I can't fathom, Ebbie, what you and Guest are arguing about in regards to John Lennon. Seems to me you don't have anything to disagree about. Lennon was merely making an observation that at that particular time the Beatles were more popular with young people than Jesus was. That was undoubtedly true. You'd have to be really stupid to think it wasn't. That people chose to take it as Lennon saying, "the Beatles are better than Jesus" was an unthinking kneejerk response on their part. Lennon had nothing to apologize for. Those people had nothing to get upset about.

It was just one more example of a hysterical response to something, driven by news media, that wasn't worth getting upset about in the first place.

And as Guest suggests, it was because Lennon had the nerve to say something truthful without regard to the risk, and in the process to cause a presumed public offence against a sacred cow. It's always dangerous to offend sacred cows.

There are some sacred cows on Mudcat too, and God help those who offend them. I will not choose to name them at this moment, however. ;-) I'm not John Lennon, and I don't need the flak.