I prefer to celebrate diversity with people like me, thank you.
A few weeks ago a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, published cartoons that depicted caricatures of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the religion itself. At first, it was just the local Danish Muslims who responded to the cartoons. But as the cartoons were circulated, more and more followers of Islam reacted to the publications. As the controversy has grown, the result has been widespread violence and rioting in Islamic areas. The cartoons have since come to America and have been published in many college newspapers that have resulted in protests and arguments within certain colleges. A student at Oregon State University wrote a column titled, “The Islamic Double Standard,” which was published in a daily newspaper at OSU. The column charged Muslims with expecting special treatment after the reaction from the Muslims responding to the Danish cartoons. Students countered by holding a vigil on campus to protest the article. They handed out fliers that stated, “While staying loyal to the main values of freedom of expression that founded this country, we also feel the need to reflect on the values of tolerance and acceptance on this campus.” Nada Mohamed, a 20-year-old junior and vice president of OSU’s Muslim Student Association, said this about the publication: “It was amazing to me that they (the campus newspaper) were allowed to publish this kind of stuff.” The cartoons have sparked debate at other colleges around America, including Harvard, and all have had the same reaction by the Muslim students.A student newspaper at the University of Arizona did not reprint the Danish cartoons, but it did enter the fray by publishing an editorial cartoon of its own. The cartoon shows a scene with Jesus, Buddha and other religious figures along with Mohammad. Jesus is saying to Muhammad, “You really need to learn how to take a joke, Muhammad.” The cartoonist, a staff member at the newspaper, followed its usual editorial cartoon procedure: the cartoonist submitted the idea to her editors, and from there the editors met and discussed possible reverberations of the cartoon. “Our main purpose of this comic was not to offend,” said editor-in-chief Aaron Mackey. “It didn’t link Islam with terrorism. It had a definite point to it.” One columnist who disagreed with the cartoon was Yusra Tekbali. “When a paper encourages offensively depicting a revered religious individual, it reasons for doing so must be questioned; respect and sensitivity should outweigh absolute freedom of speech.” Many other college newspapers around America have published the cartoons or written editorials about them.
The same people who are holding signs that state, “Butcher those who mock Islam,” and, “Slay those who insult Islam” are the same people that are calling for religious tolerance among non-Muslims. The same college students who encourage “diversity” and “acceptance” are the same college students who are outraged and offended when they don’t receive special treatment.
At the National Black Fine Art Show in New York, a painting by Harlem artist “Tafa” depicts an upside down “Christ-like” figure with a face the resembles Osama Bin Laden. No Christians have threatened the artist, or bombed the building where it is displayed, or attacked the city government. This example can be related to the “Piss-Christ” controversy, in which artist Andres Serrano took a picture of a crucifix that was submerged in a jar of the artist’s urine. The piece won the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art’s “Awards in the Visual Arts” competition, which is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Not only did the artist not receive death threats, he won a major award.
Surprisingly, this conflict between two worlds has been made even clearer by way of an editorial cartoon. Despite what many people are saying, this battle is not about the right to free speech or the clash between two people groups. This is about two very different Gods, one real and one fake, and man's narrow interpretation of the truth. Muslims are taught that Jesus was never crucified, and instead that Allah saved him from misery and humiliation on the cross. They refuse to believe that Allah would permit such mockery to occur. John Piper, in his article Being Mocked: The Essence of Christ’s Work, Not Muhammad’s, said this:
For Christ, enduring the mockery of the cross was the essence of his mission. And for a true follower of Christ enduring suffering patiently for the glory of Christ is the essence of obedience. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matthew 5:11). During his life on earth Jesus was called a bastard (John 8:41), a drunkard (Matthew 11:19), a blasphemer (Matthew 26:65), a devil (Matthew 10:25); and he promised his followers the same: “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household” (Matthew 10:25).
The caricature and mockery of Christ has continued to this day. Martin Scorsese portrayed Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ as wracked with doubt and beset with sexual lust. Andres Serrano was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts to portray Jesus on a cross sunk in a bottle of urine. The Da Vinci Code portrays Jesus as a mere mortal who married and fathered children.
So what does this mean for Christians?
It means that a religion with no insulted Savior will not endure insults to win the scoffers. It means that this religion is destined to bear the impossible load of upholding the honor of one who did not die and rise again to make that possible. It means that Jesus Christ is still the only hope of peace with God and peace with man. And it means that his followers must be willing to “share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10).
What an honor.
-Stephen Meador
posted by stephen @ 9:58 PM
28 Comments:
Good writing.
O
excellent writing!
Greg Bahnsen mentiones the "Piss Christ" in one of his lectures I have on d.v.d. It is open season on offending Evangelicals in the most vile ways:but if you mention one little thing about how Muslims degrade Women or anything at all you are the Bigot. Candle viduals will be held in protest.
Liberalism is a mental disorder!
Yes I did write that. This is the offensive "christian" version of a paper that I had to do for writing class. The other paper is not aimed at Christians and is longer. I still kept to the same thesis, though.
Not to say I don't mind offending non-Christians. I just try to do it a little more subtly.
O
Keep up the good writing. I thought you copied and pasted some of it,that's how good it is.
I just got back from B&N. I was there studying a s.a.t. book. I need to take it before I can enroll at Whitefield. How good are you at writing an essay on random topics? I'll talk to ya sat night if you come to set up
Takin' the SAT huh? It's pretty killer. The essay isn't all that bad, but the topic is usually pretty vague. They just give you a quote and then a question and you have 25 minutes to write something. I have books if you want to borrow them. I probably can't give you much advice other than that. I'll see you saturday night.
Brooke, we can talk at church about homeschooling if you want. Let me know what you want to do.
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Interestingly, in that original article of the quote from John Piper, he notes the Muslim perspective of Christ.
Most Muslims have been taught that Jesus was not crucified. One Sunni Muslim writes, “Muslims believe that Allah saved the Messiah from the ignominy of crucifixion.” Another adds, “We honor [Jesus] more than you [Christians] do... We refuse to believe that God would permit him to suffer death on the cross.” An essential Muslim impulse is to avoid the “ignominy” of the cross.
As Christians, we know that the "word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." The difference with Christianity is that "we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:18-24, emphasis mine).
That was a good article by John Piper. It is interesting to think that Muslims view the crucifixion as a horrid thing, something that never happened. Instead we view it as Christ glorifying himself through the cross.
I'm wondering how the Muslims can believe in Jesus but not the crucifixion. Like that Sunni Muslim stated they do believe in a Messiah but not that he died. Why then would we need a Messiah?
You know, I wish you guys would invite me to one of your halo parties some time, I would like to see what all the hype is about. We kids who don't have lives need to stick together
It is sort of a pathetic guy thing.
So?? I could be good at it! You never know!! I just might beat all ya'll :-p
Don't you mean "all of you". Lets remember that we live in Oregon and not Texas:-)
Way to go, Jenny! Personally, I think you'd be great at Halo. -N
Stephen and I could wipe the floor with anyone in the church.
Isn't that right Halo blood-brother.
Brian- First of all, I can talk however I want and you aren't the boss of me!!!!!! And second of all, I think I can beat you, Stephen, and all the other 'good' players... If I put my mind to it I can do it... really I can!!
Natalie- Thanks for backing me up, I feel like the minority at church because I'm the only girl who actually enjoys hanging out with these boys... don't ask why, sometimes I don't even know, with all the verbal abuse I receive... :-p
My understanding of Islam is that they do not believe in a Messiah. Islam originates with Ishmael, Abraham's son by Hagar. Islam reveres the prophets of God and teaches that they were all sinless - Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus and finally Mohammed. Jesus was sinless, but that was not unique according to Islam. He is revered as a propet of God, not as a Messiah. Allah is one and only God, and a trinitarian God is rejected as a concept. Anyway, I just noticed that you said that someone said that they do believe in a Messiah, so I have no idea what that would mean to them.
As I understand it, Islam is a system of good deeds and bad deeds. At the end of your life, you just hope that your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds so that you will go to heaven.
PS, I found a website about Islam
http://www.islam101.com/intro/index.htm
No problem, Jenny. Anytime. -Natalie
Thanks Tracy. I think I need to study up on Islam a little more. Theirs is a strange religion.
Brian, I think we need to quell this uprising before it gets out of hand.
Brian
You know a Texan is fired up when they say they are going to whip ya'll.
However, when when he or she says" I am going to whip all ya'll they are REALY fired up.
Oh yes. Just because I'm this little quiet girl that seems to blend in with the crowd, doesn't mean I can't be intimidating at times!! grrr.... haha
No doubt Stephen. We could set up a Halo booth at church and charge people a dollar to play us.
Hey, can I get my Fall Out Boy CD back? You've had it for a loonnnggg time, I hope you didn't lose it. Anyway, have a good weekend, tell David I said hi!
It's nice to hear you keep track and take good care of the stuff I give you Stephen haha. You are a boy, I guess I will let it slide this time.
Well don't worry I know where it is and it is still in good condition. I think so.
Certainly. Sorry about that, I'll make sure it happens next week.
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