As I’ve said in
previous posts, I have a great deal of respect for Catholic friends of mine, as
well as their church’s strong stance against abortion. But respecting someone
doesn’t mean I agree with everything they believe, and this works both ways. I
call it like I see it, and am willing to answer to that.
A little
over a month ago, I posed the question, “What will Pope Francis say next?” Some
of his previous spoutings have violated even Catholic dogma. Alas, it did not
take long for me to get my answer. After Muslim terrorists attacked the Paris
offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, leaving 17 dead, the leader of the
Roman Catholic church felt the need to again put his sacred foot in his mouth:
"If
my good friend Dr. Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect
a punch," *Insert fake punch* "It's normal. You cannot provoke. You
cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others…There
are so many people who speak badly about religions or other religions, who make
fun of them, who make a game out of the religions of others. They are
provocateurs. And what happens to them is what would happen to Dr. Gasparri if
he says a curse word against my mother. There is a limit."
Radical
Islam is no stranger by any means to such attacks. The liberal media makes the
claim that jihadists haven’t killed too
many people after 9/11, writing off the 2997 fatalities of that day and
countless massacres afterwards in the U.S. and all across the world. Charlie
Hebdo was the latest, and hasn’t gotten too many excuses apart from the former
imam of London, who spoke to Sean Hannity. Oh, and Catholic leaders.
Let me
preface that I do not agree with some of the tactics of Charlie Hebdo. I don’t
find that a religion that dictates genocides in the Middle East and is bent on
destroying Israel, America, and any of her allies is deserving of much respect.
However, Charlie Hebdo has had its share of crude drawings and messages in its
magazines. I’m not here to debate the magazine, but rather the free speech that
it utilizes.
If we are
to really stand by human rights, then we cannot have exceptions to one of the
most precious rights, the right to speak about whatever or whoever, whenever.
Sharia Law, not surprisingly, does not include this right. This is the law that
Muslim leaders would have the entire world live under. We know the craze of the
“holy war” of Islam. Who would honestly make an excuse for their behavior? Pope
Francis.
The pontiff
is guilty of no less than rationalizing a massacre on innocent people. Contrary
to diluted belief, magazine drawings are not declarations of war. Suck it up.
The pope, however, simultaneously condemns the attacks while saying Charlie
Hebdo had it coming. They got what was coming. These “provocateurs” got the
“punch” as a result of making fun of the faith of others.
But
I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy
right cheek, turn to him the other also. –Jesus
This is not implying pacifism or taking away self-defense.
The context of Matthew 5:39 (context, something the Catholic church tends to
ignore) is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. He gives instruction on how to deal with
one’s enemies. When the Christian is oppressed, he is to accept it as God’s
plan for him. He is to pray for his enemies rather than try to get even.
Admittedly, it’s not an easy task. But that doesn’t take away the truth of it.
Which makes
the “they had it coming” mentality of Pope Francis all the more ridiculous.
Blame the victim, that will solve the problem. “Yeah, she was raped, but did
you see what she was wearing? She had it coming.” “Emmitt Till, yeah it was
terrible what happened to him, but he whistled at a white woman. The beating,
barbed wire, bullet through the head and all of that, he was asking for it.” It
sounds ridiculous because it is. The very origins of the word victim is this: "living
creature killed and offered as a sacrifice to a deity or supernatural power".
Those murdered by the jihadists are victims in every sense of the word. If
someone has it coming, they’re not really a victim.
It’s
repulsive to think the religious leader of over a billion people would hold the
belief that free speech is stopped where feelings are hurt and egos are
bruised. Coming from a religion that for centuries carried on genocides against
people who held different beliefs from them, however, the evil rhetoric of this
controversial man seems to make more sense. Francis has also been the target,
usually pretty accurately, of Charlie Hebdo as well.
If free
speech was limited to what those in power agree with, the definition would be
ever-changing. We could hardly consider that liberty. One is reminded of Henry
Ford’s famous remark: “You can have any color you want as long as it’s black.”
“You can say whatever you want, as long as I agree with it.” I don’t care if I
agree with it. I will defend your right to say it. You are free, in a country
with liberty, to say or do what you please until it infringes on another’s
rights. That is the very definition of liberty. Nowhere in the United States’
Constitution does it say that one has a right for their religion not to be
insulted. I don’t believe that’s in the French constitution either. They have a
right to freely practice it, but not to keep others from speaking or writing
negatively of it. Legislating against feelings being hurt infringes on all
rights.
I know
Islam doesn’t hold liberty dear, and I gave up on the President Obama a while
ago. But I might have expected better from the pope.
Islam has a
law against depicting Mohammed. Great. I’m not a Muslim, nor is anyone from
Charlie Hebdo. I don’t hold non-Christians to Christian standards, because I am
not Fascist as a Sharia Law is. I will speak ill of Islam, of Catholicism, and
of anything wrong with Christendom, because I am given the right to free speech
and free press. These aren’t rights given by government. Many governments would
like their people to believe this, because it creates a dependence on Big
Brother. A democratic government’s duty is to protect the rights given by
Almighty God to every person simply because they are human. Muslim governments
don’t pretend to do this. A lot of democratic governments put that façade on
while condoning the killing of millions of children in the name of “choice”.
But I digress.
Bottom
line, agree with them or not, we must stand for the rights of organizations
like Charlie Hebdo, because infringing on their rights puts all of our rights
in jeopardy.
Any
religion that tried to stop those who speak against it is a false religion. The
same goes for any religion who attempts to rationalize a massacre.
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