A great post right at the start. I agree with pretty much everything that you said in the post. I am a big fan of shows like South Park and Family Guy. I know that a lot of people find them offensive and politically incorrect and all of that, but I think they're by far the funniest shows around on television. They make fun of everyone and everything, and I mean that. And I am sure that the creators' intentions are not to cause harm to people or to get people killed (because of the death threats etc). They are extremely entertaining, and a lot of times, they make you think. They ask questions of you and the society that no other other shows dare to ask which is another reason why I really like these shows. Sure, sometimes you feel that they're taking it too far, but I'm sure that the creators know just how far to take it, and when to stop, because otherwise, they would not have survived as television's best shows for so long now. So I think that people need to understand that a lot of it is just purely for entertainment and that they shouldn't take offense in it, and actually, try to enjoy it, because they are so damn funny.

What up, Mullabhai? Both the videos were very interesting, to say the least. It's great to see videos and people like these, trying to convey the right kind of message to society and its people. I agree with you about how people should not get caught up in the whole racism and favorism trap, and not like or dislike people on the basis of their race or ethnicity, or for that matter, their gender, looks etc. It's great to see the little kid just follow his heart, and not base love on anything apart from how he feels about the girl. That is exactly how it should be, because once you get trapped in all the politics of racism and favorism, it is very difficult to get out of it. The other video, about the cashier and the customer was just wonderful. It's not something you would expect to happen in the modern world, but this just gives you so much hope, just to know that there are still people like that man out there, who are willing to sacrifice so much for a person. And that person is not his son, wife, or family, but just someone who he respects a lot. It's great to see the message in both the videos and it really gives you a lot of hope.

This is yet another awesome question. Personally, I'm a big fan of South Park and shows like Family Guy etc. Part of it is because they talk about everything, even the most sensitive issues, so openly. I'm sure that a lot of people find it very offensive, and the death threats further prove that. I simply admire the creativity and wit of the the creators to just put stuff like that out there. Personally, being a muslim, the Muhammad episode was definitely a shocker for me. I knew straight way that death threats were coming, because the same thing happened with the cartoon in Denmark etc. While watching the episode, I thought that they were actually going to show Muhammad, and that kind of scared me. But just like they always do, the creators took it right to the edge, but didn't let it fall off. Perfectly played. I'm sure they knew that they were going to get protests etc, but they went on with it anyway. It was amazing how they showed Buddha snorting cocaine, I think that was a little over the top, and I'm surprised that people didn't take action against that. It's amazing how they were not criticized for anything else, like how they played around with Krishna and Jesus. If you look at it all in a way where it's all for fun and entertainment, then you don't really get offended by it, and in fact, it really is very funny. But of course, a lot of people don't look at it like that, and that's when the problems start arising. Although I know that people take it very seriously, really, I'm sure that the creators' intentions are not to cause harm to people and/or themselves, and definitely not to get death threats and getting people killed. It's difficult to get that message across to those people, so we're just going to have to wait and see what happens, because I'm sure that those shows won't stop doing what they do best. I'm a Muslim and I understand that their intentions aren't to cause to harm, so I'm fine with it. I mean, they didn't show Muhammad, and that itself should be taken as a positive, because that is a sign of respect. Because if they did show him, then that would have meant trouble. I'm sure that the creators to know how far to take it and when to stop, so it'll be fine.

There is definitely a very thin line between thinking that you have a better chance than someone else of making a change, and affecting the world, and being a racist. Living here in the States, and then visiting the developing countries, you can easily believe that the people here are better, or more special, or more worthy, or however you want to put it. The only thing is that, no intentions of making anyone feel guilty etc, a lot of us didn't really do anything to "deserve" to be here and enjoying all the privileges while there are a lot of people in those developing countries who are a lot more deserving, whether they are smarter, whether they are more hardworking etc. So, therefore, since we do live here and enjoy a better life than a lot of people there do, it is our responsibility to make that positive change, to affect the world in a positive way. In a perfect world, who knows where all of us will be? Maybe the people there would be in our places, maybe not. But since it is not a perfect world, and things are the way they are, it's true that those countries have a lesser chance of making a positive, "green" change to the world, but that is because they really can't do much. But we can, and that is why I think that we should all be responsible and work towards that.

Another interesting question/comment, you guys are doing a great job. It's great to know that you have a muslim husband because that means that you definitely understand what Sam has been trying to say better than a lot of the people in the class. The stuff about how the Muslims in the middle eastern countries feel about the whole "oil war" and the all the stuff that Sam talked about in that awesome lecture. It's really sad to see how so many people believe Islam to be everything that Osama Bin Laden and his pals portray it to be. Islam is the religion of peace and nowhere in its teaching does it tell its followers to indulge in any sort of violence. It's very sad to see that stations like BBC and CNN do not know what they are talking about when they describe Jihad as "holy war" etc, because they're supposed to be "credible" resources, but really, they have no idea what they're saying - all they're doing is provoking a lot of muslims. Islam is not what they tell you it is on television, and definitely not what the terrorists show it to be. The terrorists have no religion, and they definitely have done, and do a lot of damage to Islam's reputation. I mean, to be honest, they do not really care about who they are attacking, because in their eyes, their war is not only against the white people and christians. There are suicide bombs everyday in muslim countries and innocent, muslim civilians die because of the terrorists. They believe that the muslims in muslim countries are not real muslims and therefore qualify as enemies, and more and more innocent people die everyday because of these terrorists, which is extremely sad. I wish there was a better way to tell everyone about what Islam really is, to tell all the people who believe everything that the television stations tell them, or the ones who believe that Islam is really all that the terrorists portray it to be, but for now, to tell everyone as a group seems almost impossible. But it is very heartening to see the way that Sam is taking this topic up about muslims and the middle east and the war etc, and talking about it in lectures and trying to get people to see how things really are, trying to make them think, trying to tell them both points of views.

I agree with you, as will most other muslims, about how Osama Bin Laden and people who "follow" him have given Islam such a bad reputation. And like you said, Islam is the religion of peace and nowhere does it tell its followers to indulge in any sort of violence. A lot of people are misled into believing that Islam is exactly what the "terrorists" portray it to be because of all the stuff that is shown on television. It's very sad to see that stations like BBC and CNN do not know what they are talking about when they describe Jihad as "holy war" etc, because they're supposed to be "credible" resources, but really, they have no idea what they're saying - all they're doing is provoking a lot of muslims. Islam is not what they tell you it is on television, and definitely not what the terrorists show it to be. I'm glad that Sam is doing lectures about this - they may be helping some people, they may not be, but definitely, something is better than nothing, because, really, I don't see a way that people can be taught about it as a group when credible resources like CNN and BBC are wrong themselves.

Today's lecture was by far the best lecture of the semester so far. I think that Sam showed us all why he is such a reputable professor by conducting the lecture the way he did. The energy that Sam was radiating affected most of the people in the lecture, both positively and negatively. I lived in the Middle East for 10 years before coming to Penn State, and also, I'm a muslim, so I could relate to whatever Sam was saying. I know that it is difficult to put yourself into other people's shoes very easily, but if anyone can make you do it, then it has to be Sam. It was always going to be an interesting lecture because of it's topic, but I never expected it to be so exciting. I read some of the comments above, and I see that some people took offense to whatever that Sam said, but that is always the case - there are always people who do not agree with him. I think that those people need to start opening their minds up and look at the world a little differently. Because the people who thought that Sam was trying to get at Christians and Christianity by talking like that totally missed the point of the lecture, and to me, who can relate to what Sam was actually saying, is very saddening. Sam explained the whole issue better than most people can to an audience of such size, such varying opinions and lifestyles. It was really heartening to see that a lot of people liked the lecture and that the lecture helped them understand the whole issue better, and that they would be better able to relate to this topic in the future. I believe that a lot of people in the States have a fair idea of what the general feeling is in the Middle East about the USA and the war etc, but a lot of the times, they fail to take notice of the details, and the smaller issues, which actually turn out to be bigger problems than the main issues. Today's lecture was definitely the most entertaining, informative and thought-invoking, as far as I am concerned, even though I know how a lot of the people in the Middle East feel. Today's lecture showed the true quality of Sam as a professor and I believe that he should definitely do more lectures like this.

If you didn't attend the lecture today, then I might be able to understand your reaction. But if you were there and still have the same reaction, then that is really sad. I think that you need to open your mind up a bit and try to see where Sam is coming from. You definitely missed the point of the lecture if you thought that all Sam was trying to do was to get at Christians and Christianity. I lived in the Middle East for 10 years before coming to Penn State, so I can definitely relate to all that Sam said, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, but a lot of the people there feel exactly how Sam said they do. The lecture was presented really well, the videos and slides added a nice effect to it, and the energy that Sam radiated, or the amount of energy, was just wonderful. It's sad to see people react to the lecture like you did, but very heartening to see that a lot of people found it very helpful, informative and interesting, because it was definitely Sam's best performance, he showed exactly why he is such a reputable professor, and definitely the best lecture so far.

This is definitely one of the better questions that people have asked in this class. It's one of those questions that people often think about when things aren't going very smooth. It definitely makes you think, what is the purpose of life? What is the end? What will happen when we die? Different religions have different answers to those questions, different people have different answers to those questions, I believe that is the reason why a question like this one is so interesting. For those who just believe that when they die, that'll be the end of it, it should not really bother them. But for those who believe in afterlife, for those who believe that they are going to have to answer for their actions when they die, it is definitely something that they want to think about. No matter how pure we try to be, we, in most cases, are always going to end up doing things that we shouldn't. Whether it is eating chocolates and wearing clothes that slaves make, or causing harm to people, cheating, lying and all the other "known" sins, we eventually fall into their trap a lot of the times. This question definitely makes you think, but it's one for which an answer is very difficult to find.

Today's lecture was by far the best lecture of the semester so far. I think that Sam showed us all why he is such a reputable professor by conducting the lecture the way he did. The energy that Sam was radiating affected most of the people in the lecture, both positively and negatively. I lived in the Middle East for 10 years before coming to Penn State, and also, I'm a muslim, so I could relate to whatever Sam was saying. I know that it is difficult to put yourself into other people's shoes very easily, but if anyone can make you do it, then it has to be Sam. It was always going to be an interesting lecture because of it's topic, but I never expected it to be so exciting. I read some of the comments above, and I see that some people took offense to whatever that Sam said, but that is always the case - there are always people who do not agree with him. I think that those people need to start opening their minds up and look at the world a little differently. Because the people who thought that Sam was trying to get at Christians and Christianity by talking like that totally missed the point of the lecture, and to me, who can relate to what Sam was actually saying, is very saddening. Sam explained the whole issue better than most people can to an audience of such size, such varying opinions and lifestyles. It was really heartening to see that a lot of people liked the lecture and that the lecture helped them understand the whole issue better, and that they would be better able to relate to this topic in the future. I believe that a lot of people in the States have a fair idea of what the general feeling is in the Middle East about the USA and the war etc, but a lot of the times, they fail to take notice of the details, and the smaller issues, which actually turn out to be bigger problems than the main issues. Today's lecture was definitely the most entertaining, informative and thought-invoking, as far as I am concerned, even though I know how a lot of the people in the Middle East feel. Today's lecture showed the true quality of Sam as a professor and I believe that he should definitely do more lectures like this.