We Have To Go Down that Road
One of the weakest arguments that I find in the “Muslim cartoon” conundrum is the that Christianity and freedom of the press/freedom of expression go hand in hand..
Yes there is freedom of choice as to behaving like a Christian or not, and yes the press, artists, governments, and businesses are free to behave in any unChristian fashion they so desire.
But, there are consequences to unChristian behaviour.
Christians do not mock God, or Christ, or the Apostles, or the Bible.
After all, Giuliani refused to allow a museum exhibit that negatively depicted Catholic imagery. And Mapplethorpe’s photographs were rejected based on Christian teachings and not on a whim of prudery.
I personally don’t care how Muslims behave when feeling sensitive over their religious beliefs, as long as they do it “over there”. They choose (are free) to worship their god, as they choose to react in the manners that they do. Just don’t do it here, in a Christian country.
So why does everyone think (except for Buchanan, it seems) that Christians tolerate artists mocking Christ?
It is only in the advent of the avant-garde artists (specifically the Post WWI Dadaists) that "anything goes" has really been the case. In order for that to happen, an environment of no morals and values, God had to be killed off first.
When God died in the psyche of artists, then art went to pieces. But the funny thing is, there are still residues of God left in these tormented minds, and He has to be destroyed over and over again.
In those moments when God is really absent, and doesn’t make surprise visits that require his repeated destruction (ironically making him the subject of their art), artists are beginning to find that there is nothing left to do.
No great work of art has come out since this absence. Even Picasso’s greatly strange Guernica doesn’t come close.
So, I don’t buy this freedom of the press mentality. There is no freedom, really where God is concerned. Yes, there is the freedom to reject Him, and to suffer the consequences. But mock Him, and you’re on your own - which means eternal jail time.
The argument is not: since we can desecrate Christianity (which Christians don’t mind us doing) we can therefore desecrate other religions.
Because firstly, Christians do mind terribly the desecration of the images of Christ.
And secondly, it is not the images of other religions that we should be desecrating, but making sure that those alien beliefs do not play out their wars on our Christian turf.
Third, what we should be censoring, expulsing, rejecting and dissociating with is the people who bring their beliefs here, who do not wish to join ours.
When the Muslims are gone, and we’re left alone to contemplate the great wide universe, what will we do without Our God?
And even before that happens, how can we expect to get rid of these alien religions and peoples without the strength and force of God behind us?
And even before that, what kind of anti-Christian sentiment allowed us to bring in these incompatible and unChristian peoples in the first place?
Before we go jabbing people on the side to instigate a furious reaction, we better set our own goals straight for the inevitable war of religions that will follow.
Cartoon illustrators better start saying their Christian prayers quick.
