Stein’s glib sarcasm of church service offensive

Re “Trying out Jesus,” Opinion, Oct. 17

Joel Stein’s column would qualify as hate speech if the subject were anything other than Christianity. Making light of one of the two mandated ordinances of the Christian religion does not show any sense of decency. Considering the furor over the cartoons of Muhammad published in Europe, I do not understand why Christianity is fair game for ridicule.

RICHARD ROREX

Apple Valley, Calif.

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Even though I’m an atheist, I find myself offended by Stein’s glib, juvenile ridicule of a church service. Stupid sarcasm like his reinforces the perception of atheists as bigoted, anti-religious boors. His attempt at self-effacement doesn’t help either. It just annoyingly amplifies his sneering tone.

And I have decided that Stein, not James Joyce, is “an idiot” who must have fallen asleep in class when it was explained that Stephen Dedalus, one of the characters in “Ulysses,” is not Joyce but a fictional construct.

DAVID SCHWANKLE

Riverside