Its interesting how in some circles it is totally cool to publicly slander a group like the Mormons. Take what you wrote and substitute "Muslim" or "jew" and people would, in one second, write you off as an ignorant racist.

That is largely a matter of history, and not because religious beliefs should never be ridiculed. Jews have necessarily become overly defensive against those who attack their religion, because of the Holocaust, and Muslims have always attacked those who question, oppose, or even just ignore Islam, as a means to reinforce and expand their own religion.

To put that Muslim practice into perspective, look at how Scientology reacts to its critics.

As a religion, LDS relies more heavily on the tithe than on attacking critics. They don't care if you think their religion is nuts, because they have huge, heaping piles of money, and enough local political power in Utah to ensure that government can't be used against them. The tithe creates psychological investment in the religion, which helps prevent its members from questioning it.

I would very much like to have the ability to openly ridicule Judaism and Islam as much as I could openly ridicule LDS, but it just so happens that in practice, Mormons are (as a whole) much nicer and more tolerant people than Jews and Muslims, to the point where I don't fear that they will try to damage or destroy my public reputation, career, or health for no other reason than the expression of my opinions towards their religions.

That large number of people who can publicly slander a religion without retaliation is actually a point in favor of that religion.

I agree people are often overly sensitive, but Hacker News isn't really a place for jokes and 6stringmerc's comment didn't seem to be an attempt at humor.

It's just telling which jokes are socially acceptable here, and which aren't.