Disappointed In Eastern Europe

I'm more than willing to morally condemn people who mock the Pope. Generally, seeing as how common it is in America, I find it unfunny and unoriginal (note: I'm not Catholic and not really religious - doesn't mean I can't respect the good parts of most religions). Anyway, I do not believe that any government should infringe upon a person's natural right to spout out their opinions or beliefs - even if they are dumb.

In Lithuania, a television executive has been fined for airing a show about the Pope that mocks him and is offensive to most of the population (so you'd think the population would express its outrage by boycotting the chanel - but of course not). Here's an excerpt:

The bad news is, that wasn't the end of it, and now it's not the usual gaggle of church ladies but government busybodies who are sticking their noses where they don't belong.

Lithuania's television watchdog has fined the director of MTV Networks Baltic for airing Popetown, a controversial cartoon series that pokes fun at the Roman Catholic Church. The 13-member Radio and Television Commission voted unanimously to fine Marius Veselis 3000 litas ($1435), commission chairman Jonas Liniauskas said.

The cartoons, which depict the Pope as a rotund 77-year-old obsessed with his pogo-stick and surrounded by toys, provoked a storm of criticism in Lithuania, where 80 per cent of the population is Roman Catholic. The commission made its decision after the Inspector of Journalists' Ethics, Romas Gudaitis, said Popetown should be banned because it portrayed the clergy as destructive and incited religious discrimination.

Do Lithuanian catholics, those poor things, not have an off button on their TV sets? Shall we pass the collection plate to alleviate their suffering?

Kid Handsome

The link is to Nobody's Business - see link above.