How's that for making fun of retarded people?
In all honesty, I don't find mentally handicapped people funny in the least. Well except for that kid who played "Corky" on "Life Goes On". And he was trying to be funny.
I think what most of the people slamming SP fail to realize is that the surface context of the show might be offensive, but if you stop and examine the underlying message, you'll see that the opinions expressed are very conservative.
For example, the bleeding statue episode. The Virgin Mary was never once maligned. The targets were the lemmings who flock to every half baked apparition of Christ or Mary, be it in the grain of a wooden door, a frosted window, or a piece of toast.
Then let's consider the episode referenced in the original post. "Retarded" people were not ridiculed. They were shown in the most positive light. The character "Cartman" was the one shown to be lacking. He wanted money and thought the best way to get it was by Compton against those he felt were less than him. In the end, Cartman was shown to be the one lacking.
Do the creators of Southpark slam organized religion?
Yes. As well they should. Although I identify myself as a Southern Baptist, it's been years since I darkened the doors of a church. If only I could find a way to attend a worship service and not have to deal with some of the people who are there. I don't care what others are wearing, and I don't care who is less Christian than they should be. I just don't want to hear any of that. I'm too busy trying to get the beam out of my own eye to worry about the mote in someone else's.
Several posters have stated that those of us who do like Southpark aren't true conservatives. The question I'd like to ask is: Who died and made them the final arbiter's of all things conservative?