Gassing people, beheadings, blowing up school buses with homicide bombs, and flying planes into buildings to murder innocents is ok, but, call a Teddy Bear Mohammed and you deserve to die.
Once again I'm waiting for the outrage from Moderate Muslims. Hello? Is anyone out there?
If Christians called for murder every time someone blasphemed Jesus Christ, half our country (and very few liberals) would be left. If Christians, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, stormed the streets calling for the murder of someone for blaspheming our Lord, every news media outlet would scour the streets looking for Christian outrage. AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR. We would denounce it immediately, in mass, and try to stop it.
Thankfully we actually are a religion of Peace.
UPDATE December 3, 2007: Ms. Gibbons has been pardoned and freed. Apparently some moderate Muslims did indeed speak out and reason prevailed.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Although I'm not personally offended by it, I think the new addition to the store (the "My Name is Mohammad" bear), which is also featured on the blog as I write this, is a little tasteless and incredibly arrogant. I presume you would be offended by someone selling urinal mints shaped like a Crucifix, even if you believe they have the right to do so. It’s one thing to have an honest discussion on matters of God, the virtue of faith, or the role of both in American government. It’s something different to simply offend someone’s personal beliefs for the sake of making a political point and/or $16.99. I stress the term "personal" for a reason.
To anticipate your rebuttal that American liberals make no bones about offending Christians while tiptoeing around minority faiths (in the US), I’ll take this opportunity to distance myself from mainstream liberalism and the Democratic party, as I don’t consider myself a member of either political movement (although I do agree with many of their positions). I get no pleasure out of needlessly offending anyone and I've found that Christians (and Muslims for that matter) are very easily offended when the basis of their faith is called in to question, which shouldn't be offensive at all if done in the context of an honest discussion.
On a related topic, one of my favorite parts of traveling throughout Honduras and Guatemala this past summer was visiting the Catholic churches. The architecture and religious symbology consistently left me in awe and I viewed each cathedral as a work of art. Even though I’m not a Christian, I always removed by ball cap and sunglasses when I walked into a sanctuary and I never took photos if their was a sign asking me not to. For this same reason, I wouldn't intentionally paste a Mohammed sticker on a teddy bear in order to offend.
Its not in order to offend, its created to make a point. Political Satire if you will. How many times have you confronted a liberal about similar things offensive to Christians? Hypocrisy at its best.
You call me tasteless and arrogant, but I ask how many of people who share your beliefs have you done the same too? I bet I know the answer to that.
You seem to enjoy coming here under the protection of the Internet and e-mail to attack my beliefs and morality, a person's faith in God first, a person's desire to pray. Does it give you joy? Do you feel better about yourself by protecting someone else's free speech as free speech, but attacking mine?
Its satire. Its purpose is to make a point. It was created and highlighted to shed light on an injustice and despicable practice... and obviously the point was made clear. No different than a political cartoon or the supposed Bush Administration mugshots currently on display in New York's Public Library. The only difference is mine was not funded by tax dollars or on display in a public-funded forum (the same can’t be said for the NY Library Example).
I am not a hypocrite Will. Can you say the same? Exactly how many times have you publicly decried any attack on Christianity as tasteless and arrogant? How many times have you publicly decried any attack on our President as tasteless and arrogant?
I love it when liberals are permitted wide latitude in expression, satire and speech, but the second a conservative does its tasteless, arrogant, or worse. If you don’t like it, change the channel. You won’t find any bowing to political correctness here.
By the way, Will. I, nor any Christian I am aware of, ever stormed the streets and called for the murder of anyone selling Urinal mints shaped like a Crucifix.
Is the difference at all clear to you?
Ever since about mid-September of 2001 I've refused to be lumped in with any political or ideological group. I pick and choose my positions based on what I feel is right and answer to no authority other than my own conscious and what I feel is best for humanity and the environment. Sometimes this overlaps with Christian values, many times it doesn't. I was raised in the Christian faith and I will credit that with shaping some of the values I hold today. The point is I don't let doctrine dictate those values. For some people that works, for me it doesn't.
To answer one of your questions, I don't take joy out of attacking anyone's beliefs. But I do sometimes "attack" people's beliefs when provoked to, such as in a debate format (as that is the purpose of a debate).
I recognize the bear is satire and I don't even think you should remove it. But it's dishonest to demand respect for your personal beliefs yet completely disrespect the beliefs of others in the same breath. In other words, I would have no basis for my argument if you weren't expecting some level of respect for your own beliefs. The reason I'm not a hypocrite is because I reject all religions and faiths equally while never claiming to be intellectually or morally superior to anyone (so long as their beliefs are personal and do no physical harm or demean the value of anyone's freedom).
I think our disagreement here is my fault for not making myself clear enough, so I'll be more explicit. The Sudanese government was wrong to detain and sentence Gibbons for naming a teddy bear. The Muslim extremists in Sudan calling for her murder are out of touch with reality nor does Islamic Law have any basis in reality. They are attempting to force their religious beliefs on another person. That is wrong in every circumstance. I don't care if a person is Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist, or whatever: if someone tries to push their beliefs on me and/or judge me for not sharing them I will criticize.
So basically, I agree with everything in your original post. I even agree with the last sentence if comparing Christianity and Islam. I disagree with your lack of consistency, which I noticed when I noticed the bear for sale. The arrogance of selling the bear lies not in its satirical message but rather the fact that you so openly claim moral superiority at the same time. At the very least, sell the bear but don't make me out to be the bad guy for challenging your beliefs and motivations when you publish them openly on a blog and invite public reaction.
To address your second comment, I recognize that Christian moderates and even Christian fundamentalists largely reject acts of violence carried out explicitly in the name of God, something Muslim extremists don't do. So no, I don't anticipate seeing murderous hoards of Christians with swords going after anyone for anything. Fortunately that chapter of Christianity is in the past.
A few side notes...
As for hiding behind the internet, I don't think I'm doing that at all and I've heard that accusation far too many times to be rattled by it. I'm responding to an internet post with an internet post. If a similar topic comes up over a beer at your place for example, I'll gladly engage face-to-face. I don't feel I need protection from anything, as you suggest.
Finally, with all due respect please don't assume to know my positions on all the issues or who I do and don't criticize, as you have done a few times, especially by grouping me with Liberals (capital "L"). Intellectual honesty is rare on both ends of the political spectrum. Take my positions and arguments as I present them.
Post a Comment