Iamon lyme: Yes, but I include responsibility with that freedom.

"then why do liberals applaud that freedom when Christians are criticised and defamed, but deplore it when Islam is treated with the same lack of respect?"

If (here in the UK) a Church, Synagogue, Temple, etc is attacked, they are all treated the same by the police and get the same equal rights when it comes to any problems.

"They choose who deserves that freedom and who doesn't according to their own beliefs, and demonstrate it by their actions. If you don't think this is what has been happening then you haven't been paying attention,"

Again, I have to go by the UK laws.. everyone has the right to practice whatever religion they want, as long as they don't use it to commit any crimes, or expect their 'church' to be above UK law. If (like with that Islamic cleric now extradited to the US) they start spewing what our UK law states is hate speech, then they will have to answer for it.

"Who was arrested and hauled off to jail in the middle of the night for placing a crucifix in a jar of urine and displaying it at an art gallery? No one."

It's not specified in the Bible as being a holy object like The Koran says about Muhammed. I'm use to a country where "Jesus Christ" is an expression and the name of Logos. We make the sign of a cross as a joke when it comes to things like.. bad farts, or making fun of someones bad make up idea!!

If someone wanted to here, they could go to the police on any desecration, they could also take it to a civil court. But a case HAS TO BE PROVEN.

.. ok, you say a cross in urine is bad... I would like to know what the artist meant before I could say it was. Sorry, but urine is one of those strange bodily fluids that can be seen as good or bad depending on your situation or what you know. Watching the likes of Bear Grylls it is a drinkable liquid, others say it cures athletes food and is still taught to soldiers as a 'trick'.

As to those militants who attacked the consulate, Libyan protestors have driven them out of their compound and torched it...

"The trigger for the assault on the paramilitaries was a "Save Benghazi" protest after the main weekly Muslim prayers on Friday that was joined by some 30,000 peaceful demonstrators. It drowned out a smaller rally attended by just a few hundred people called by the jihadists and hardline Islamists angry over a US-made film that mocks Islam and cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed published by a French magazine.

Demonstrators paid tribute to Ambassador Stevens and the other Americans killed in the September 11 assault on the US consulate in the city that Washington now says was a "terrorist" attack.

"Libya lost a friend," read one banner. "We want justice for Stevens," said another.

Jihadist militants of Ansar al-Sharia fired in the air as they retreated from their headquarters in the face of the overwhelmingly superior numbers of the protesters."

>>>>> Did you read/see/hear that last bit anywhere?