No Respect

DEAR FRIAR RICK: A few months ago, Hilary Clinton, the former US Secretary of State, rightly condemned an anti-Islam film saying it was “disgusting and reprehensible.” She called it a cynical attempt to offend people for their religious beliefs. However, the same American administration also condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for not defending freedom of expression when three Russian feminists, members of the Pussy Riot punk-rock band, were arrested for openly offending the Christian God from the altar of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

In North America, Europe and in many other countries we pay great attention to ensure that the Muslim religion is not offended, yet we seem to have no qualms whatever in mocking Christians and Christianity. This lack of consideration for Christianity really grieves and angers me.

 

Your letter highlights what you perceive as a double standard with regards to offensive comments directed at religious beliefs. For the most part I agree with you. In both instances that you describe there are some serious problems. There are also some important differences. The first case you mention is the film made by Mark Basseley Youssef called Innocence of Muslims. I’ve seen large clips from this extremely amateurish film, and it is vile. It’s really not a film in any real sense of the word. It’s a crudely made deliberate attempt at promoting hate towards Islam and Muslims. Its purpose is clearly to provoke a reaction of violence. There is neither artistic merit nor a legitimate protest quality about the film. As you wrote, Secretary Clinton rightly condemned the film.



The Pussy Riot case is another matter. This rather obscure Russian punk rock band is certainly not my cup of tea. However, they are a legitimate music group and their music, like many other artists, includes a political message. Key to their message is protesting what they consider the totalitarian regime of President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation. One of the shock tactics this group uses to express its protest is to perform their music in unusual or unexpected places. The incident you describe took place in the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Moscow, not on the altar but in the soleas. This is an important distinction; the altar is behind the iconostasis. This is considered the most sacred part of the church. The soleas is the more public space in front of the iconostasis. Perhaps it’s a minor distinction, but it reveals a little bit of restraint on the part of the group. The other really important difference is the message being conveyed. The Pussy Riot group was protesting the Russian Orthodox bishops’ alleged collusion with the government of President Putin. Certainly there is ample evidence of this type of behaviour of the bishops in the past with the Marxists of the Soviet era, and now allegedly with the present leaders in Russia. Russia does not have the greatest reputation for respecting the religious freedom of people who are not Russian Orthodox! I think this distinction supports Amnesty International’s call for a repudiation of the Russian Federation’s prosecution of this music group.



I believe that you have a valid point regarding the perception in society that it is okay to mock or insult Christianity in humour and political commentary while there is a great degree of sensitivity towards other religions. The primary reason for this discrepancy is the perceived size and power of Christian denominations, and their desire to influence not only their own members but society in general. In other words, when you are on the top of the hill, all the attention, especially negative, get directed at you. It’s not fair and it’s not accurate. It doesn’t reflect the reality that Christianity is not as powerful as it once was. Radical Secularism is a powerful ‘belief system’ today, and has become much more intolerant of other points of view. The solution in my mind is certainly not violence, but rather for us to stand up for our beliefs, to demand respect, and above all to do as is often attributed to Saint Francis: Preach the Gospel always; if necessary use words. Our love, our charity and our service in the name of Christ will speak volumes!