Of course everything pales into insignificance but still…

Hot on the heals of November’s religiously motivated xtreme film criticism by a Dutch Muslim and following barely a month after a bit of (sadly successful) play picketing by hundreds of Birmingham Sikhs comes the latest in holy hotheadedness by British Christians protesting against, of all things, Jerry Springer – The Opera.

For heavens sake get a grip (and while you’re at it grab a life!). It’s the 21st Century goddamit!

It’s as if for a brief period of about 40 years anyone in the free world, with the courage to do so, had a chance to express themselves in whatever way they chose, undoubtably offending others while doing so but nobody’s forcing anyone to watch are they!? I really fear that a sliding door of opportunity may be shutting up.

I bet when these writers created their works they didn’t expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition …

[JARRING CHORD]

[The door flies open and Cardinal Ximinez of Spain [Palin] enters, flanked by two junior cardinals. Cardinal Biggles [Jones] has goggles pushed over his forehead. Cardinal Fang [Gilliam] is just Cardinal Fang]

Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise…surprise and fear…fear and surprise…. Our two weapons are fear and surprise…and ruthless efficiency…. Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency…and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope…. Our *four*…no… *Amongst* our weapons…. Amongst our weaponry…are such elements as fear, surprise…. I’ll come in again.

[The Inquisition exits]

— from “The Spanish Inquisition” (Monty Python)