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Why Is It OK to Mock Mormons, But Not Muslims?

Bret Stephens is outraged by liberals' outrage over Innocence of Muslims

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 18, 2012 12:53 PM CDT

(Newser) – Just last year, Hillary Clinton attended a performance of the Book of Mormon in New York, and said not one peep in protest. But now she and the Obama administration are bending over backward to denounce Innocence of Muslims, which Clinton herself deemed "disgusting and reprehensible." "So let's get this straight," writes Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal. "In the consensus view of modern American liberalism it is hilarious to mock Mormons … but outrageous to mock Muslims."

"Why? Maybe it's because nobody has ever been harmed, much less killed, making fun of Mormons," Stephens muses. Liberals also seem comfortable bashing a movie they haven't seen, and won't say a word in defense of freedom of speech. Which is a shame, because "a principled defense of free speech could start by quoting the Quran: 'When you hear the verses of Allah, and they are denied and ridiculed; so do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation.'" Click for Stephens' full column.
In this theater publicity image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown, from left, Rema Webb, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad perform in The Book of Mormon at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York.
In this theater publicity image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown, from left, Rema Webb, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad perform in "The Book of Mormon" at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York.   (AP Photo/Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Joan Marcus)
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The whole purpose of free speech is to protect unpopular, heretical, and stupid views. The Obama administration's approach is that it's fine so long as it exacts no political price. This is free speech as pizza. - Bret Stephens

On the bright side, dear liberals, you'll still be able to mock Mormons. They tend not to punch back, which is part of what makes so many of them so successful in life. - Bret Stephens

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 287 comments
LReyes
Sep 27, 2012 10:37 AM CDT
Because Mormons would just sit there & smile, while Muslims (just the fanatics) would commit mass atrocities in the name of their faith. Ain't religion grand?
mare
Sep 20, 2012 6:43 PM CDT
Mormons are less likely to blow themselves up.   
gunther84
Sep 19, 2012 4:10 PM CDT
The WSJ article articulates the pandering, hat holding, "we sinners to all you peaceful muslims" Obama and his administration have used as a Mid East policy.  It also perfectly call out "liberals" and their hypocritical holier than thou attitudes.  "Here's what else we learned this week about the emerging liberal consensus: That it's okay to denounce a movie you haven't seen, which is like trashing a book you haven't read. That it's okay to give perp-walk treatment to the alleged—and no doubt terrified—maker of the film on legally flimsy and politically motivated grounds of parole violation. That it's okay for the federal government publicly to call on Google to pull the video clip from YouTube in an attempt to mollify rampaging Islamists. That it's okay to concede the fundamentalist premise that religious belief ought to be entitled to the highest possible degree of social deference—except when Mormons and sundry Christian rubes are concerned." ...this is a spot on critique of the spineless liberal mentality.

 
Book of Mormon • The Book of Mormon • mormons

 
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