In the week after we read about the dove of the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus at his baptism this image by Rachelle Maynard appears.
Je suis Charlie? Non! Not now, not ever, even though the slogan is everywhere these days. I found it stirring to see the huge crowds marching in Paris in the wake of the brutal killings at the office of the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo. But that doesn't mean I identify with the often deeply offensive and sophomoric content of the magazine, aimed at Christians as well as Jews and Muslims.
I support free speech, even speech that I find offensive. Yet we really don't support unrestricted expression ,even though it is touted everywhere these days. We do have laws against hate speech and I'm glad. Remember the publisher Ernst Zundel, Holocaust denier? He went to jail in this country for spewing hatred.
I am not equating Charlie Hebdo with Zundel, at least I don't think I am. How many of us are really aware of what was behind the cartoons and articles in the magazine? I'm fairly sure that their intent is not peace-making. Maybe we should calm down on the "je suis" stuff, and stick to outrage and grief over senseless murders which are falsely justified in the name of God.
Your thoughts?
3 comments:
I don't understand the anger and violence towards religious satire. If someone says and writes something that I strongly disagree with, I ignore it. Who cares? It doesn't affect my beliefs, so I move on!
I watched CBC News last night, and they stated that they would not show the front page of the latest issue, for fear that it would offend Muslims.
I'm sure what they were really saying was "we really don't want anyone coming in and shooting up our building because we showed the page".
While I understand their concern for safety, what on earth has the world come to???
I don't understand why publications continue to post offensive materials against religious groups with extremist branches whom we know will retaliate with violence ... why put yourself - and others - at risk for this kind of reaction?
R-E-S-P-E-C-T (remember Motown?)
And again rights vs. responsibilities.
We support freedom of expression as a right but at the same time must acknowledge the responsibility we share to ensure some modicum of respect and dignity for others; even if we don't agree with them.
I would not wish to confuse this type of respect with fear of retribution in not choosing to replicate material that might be offensive to some.
I thought pope Francis had an interesting take on the subject.
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