Here’s an excerpt from The Australian:

What caused real grief at NBC, the network that broadcasts the Globes, and among those of the organisers who leaked that Gervais had “crossed a line” was the presenter’s final quip as he exited.

“Thanks for everyone in the room for being good sports, to NBC and the Hollywood foreign press, thank you for watching at home,” he said. “And thank you, God, for making me an atheist.”

The US has 210 television market areas, or regions. By the Monday morning NBC bosses had had their ears bent by managers from dozens, ranging from the liberal Bangor, in Maine, to the deeply conservative Corpus Christi, in Texas. The problem was Gervais’s final flourish, and they questioned why NBC had not “bleeped” it out as it would swearing. The truth was, NBC did not see it coming.

“You can roast any celebrity you like. Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp can take it. And Ricky can be rude about creationists on his HBO [cable channel] specials, because only the coastal elites can afford to watch HBO anyway,” says an NBC executive. “And it’s pretty routine stuff for a New York or LA club. Lenny Bruce paved that way 40 years ago, although he suffered for it.

“But only a Brit would be naive enough . . . no, arrogant and stiff-necked enough, to flip off God in a family-oriented TV show that is going into the American heartland on the sabbath. We did not think we had to tell Ricky that.”

I am proud to be an American, but this is just embarrassing. How is it that the land of the free, the shinning beacon of freedom of religion, speech, and the press has slid so far as to find a comedian’s sarcastic statement about being an atheist offensive?

Would people have been as offended if he had just said, “I am thankful I’m an atheist”?

So here are my words to my fellow citizens:

There are a lot of Americans and guests from foreign nations who do not believe in your imaginary friend. We don’t get offended when you reference him, give him thanks, or try to push religion on us when we’re grieving the loss of a loved one. Since it’s perfectly acceptable for people to be proud of and thankful for their religious beliefs in public, how is it any different for someone to be proud of their disbelief and lack of religion?

CHILL OUT AMERICA

(Via RDF)