Criticising or mocking other people's religions is rather fraught with problems on many levels.

While one can agree or disagree with an 'opinion', one can be incensed by mockery or outright attack. For example, I imagine one avoids public criticism of Islam, for obvious reasons. No-one wants to provoke a mass outcry, or worse, by any religious faction. But Fry's remarks strike me as humanistic and compassionate about the suffering in the world, which 'God' appears to do nothing to address. I can relate to that.

I believe in God, but cannot reconcile His lack of action, and seeming indifference to what one sees, with the image of Him in the Bible as an all-powerful, loving Father-Creator.

I've seen Mr Fry many times in Norwich, having a coffee in John Lewis. I'm not much interested in his comedy, but he is a well-read and extremely intelligent man (as evidenced by the QI programme)