Freedom of Speech?

Be warned, I have very strong feelings about the topic I will be discussing today. If you don't want to hear them, leave now. 

Freedom of Speech. It's been on everyone's minds recently. People standing on flags, issues with racism, art competitions about Muhammad. It's everywhere. And it's infuriating. Today I want to focus on the one that aggravates me the most, the 'art' competition in Texas. 

Before we delve into this though, let's rewind a few years and cross the big blue wet thing. That's right, we're taking a short trip over to Denmark! The year is 2005 and the Jylland-Posten has asked Kurt Westergaard to make some cartoon depictions of Muhammad, and so he does. The next part of this story is Kurt Westergaard being threatened multiple times, being attacked in his home, and living in fear of what might happen next. I know what you're probably thinking, "He has the right to do what he wants!", right? True, he does. But does that excuse the blatant disrespect for the Islamic religion? The Islamic religion has a firm belief that trying to depict Muhammad is highly blasphemous. Can we not use our freedom of speech to respect that?

Back to the modern time. So, ten years after one of our first experiences with the cartoon world and Muhammad, Pamela Geller has a genius idea. Let's try again! This time it will be a competition to see who can make the 'best' Muhammad depiction. And of course, what was the result? It certainly wasn't respectful images of Muhammad, no, it was our view on the extremists but thrown onto Muhammad. And then we acted as though they were in the wrong for being offended! I will say, the way that they responded I do not agree with, but I don't agree with Ms Geller either. This isn't a 'war on free speech'. We have that. What we forget is that we do NOT have the right to say how others react. Again, I do not agree with the reaction, but here I ask you to step into their shoes. Your faith is being attacked, your prophet has been depicted as a man leading suicide bombers to their death. How do you feel?

Let's make it a little more real, eh? Now we'll go to the year 1095. Don't remember what happened then? Here's a review: Pope Urban II began the First Crusade. All we wanted to do was use our freedom of speech to spread our religion, right? Wrong. People were murdered for not accepting the Catholic religion. Now imagine with me the 'art' competition of their day. The theme? Jesus. And how is he depicted? Well, he isn't holding a child in his arm, no, he's commanding an army to destroy the local city. He laughs as the Catholics murder those who oppose them. Doesn't sound to pleasant does it? We as Christians have a long history as a religion and it isn't all peace and love! But somehow we still ended up with people like Mother Teresa. 

Somewhere along the dark road of the Christians people recognized that not all Christians wanted to kill the pagans. I had the opportunity to meet with some Muslims while I lived in Iceland, and they were some of the nicest people I have ever met. Let me tell you about one. We knocked on his door, wanting to share our religion with him. He answered the door and immediately invited us in. Why? He told us it was what his religion had taught him. His belief, his Muslim belief, taught him that when anyone knocks on the door you should invite them in and take care of them for as long as they are there. He offered us food, he invited us to come anytime, he showed love. That is the freedom of speech I wish we would live. 

So here's a quick recap. Was the art show an act of free speech? Yes. Was the response of the two men appropriate? No. Was the art show offensive? Yes. Do I believe that both parties are in the wrong here? Yes. 

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that we all need to stop being jerks to each other. I don't care if you are Muslim or Jewish or Protestant. I don't care if you are Atheist or Catholic. I respect you for your beliefs. And I won't use my freedom of speech to offend you on purpose. Rather, I will use my freedom of speech to learn from you and to share my opinions in a respectful, adult manner. I'm sick of people trying to say that they have freedom of speech and can therefore do whatever they want. Grow up. Take responsibility for what you say. As we tell kids all the time, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." We can't choose how others will react to our speech, but we can choose how we speak. So instead of a 'war of the freedom of speech' let's have a war of using our freedom of speech to build up rather than tear down. Enough of us being jerks to one another. Let's follow the words of the Saviour and "Love one Another". 

P.S. He included our enemies in that statement, in case you forgot.