Rowan Atkinson Wants to Mock Your Religion

"...I think that the right to offend is far more important than a right not to be offended."

The complete text of Rowan Atkinson's very-well thought out speech against the UK Hate Bill is up at Religion News Blog. It's an incredibly interesting rail against how political correctness can be used by anyone to stiffle free speech and how twisted political ends are in...ahem...England. Can we trade The Terminator for Edmund Blackadder? (fine fine...Mr. Bean).

"The prime motivating energy for the Bill seemed to come not from communities eeking protection from bullying by the British National Party but from individuals with a more aggressive, fundamentalist agenda. Those who have sought, from the very day of the publication in 1989 of Salman Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses, to immunise religions against criticism and ridicule – or at least to promote legislation that is so sinister and intimidating, it can provide that immunity without even the need to prosecute anyone. In other words, to impose self-censorship."