Je suis Christian

Recently the streets of Paris, and those of other European cities, erupted in violence, and in the case of Paris were filled with protesters soon after. Over a million people, according to some estimates, proclaimed unity with the editorial staff of a contentious newspaper; they had been murdered by “radical Muslims” who claimed to have avenged the prophet Muhammad. It was certainly a moving sight to see so many individuals holding up signs and lit candles in unity with the victims of that attack.

According to some commentators, the magazine Charlie Hebdo is a satirical periodical that poked cartoon fun on several occasions at the Muslim faith in general and at Muhammad in particular. They also pointed out that the publication was an equal-opportunity offender. All religious groups were fair game and were lampooned on a regular basis. Not having read the magazine and not speaking French, I have to take their word for it.

And while not everyone in the crowd could say with a clear conscience, “Je suis Charlie,” most could affirm that free speech was the central issue, and no one should be killed for exercising  that liberty. H.A. Hellyer went even further by saying that discussions around free speech, what is or is not sacred, are not the point. They ought not be discussed on the back of a massacre that is far more insulting to the sense of the sacred than any cartoon could be.

“The world faces a radical, extremist ideology that has a number of aims. The killing and murdering of innocent people in France is a facet of that. The killing of others within the Muslim world is another; the creation of a cultural war between Muslims and non-Muslims is yet another; and the deterioration of civil liberties within France and elsewhere is another still. The international community at large must recognise (sic) all of those facets and be clear: we won’t play the terrorists in a game where they make the rules. What they did in Paris, as they do in Yemen and elsewhere, is criminal – and the full force of the law must be brought to bear upon them. We must not sacrifice one iota of the ethics that underpin our societies. That is what they are really trying to get us to do. We must not let them succeed.”^[1]

I agree. But there is a Christian perspective here that may add another voice to the discussion. As the Apostle Paul sought to bring people of different backgrounds together under the umbrella of the Christian faith, he found them quibbling about all sorts of things: dietary laws and national holidays were primary points of contention. Paul concluded that regardless of what he saw as acceptable under Christ, he wouldn’t flaunt his beliefs in a way that would make others “stumble.” (Romans 14:13) He said, “All things are legal, but not all things are helpful.” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)

If Charlie Hebdo has a point to make and exercises freedom of speech in the process, that is one thing. But it seems that the main intent is to aggravate everyone within reading distance, which can have the effect of stretching some to the breaking point. The Muslim extremists are cowardly, violent and immoral, but there is no point in making matters worse than they are just for the sake of provocation. That kind of behavior not only inflames the radicals (who seem to be constantly inflamed already) but it also serves to alienate  the moderate Muslim community, dissuading them from speaking out against terrorists and in fact, encouraging them to join such movements.

Free speech isn’t absolute. In France it’s illegal to deny the Holocaust. In the US it’s illegal to threaten public officials and to foment riots. It’s against the law to distribute pictures of child pornography or to commit character assassination. The actions of Hedbo don’t promote free speech. They simply endorse foolishness and invite reciprocity. It seems good to recognize the behavior for what it is and not give it further credence.

Pastor Mike

 

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[1] http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2015/01/08-paris-killing-charlie-hebdo-hellyer