Ann says:
Really, Ann? Just exactly how are we "hurting" them? Is it really going to change their lives one teeny tiny bit if someone draws a picture of Mohammed? And as for the offending bit - I'm so tired of folks that are offended by anything and everything. You know what? They offend me by their constantly taking offense."But depictions of Muhammad offend millions of Muslims who are no part of the violent threats. In pushing back some people, you also hurt a lot of people who aren't doing anything (other than protecting their own interests by declining to pressure the extremists who are hurting the reputation of their religion)."
As for those millions of Muslims who are not part of the violent threats? I haven't exactly been bowled over by their denouncing their violent brethren. No siree, the voices of the "moderate" Muslims are pretty quiet. Even when their brethren saw off people's heads, the silence is deafening. Get real, Ann. Muslims are not some happy clappy Protestant mega-church group of worshippers. They are biblical descendants of violent, anti-Christian warriors who wish to rule the earth. In their world it's Islam or death.
I do agree with Ann that the whole idea of Draw Mohammed Day is not a good idea. Here's why. It's juvenile, petty, and a complete waste of time. Instead of drawing Mohammed, how about doing some praying, or write a letter to your Senator or Congressman, or even take a nap? Much better use of your time.
That's my two cents worth. What's yours?
10 comments:
Adrienne,
Draw Mohammed Day doesn't feel like an elevated pursuit, I'll grant you. But it is at least a non-violent reaction to the threat of violence that teaches a pretty good lesson. If an enemy threatens one of us with death (or actually murders someone) for drawing a picture of his prophet, that won't stop anyone from performing the "forbidden" behavior. It will cause that behavior to multiply.
For that, I'm willing to be "juvenile." Better a mockingly juvenile response than escalating to the seriously "grown up" responses to death threats, and you know what those are. Or giving up our freedom of speech and expression. Islam means "submission," and I'm not in the mood for submission.
"Petty" I don't buy at all. Death threats by Islamic terrorists are not trivial matters that we as a society should consider ourselves too "adult" to respond to. People that these nut jobs decide to go after have to go into hiding with their families to survive.
I don't hate the idea, actually. I do see your point, but this one issue is a rare instance in which people on the right AND the left are on the same page (even if that page has a picture of Mohammed crudely drawn on it). I can't think of another time when there has been a real opportunity to reach out to the left about religious intolerance *and* the reality of Muslim extremist terrorism in a way that they can understand. One of "their own" has been threatened, after all, someone they've watched show Jesus in sacrilegious ways, someone they cheer when Sarah Palin and her son Trig are mocked. Yet nary a death threat from the wingnut Christian right (as they see us).
Seeing Ayaan Hirsi Ali on CNN (imagine!) defending Christianity and condemning the assault on religious freedom and the freedom of speech was wonderful! I'm not convinced that the far left is ready to draw the same conclusions that she has, but they're getting it on some level, the seed is planted. That's why I support this effort. The attack on the SP creators is actually going to awaken some of our fellow Americans not only to the backwards PC culture that allows, even encourages, the bashing of white Christians but to the very real threat of Muslim extremist violence. I say draw away, fellow citizens!
Video: “The Daily Show” defends “South Park” from jihadi threats http://bit.ly/aDFbAS / Must-see CNN video w/Ayaan Hirsi Ali
I agree with her Adrienne. It hurts them because they hold Mohammed as sacred as we hold the Holy Eucharist. And they probably think our practice is stupid. But there's one thing I haven't seen from Islamic extremists, moderates, or average people in the mosque: they haven't attacked what is most Holy to us.
I don't believe we should attack anyone's holy symbols, no matter what our personal opinion of them. No matter how silent they are in their lack of denouncement of terrorism coming from their own ranks, it doesn't follow that "drawing Mohammud" is a good thing to do for anyone.
I've been a bit shocked at some Catholics who apparently have jumped on this bandwagon (not you), apparently forgetting waht a certain atheist in my neck of the woods has publicly done on his blog.
We don't expect people to share our beliefs, but we DO expect them to have respect for them. And we need to do the same thing.
I do agree with you though that Anne's reasoning is off, perhaps especially in the eyes of Catholics and Jews (we know the history of how Islam was spread, and it WASN'T gentle evangelization!) So the "reputation" they have now in our eyes is pretty much the same as it's been throughout history.
I also agree that this campaign is petty, stupid, juvenile, and a waste of time. Completely.
God help us all! And dang, I need more coffee I don't even know what I'm saying yet....
I would agree except that people have actually died over this. Now Americans have faced death threats. May 20th is a way for us to say, "not in my country."
I haven't decided if I'm going to join in but I do support the idea of standing up against censorship.
Look on it as an act of charity. Many critics of Islam claim the followers are stuck in the 7th Century. By elevating "Mo" to the same level of ridicule as Christ it forces his followers to grow a thicker skin.
And they really don't have to thank us, every good deed is it's own reward.
My two cents.
Adrienne I think most of the world hasn't yet woken up to the massive dysfunctions emerging from Islamic culture which do indeed threaten us all.
Your comments on Islam and Muslims generally are in my opinion spot on.
Your correspondent Adoro notes that Muslims have not deliberately attacked our holiest traditions, symbols and practices. Er actually they have. They've done it so often and so blatently and so grotesquely that it scarcely merits a beep in the turn-a-blind-eye leftist media. Across the world Muslims have desecrated churches, (recently smearing excrement all over the Church of the Nativity in Palestine having fled there from the pursuing Israeli army), destroying ancient frescoes and priceless works of art in churches throughout the Middle East and Asia, bombing churches, killing Christians as they go to or even attend mass... Oh they've attacked more than our symbols alright. They've attacked everything they could get their hands on. Adoro's comment is measured and generous of spirit. But I do disagree with him strongly.
As for the whole Drawing Day idea. It intrigues me. Formerly I insisted that I would not deliberately insult any human being's conception of the divine. Now I don't know. I admit to being reluctant to bring the wrath of murdering Muslim bigots into my life any more than it's already there.
Anyhoo.
That's my two cents worth.
A checque will be perfectly acceptable as payment.
James
heelers ~ I stand corrected. I was thinking of the more direct attacks of stealing the Holy Eucharist and pushing rusty nails through Him, but yes, of course, stupid me, desecration of our Churches is worst. yes, absolutely.
In my defense, I wrote my initial comment before i EVEN had my first coffee of the morning.
You should know that, going forward, I should not be referred to as "he". Thank you.
I still stand by what I stated before, however. No matter WHAT horrible things have been done to us as Catholics, it does not glorify God to denigrate the holy objects of another religion, and in fact, it causes us a greater loss of dignity in our humanity, and thus, injures our own credibility as followers of Christ.
Let the Muslims do what they will against us; Christ has already won. When we engage in such petty endeavors, we kill our own souls, not theirs.
I hope you don't wait too long for your checque. ;-)
It's a bad idea for three reasons:
1) It's a waste of time.
2) It isn't respectful to Muslims, the vast majority of whom are decent, law-abiding, hardworking folk, and I don't like insulting decent, law-abiding, hardworking folk.
3) Conservatism is about defending traditional values, not only the value of faith (which includes Islam) but also the value of decorum and restraint in public life. The "draw Muhammad" idea violates that idea. We are conservatives, and part of conservatism is propriety.
Adrienne,
Here's my 2 cents worth. It is just plain stupid and a waste of time. I really don't care if a Muslim, Lutheran, Methodist and yes a Catholic gets their feelings hurt. Am I a cold hearted kind of guy? No, I am a realist though. You cannot go through life without a little disappointment in it. Toughen up a little bit. You think our grandparents had their feelings hurt. Sure they did but they said, dammit and charged on. In to each life a little rain must fall. Hurt feelings, Get over it!
Pops
What if Christians put up as much of a stink every time the Lord's name was used in vain or some derogatory slur against Christianity, and we made death threats? I can't imagine the media would do anything but accuse Christians of violence and try to shut us down. I'm just trying to figure out why they bend over for the Muslims and try to make sure no one 'offends' them.
I agree that 'draw muhammad day' is stupid waste of time. I'll take a nap.
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