane goat fucking pedophiles and all.