Sunday, February 05, 2006
The Vatican agrees with me - aren't I proud now...
"The right to freedom of thought and expression ... cannot entail the right to offend the religious sentiment of believers"
That seems unequivocal.
Now, will there be anyone out there who will dare accuse the Vatican of any form of "islamophobia" for stating such things...?
Obviously they understand Islam well.
Obviously they fear not any violent reactions from Islam - or all these popes from the past would have never dispatched crusade after crusade back in the day...!
And, obviously, the Vatican is not being irrational in calling for the so-called "sacred" freedom of speech to BACK OFF and NOT offend religious sentiments!
In the name of "freedom of speech", anyone can say anything he or she wants - regardless of who or what it is running through the mud?
I don't think so!
Religion is a personal thing - we can all agree on so much (although my opinion is that the Truth is One - with many ways to reach it and discover it. And Muslims have it that God Is One - there Is Only One God and that is final. Amen.)
Freedom of speech though, like almost everything else, has its good side... and its flipside too!
At its best, freedom of speech and the liberty of the press divulge the hidden truths to the public who does have a right to know these things. They expose shady going-ons. They blow the lid on corruption. That sort of thing.
At its worst though, such freedom indulges the basest caprices of downgrading, villifying and mocking what one neither understands nor accepts. And that is just not right.
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, the culprits for the incendiary cartoon(s) here, sure know that they did something that "is not right" - for they apologized several days ago for it! (On January 30th, in fact). They are conscious about having hurt Muslim sensitivities - after the fact. Too bad they were not as conscious about it BEFORE publication...?
The violent reactions are not to be dreaded... Actually, they are kind of fun! Finally, some real action on the evening news broadcast! However, it is lamentable to see a perfectly preventable "stirring up trouble" kind of action getting green lit and going ahead to publication... while other, far more worthwhile works vying for publication DO NOT GET THE GO AHEAD FOR IT!
Of course... dissension and controversy sells better than "unifying" writings... we all know that. Bet these Great Danes here did not expect the boycott on all things Danish that they got now as whiplash effect, eh? So much for better sales...
I guess my Danish pastries idea wouldn't work either then - hmm?
But that is another story...
And now the situation is flaring up - in SYRIA.
How interesting... Syria!
There are many who believe that the antichrist will rise from there - and we have this date coming up later this year... which will read 06/06/06! Hmm...
All Bible scholars -almost- agree that the antichrist will arise from the wretched world of... world politics!
How ironic then to see, under this light, that the Syrian government is the one who fails to provide security to foreign diplomats from Denmark and Norway during this sorry situation. A situation I am tempted to call "the avoidable crisis" - that wasn't avoided, evidently! All in the "sacred" name of freedom of speech...
Great going.
Note though that most in the Western world would agree that the cartoons appear to be "funny". Hilarious and thought-provoking. As described by CTV (bomb them, not me!), "one cartoon showed Muhammad wearing a turban shaped as a bomb, while another had him telling apparent suicide bombers that there were no virgins left in Paradise."
First off - the media needs to make up its mind about how to spell the prophet's name - Mohammad or Muhammad? Secondly, that second cartoon is just plain wrong. There seems to be no virgins left on Earth (in the Western world, yes). However, in Paradise, they are all pure or purified! And SPIRIT! Surely you cannot have copulated when you are no longer "with body" - logically, hmm? This Danish cartoonist sacrifices logic in order to be funny... and controversial too! I guess it is his prerogative... his choice to make... all thanks to freedom of speech!
All in all, I have learned that there are no less than twelve cartoons here. A dirty dozen, hmm? "Publications in Norway, France, Italy, Germany and other countries have since reprinted some of them in a show of solidarity over freedom of speech issues."
And now, they will all have to face the music and deal with the Muslim world's issues too...
The heights of irony have been reached though, in Jordan this time... As a very muslim editorialist pronounced himself on this whole controversy - very objectively.
"Three of the 12 drawings were reprinted in a Jordanian newspaper on Thursday, alongside an editorial questioning whether the angry reaction to them in the Muslim world was justified."
Apparently, examining a situation like this with some detachment is forbidden in the Muslim world, for "the editor who wrote the editorial was fired on Friday and, despite a letter of apology, arrested Saturday on charges of blasphemy, according to Jordan's state prosecutor."
What is ironic is that this editor's name is... "Jihad Momani".
JIHAD!
What foreboding we have here... Hmm...
One of the vehement protesters who did speak out in a moving way, Ali Duale, said it plain and simple - the cartoons are hurtful and show a lack of respect. "You don't know how much you hurt me unless I tell you what you say to me hurts my heart."
Another voice "of authority" was heard over this question - Randi Warne, a religious studies professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. She was quoted saying that non-Muslims (who are not like the non-Muslim that I am) "should try to empathize with the outrage Muslims feel." (Something I've done a long time ago).
She added "I think we should ask ourselves how people would feel in the West if pictures of Jesus were being drawn this way, committing heinous acts or in compromising positions," and concluded "I'm quite sure that there would be outrage all around the world."
Hmm... I am not sure in what cave some scholars live, however, me, I have seen it all already. I have seen much worse than these cartoons. About Christ - who, to me, is not merely a prophet but the SON OF GOD AND THE SAVIOUR HIMSELF. And I have seen all matters of blasphemous drawings of Him... What I did NOT see is this "outrage all around the world" that Mrs. Warne here is talking about. Either there was none - or it was minimal. Or us Christians are just too damn used to "turning the other cheek". Something I will admit to doing less and less these days.
In somewhat related news, it is odd to me that, now that I've mentioned muslims on TLB Prime, goooogle ad sense generated some ads for "muslim singles" AND EVEN "the raving atheist" for me (somewhere on this page...) when I never asked for such things.
Hmm... ads like that ON THE LUMINOUS BLOG?!? Thanks for nothing, gooooogle ad sense... you don't make any sense to me, goooogle ad sense! Just because I make mention of something does not mean I am condoning or sponsoring it! Here I am lambasting atheism - and goooogle puts ads to promote it - on my own blog?!? I have found a cyber equivalent of Judas here...
How many times have I mentioned Jesus - and not one ad about Him appeared?
Okay - you might not have any ads from any evangelical organization whatsoever...
What will happen though if I make mention of Satan - will an ad for his Californian (or "californication" - if ye will allow the red hot chili pepperism!) "church" appear here too?!? Oops... I just made mention of him... I guess it's on now!
What else is on now? The final conflict, or so it appears...
Link
That seems unequivocal.
Now, will there be anyone out there who will dare accuse the Vatican of any form of "islamophobia" for stating such things...?
Obviously they understand Islam well.
Obviously they fear not any violent reactions from Islam - or all these popes from the past would have never dispatched crusade after crusade back in the day...!
And, obviously, the Vatican is not being irrational in calling for the so-called "sacred" freedom of speech to BACK OFF and NOT offend religious sentiments!
In the name of "freedom of speech", anyone can say anything he or she wants - regardless of who or what it is running through the mud?
I don't think so!
Religion is a personal thing - we can all agree on so much (although my opinion is that the Truth is One - with many ways to reach it and discover it. And Muslims have it that God Is One - there Is Only One God and that is final. Amen.)
Freedom of speech though, like almost everything else, has its good side... and its flipside too!
At its best, freedom of speech and the liberty of the press divulge the hidden truths to the public who does have a right to know these things. They expose shady going-ons. They blow the lid on corruption. That sort of thing.
At its worst though, such freedom indulges the basest caprices of downgrading, villifying and mocking what one neither understands nor accepts. And that is just not right.
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, the culprits for the incendiary cartoon(s) here, sure know that they did something that "is not right" - for they apologized several days ago for it! (On January 30th, in fact). They are conscious about having hurt Muslim sensitivities - after the fact. Too bad they were not as conscious about it BEFORE publication...?
The violent reactions are not to be dreaded... Actually, they are kind of fun! Finally, some real action on the evening news broadcast! However, it is lamentable to see a perfectly preventable "stirring up trouble" kind of action getting green lit and going ahead to publication... while other, far more worthwhile works vying for publication DO NOT GET THE GO AHEAD FOR IT!
Of course... dissension and controversy sells better than "unifying" writings... we all know that. Bet these Great Danes here did not expect the boycott on all things Danish that they got now as whiplash effect, eh? So much for better sales...
I guess my Danish pastries idea wouldn't work either then - hmm?
But that is another story...
And now the situation is flaring up - in SYRIA.
How interesting... Syria!
There are many who believe that the antichrist will rise from there - and we have this date coming up later this year... which will read 06/06/06! Hmm...
All Bible scholars -almost- agree that the antichrist will arise from the wretched world of... world politics!
How ironic then to see, under this light, that the Syrian government is the one who fails to provide security to foreign diplomats from Denmark and Norway during this sorry situation. A situation I am tempted to call "the avoidable crisis" - that wasn't avoided, evidently! All in the "sacred" name of freedom of speech...
Great going.
Note though that most in the Western world would agree that the cartoons appear to be "funny". Hilarious and thought-provoking. As described by CTV (bomb them, not me!), "one cartoon showed Muhammad wearing a turban shaped as a bomb, while another had him telling apparent suicide bombers that there were no virgins left in Paradise."
First off - the media needs to make up its mind about how to spell the prophet's name - Mohammad or Muhammad? Secondly, that second cartoon is just plain wrong. There seems to be no virgins left on Earth (in the Western world, yes). However, in Paradise, they are all pure or purified! And SPIRIT! Surely you cannot have copulated when you are no longer "with body" - logically, hmm? This Danish cartoonist sacrifices logic in order to be funny... and controversial too! I guess it is his prerogative... his choice to make... all thanks to freedom of speech!
All in all, I have learned that there are no less than twelve cartoons here. A dirty dozen, hmm? "Publications in Norway, France, Italy, Germany and other countries have since reprinted some of them in a show of solidarity over freedom of speech issues."
And now, they will all have to face the music and deal with the Muslim world's issues too...
The heights of irony have been reached though, in Jordan this time... As a very muslim editorialist pronounced himself on this whole controversy - very objectively.
"Three of the 12 drawings were reprinted in a Jordanian newspaper on Thursday, alongside an editorial questioning whether the angry reaction to them in the Muslim world was justified."
Apparently, examining a situation like this with some detachment is forbidden in the Muslim world, for "the editor who wrote the editorial was fired on Friday and, despite a letter of apology, arrested Saturday on charges of blasphemy, according to Jordan's state prosecutor."
What is ironic is that this editor's name is... "Jihad Momani".
JIHAD!
What foreboding we have here... Hmm...
One of the vehement protesters who did speak out in a moving way, Ali Duale, said it plain and simple - the cartoons are hurtful and show a lack of respect. "You don't know how much you hurt me unless I tell you what you say to me hurts my heart."
Another voice "of authority" was heard over this question - Randi Warne, a religious studies professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. She was quoted saying that non-Muslims (who are not like the non-Muslim that I am) "should try to empathize with the outrage Muslims feel." (Something I've done a long time ago).
She added "I think we should ask ourselves how people would feel in the West if pictures of Jesus were being drawn this way, committing heinous acts or in compromising positions," and concluded "I'm quite sure that there would be outrage all around the world."
Hmm... I am not sure in what cave some scholars live, however, me, I have seen it all already. I have seen much worse than these cartoons. About Christ - who, to me, is not merely a prophet but the SON OF GOD AND THE SAVIOUR HIMSELF. And I have seen all matters of blasphemous drawings of Him... What I did NOT see is this "outrage all around the world" that Mrs. Warne here is talking about. Either there was none - or it was minimal. Or us Christians are just too damn used to "turning the other cheek". Something I will admit to doing less and less these days.
In somewhat related news, it is odd to me that, now that I've mentioned muslims on TLB Prime, goooogle ad sense generated some ads for "muslim singles" AND EVEN "the raving atheist" for me (somewhere on this page...) when I never asked for such things.
Hmm... ads like that ON THE LUMINOUS BLOG?!? Thanks for nothing, gooooogle ad sense... you don't make any sense to me, goooogle ad sense! Just because I make mention of something does not mean I am condoning or sponsoring it! Here I am lambasting atheism - and goooogle puts ads to promote it - on my own blog?!? I have found a cyber equivalent of Judas here...
How many times have I mentioned Jesus - and not one ad about Him appeared?
Okay - you might not have any ads from any evangelical organization whatsoever...
What will happen though if I make mention of Satan - will an ad for his Californian (or "californication" - if ye will allow the red hot chili pepperism!) "church" appear here too?!? Oops... I just made mention of him... I guess it's on now!
What else is on now? The final conflict, or so it appears...
Link
Comments:
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Hmm... they are "beliefs in their own right", sure...
And LIFE ITSELF will teach each and every one of them -each and every one of us- the lesson(s) that they -that we- need to be taught...
I will admit that I am not Lucky Luciano - as I always say, "that was the other guy"!
I have not met the archetypical "good atheist" or "harmless satanist".
I have, however, met plenty of the stereotypical "stubborn and arrogant and downright jerk-type of atheist".
And, worse still, the stereotypical "bad-to-the-bone, utterly evil" satanist.
So, you'll excuse me if I speak in absolutes sometimes...
However, as just about any prototypical "fundamentalist Christian" could tell you, if one has not Christ, one has not been saved.
That is why they call Christ the Saviour...
There is a chance that pagans, agnostics, other faiths even will turn to Christ one day - one day soon. But that chance is nil with hardcore atheists and ANY satanists at all!
And me.
I cannot be lukewarm in my faith - NOT NOW!
The final conflict is on now!
Or so it appears...
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And LIFE ITSELF will teach each and every one of them -each and every one of us- the lesson(s) that they -that we- need to be taught...
I will admit that I am not Lucky Luciano - as I always say, "that was the other guy"!
I have not met the archetypical "good atheist" or "harmless satanist".
I have, however, met plenty of the stereotypical "stubborn and arrogant and downright jerk-type of atheist".
And, worse still, the stereotypical "bad-to-the-bone, utterly evil" satanist.
So, you'll excuse me if I speak in absolutes sometimes...
However, as just about any prototypical "fundamentalist Christian" could tell you, if one has not Christ, one has not been saved.
That is why they call Christ the Saviour...
There is a chance that pagans, agnostics, other faiths even will turn to Christ one day - one day soon. But that chance is nil with hardcore atheists and ANY satanists at all!
And me.
I cannot be lukewarm in my faith - NOT NOW!
The final conflict is on now!
Or so it appears...
<< Home
