In a related note, this current post fits into the silly religious theme:
Enough already

What is it about this election that causes people to say absolutely crazy things? John McCain is a tsaddik! John McCain is like Tsar-Martyr Nikolai! What profound confusion or monomania can people suffer from that allows them to compare blithely one of the worst presidential candidates in my lifetime to revered and holy figures? I would not show disrespect to my Catholic friends by comparing the ridiculous members of our political class, particularly one known for his reflexive support for wars that have directly harmed Catholic communities in the Near East, to Blessed Karl of Austria for any reason. Endorse McCain as the lesser of two evils if you must, but spare us the sacrilege.

On the specific policy matter at hand, there is an assumption here that the so-called Freedom of Choice Act would pass the House in which conservative Democrats make up a fifth of the majority. This is a very questionable assumption, to say the least.

Yes, Gov. Palin said that Sen. Obama was “palling around with terrorists,” (and BTW, I thought Obama's schtick on this at the comedy dinner in Manhatta was a hoot!) Palin's comment inched up to the line, but apparently, you think that line was crossed. Other than that debatable reference, can you document your sweeping claim with a link? Your readers deserve one.

That flat out states the McCain campaign is pushing such ideas, despite the evidence from McCain's own words that he does not support anyone associated with his campaign, or even supporters at rallies, saying such things.

You are also now saying anything negative said about Obama is to be laid at the feet of the McCain campaign, while on numerous occasions in the recent past defending any negative utterances against the McCain/Palin campaign as not coming directly from Obama, and therefore it was a 'Rovian dirty trick' to try and make it seem so.

You speak out of both sides of your mouth way too often. At times, I try to be civil towards you and your pathological rantings, but when you keep venturing into “homeless person screaming in your face” mode, it only reminds me again of the pity I feel for your decline as a journalist and commentator.

You are engaging in precisely the kind of disingenuous “we never said that although we said that” cant that the campaign and their surrogates are using.

Of course neither McCain nor Palin said outright that Obama was a Muslim terrorist, but it has been said over and over and over and over . . . and over and over that his religious and patriotic bona fides are suspect and the implication is very clear to everyone — obviously excepting yourself.

Even as an atheist, I agree that using this image to visually equate the Bush administration to Pontius Pilate and his Roman soldiers torturing Christ is in exceptionally poor taste. It lacks the appropriate level of proportion, unless you want to assume equivalency between Christ and his Apostles and Osama bin Laden and Al Qaida.

Truly, you jest when you say that the McCain-Palin ticket claims that those supporting Sen. Obama “support a Muslim terrorist for President.” Do you have a YouTube clip of Sen. McCain saying this, maybe a Gov. Palin quote from a magazine article? About the closest you'd be able to come are admittedly pathetic forwarded e-mails from who knows who, or maybe a Sean Hannity Fox News piece that goes over the top. As you know – and as was satirized on SNL – a woman at a recent McCain rally suggested in a question-answer session that Sen. Obama was an “Arab.” Sen. McCain corrected her pointedly, publicly, and swiftly.

Please correct your misleading statement.

I thought I made it clear that you are allowed and have every right to do exactly as you did.

I asked that you be more sensitive to things that some people find holy. It isn't a matter of copyright, or legality. It is a matter common decency and respect for the beliefs of others.

The finger-pointing among ideological conservatives and partisan Republicans has been deliberately withheld at least since (and during) the Republican convention, but it and the frustration and the resentment and everything else is like a spring being compressed or stretched (tensioned) and the forces will be released shortly after the election.

As to your depiction, it is Obama that is the blindly faithful's Messiah this year as well as so many's American Idol candidate.

I appreciate your sensitivity, but find it off putting that you believe certain works of art in the public domain — in this case a most famous one — should not be allowed to be viewed except in a context that hews to your own strict parameters. I have used not dissimilar images in posts on the Bush administration's embrace of torture and will continue to do so when appropriate.

I like what you write and things in general here at TMV. I must take issue with you here though.

To use this image in such a frivolous way is offensive to many devout Christians. I don't want a theocracy. I revere both Christ and the Establishment clause in the constitution as well as your free speech rights. So while you have the right to say what you will about Christianity, I can also respectfully ask you to be more sensitive to the things we find holy. Please remove this image immediately.