Why are the Catholics behind a wall?

So lots of people in France have died because people chose to mock a religion.

But mockery is what we do best, it is at the heart of our culture.  Just look at the Regency caricaturists and how cruel they were with the Royals and upper echelons. I believe the British have total, dry wit down pat but it would appear that the Cheese-Eating-Surrender-Monkeys have a better sense of humour than I ever gave them credit for.  Lucky that, they will now be able to hoot along with many hilarious digs I've made at them and chuckle away.

Like many, I am often at sixes and sevens with religion, I like the sense of calm and comfort that comes from faith but regularly shake my head at the bigotry of religion.  I was once at a meal out with many people from my church celebrating our success at having organised a week of special services aimed at growing faith and understanding.  I was feeling a bit disillusioned at the time, as is often the case after having suffered a few months of decisioning by committee, ironic given the week we had organised.  But anyway, during a discussion at the meal a fairly new curate used the words 'all muslims will go to hell'.  WTF? I said back. Which went over like a fart in church.  But even after all these years it still grates on me, I struggle with how someone that is learning about faith, love, peace and understanding believes that.  Perhaps he struggled with the one God concept or skipped a lot of classes!

At the same time as murder in the name of God was all unfolding in France, I was watching Dave Allen on TV.  It's such a good job it was the Catholics that were the brunt of his mockery:

A Guy goes to Heaven and gets a tour by St. Peter. He points out a group and Peter says "Those are the good Hindus"....points out another "Those are the good Protestants"....points to another "Yes, those are the good Jews"....points to another "Those are the good Muslims."
Then they come upon a giant 20 foot high wall.
"What's this wall, St. Peter?"
"Shhhhh, keep your voice down"
"Why?"
"Behind that wall we keep the Catholics"
"Why do you keep the Catholics behind this wall?"
"Oh, well...they like to think they're the ONLY ones up here."

I prefer the 'come inside no matter who you are'

 and the 'lets have some fun with it'

To the 'keep it sacred', untouchable and irrelevant to the modern world.



May your God go with you